Damon Albarn: ‘At the beginning, I really didn’t want anyone in the studio but Graham’ – Music News

Damon Albarn joins Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 to discuss Blur’s new song “St. Charles Square” from the band’s forthcoming album ‘The Ballad of Darren’, out next month. He tells Apple Music about the origin of the song, reuniting with Blur for the group’s first album in eight years, and more.

Damon Albarn Tells Apple Music About New Blur Song “St. Charles Square”…

Well, I was just really relieved it went this way in the studio. I mean, I kind of in my demo, it sort of alluded to it, because of the chords that hold in the chorus. It’s got that chug to it. But Graham really went with that. And yeah, it’s got an amazing atmosphere. Everybody’s playing really well on that thing. Do you know what the whole thing has really felt like, we’re sort of somewhere in 1992, something like that, ’92, ’93. We’re just sort of back. I don’t know. And when we go on stage, that’s where we start off really… I’ve always kind of felt like it’s not just about singing about yourself. You’ve got to kind of bring where you’re singing it and writing it with you.

Damon Albarn Tells Apple Music About Reuniting with Blur For New Album ’The Ballad of Darren’…

When I kind of finished the demos and I felt I’ve got something I’m excited about, I got everyone into a studio in January this year and I just sort of sat them down and I said, “Right. This is what I’ve got. You choose what you want to use from it and we move forward from that.” But I mean, at the beginning, I really didn’t want anyone in the studio but Graham to start off with, but the other two kind of day one said, “No. We want to stay here if that’s all right.” And they did. And do you know what? It was the best thing really. It was the best thing. It was just I suppose me just trying to get my head round kind of working with more people at once in a studio because I mean, a lot of the time, I just do it on my own really. The reward of everyone playing together is one I do acknowledge as being maybe the greatest. You got to keep it real. I’ve been playing with them since I was a kid. So to sort of be able to chart that ridiculous journey from being teenagers to being five years off 60 is quite… It’s a little bit odd but wonderful at the same time. It’s wonderful.

Damon Albarn on The Album Title…

Darren is someone who grew up really with the rest of us and has been through so many of the same experiences. And so in a way, he’s the everyman, but he’s kind of all of us.

Damon Albarn Tells Apple Music About Collaborating with James Ford..

…you need one whos really the same kind of universe as you’re in. And the brilliant thing about James is that you feel like he’s part of the band and has always been part of the band and has always… He’s brilliant like that. He’s one of the best, I think.

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