A new John Cale album will see the light of day in 2023. He talked to Mojo Magazine. He was ready to go in 2020 and then the pandemic happened:
I was heading into the cycle of release, press, tour – the table was set! At first, I thought, OK, lockdown might be a good time to rest since I’d been going non-stop for over five years. My studio was in a shambles, since a full remodel was planned while my band and I were to be on tour – nearly every piece of gear was locked away in a pile of rubble. I found lockdown was going to be extra-brutal without the ability to create from home. I just felt lost. And I hate sitting still.
Even before the pandemic the world was already such a strange place. There were days that music and lyrics would start to form and next thing you know, these powerful emotions would take over. This was real, and I wanted whatever was going on to just stay that way. There were odd moments where a song sort of wrote itself… I usually fight the more conventional things, but this time, I just let it all stay true to its origins.” “For the first time in years, I wrote on a fretless bass. love for rhythm and low end – but the analog vibe is equally important on this one. I found a new appreciation for some beat-up keyboards, and for the first time in years, I wrote on a fretless bass, which threw me into a different approach. I could blend some swagger with experimental harmonic chords – I’ll take it! And strings. I haven’t written for strings this much in years. I’ve already written for my next album, based on how good I feel about this one.
Lyrically, I knew it had to be personal. There’s extreme emotional pendulum-swinging – rage, sorrow, fear, urgency. Everyone I know felt it. I hear many elements of strange beauty contained in this one. I do hope people will hear it immediately and take time to listen repeatedly, for things to be revealed.
His UK Fall tour kicks off on October 23 in Edinburgh. The first confirmed show for 2023 is in. He will perform at the Archa Theatre in Prague on March 1.
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