• Williams + Hirakawa

You played at the Crocodile here a few years ago and you busted out a light over the stage with your mic stand. It was bugging you. Glass went everywhere. Do you remember that? Cause you owe the club $14.50.

Casablancas: I do remember that. I apologize. That's probably one of the coolest looking things I’ve ever done though.

Do you bust out lights often?
No. That was pretty much just a lucky shot. I was totally surprised to hit the target. I wasn’t expecting to hit it all. It was more a symbolic gesture.

You should start breaking out lights every show.
It could be cool, but they’d probably start charging me. I’d end up losing money on it.

What about breaking some other things? Maybe some props. You could break through a cinder block or something. Or stage a fight with someone.
I like where you’re going with that. Like a planned thing, something I explode every night. You want a job?

This is a whole new career for you. Forget music, you’re now a stuntman.
Finally. Yes.

So at what point did you realize you wanted to do a solo record? Were you messing around in a studio, or was it something you set out to do?
A bunch of different things added up. Over time, over the months leading up to it, I thought, “I want to do this, I have to do this.” I don’t know, when you feel like you’re getting lack of interest and enthusiasm from the people you play with, and they go off and do solo albums, I kinda felt like I had no choice.

Where did you do the recording?
I started it in New York. Did a lot in LA. Then finished it Omaha, Nebraska with Mike Mogis.

Was it weird recording and not having it be Strokes?
It was weird at first, yeah. I didn’t want to be cocky. I wasn’t sure how it would be, or if I could do it. I did a few tests on my own to see how it would be. I liked the results and it was really fun, so I continued.

How did it differ from Strokes sessions?
I’d say it was more involving, all around. With the Strokes, even if it’s something I write, like a guitar part, I show it to the band, and we rehearse it in a song, and see how it sounds. I put my two cents in on the tone, but with the band, it's a collaborative thing. On our last record though, I pretty much stayed away from nitpicking tone, and just let the guys work it out. With this solo album, it’s me on all levels of the song. So it’s different that way. I mean, I’m totally involved with the Strokes don't get me wrong, but doing it solo, there’s no one there to hand the song off to or pick it up where you leave it. But then there’s also not someone there you have to debate. I like doing it both ways.

Did you play with any strange or different instruments in the studio for this album?
Not really strange instruments so to speak, but I did use some analog keyboards that I thought were cool. Like the Andromeda.

And you’re a master of the jaw harp right?
You mean a jews harp? Ha. I have played one in my lifetime, but not for this record. There were definitely things we tried in the studio. Like Mike Mogis tried some weird instruments. He has some good ones. They look like a Jules Verne time machine or something. Lots of buttons. You know, we’d try a real piano, and that wouldn’t work, then we’d try an organ and that wouldn’t work. Then we’d try some weird creepy ambient sound, and that would work.

What music are you into these days?
Times New Viking. Telepathe. Beirut. I’ve been listening to those bands a lot.

How do you write songs? Do you have a certain process? Do you go through different phases with it?
I’ve gone through two general phases in my life with writing. I used to never write anything down and just go by memory. Now, I do the opposite, I record everything. The recording process has become recording everything. Every time I play something that seems cool. It can be something random. I could be in a car, or asleep. I’ll record the idea. Then most of the song building, and evolution and structure and arranging happens in editing.

What’s the line up in your band?
I love my band. There’s two drummers, two guitars, and two keyboardists.

Two drummers? So you have the Allman Brothers thing going on?
That would be the last band I’d want to be compared to. Nothing against the Allman Brothers at all. I just don’t really want to sound like them.

Any stories from the tour thus far?
Just the other night we were in San Francisco and this crazy group of Swedish girls was dancing on the edge of the balcony. One of them was wearing a bikini. Like, that’s what she wore out. Just a bikini.

Where are your favorite places to play in the world?
I love playing in New York. For some reason, Glasgow, Scotland is always nuts. And your town, Seattle. It’s always really good there.

And you’ll be going straight to the Croc to replace the lightbulb?
Yes. Definitely.