NME September 2006

Why Has Albert Hammond Jr Gone Solo?

The Strokes' Lynchpin has temporarily flown the nest to front a new project. They sound like his old band but with a sexually deviant twist. Like, WTF, dude?!

"Fuck it," says Albert Hammond Jr, his trademark pussy-cat grin slipping as NME's line of questioning goes a little off biog. "I am not a predatory sex pest."

"Yes you are!" yelps drummer Matt Romano."He is! When we first met he raped me!"

Richard Hawly. Bill Wyman. That bloke out of British Sea Power. The list of frustrated songwriters who, greeted by muffled laughter whenever they suggest their day band record one of their songs for a change, have thrown down their glockenspiels and stormed off to make a crafty solo record on the side is a long and illustrious one. Think that "Funk Soul Brother' tune think 'Freakin' Out', think all those screamo jazz records by Brian out of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In stepping bravely out of their band's shadow, though, most backroom troubadours plan on unveiling their shrouded songwriting genius and not, say their inner perv.

To wit: 'Yours To Keep', the startlingly accomplished debut solo outing from Albert Hammond Jr, is where we get our first insight into the romantic reveries of the man they used to call Ringo Stroke. But what's this, on 'It's Hard To Live In The City': 'I've been following you for blocks and I wish you would stop and tell me your names // But I couldn't understand what you told me as you run away'? or 'Call An Ambulance' : "Once I was told // That a boy caught a cold // And he left to go home...His baby stayed where she was // I go talk to her 'cause // I wanna sleep with her" !?! Albert Hammond Jr, you are a bounder and a cad and fit only for the dog kennel! You swine!

"Sometimes I put my head in a different world," Albert smirks, sipping mineral water in an Avenue A cafe. "Maybe I like things that would disturb people. I can be a little fucked in the head. 'Call An Ambulance' is about waiting for someone to leave so you can hit on their girlfriend and them coming to be with you, but you can never trust them because they might do the same thing back to you. Anyway, I think the melodies are catchy enough that they would take you away from thinking anything like...or maybe it's more predatory"

Luring you into its torture basement with its sugary choruses or not, 'Yours To Keep' is a revelation, less 'Je Suis In Rock Star' and more 'Je Suis Un Extremely Talented Bloke Actually'. Written in late-night hotel bedroom sessions over the last three years of Strokes tours and recorded with the aid of Strokes drum tech Matt, ex-Ben Kweller bassist Josh Lattanzi and a revolving cast of guest musicians including Sean Lennon, Kweller and Julian Casablancas (it was recorded in track list order with the standard of recording improving as the project became more serious: the first track was laid down in Albert's mate's bedroom; the last in NYC's legendary Electric Ladyland studio), it's rooted in a radio-friendly alt.pop universe somewhere between The Stroke's spiky garage scree and the guitar pop sheen of Weezer (see 'In Transit, current download track 'Everyone Gets A Star' and forthcoming first single proper '101').

"I did suggest my songs (to the rest of The Strokes) once of twice and I got turned down" says Albert ungrudgingly. "It wasn't actually Julian who turned it down, it was the other members who didn't like it. Julian writes the songs and we play them and do our thing with them. That's the way he likes to have it and it's been good, we've all enjoyed it."

How did the rest of The Strokes feel about you doing a solo record?

Matt: "Everyone was really excited about it. I mean not overly excited where it was like 'yeah!' but I think everybody's pretty happy for Albert"

Albert: "I can open for the band now! I know I'm not leaving so there's no worry about that. I'm not going anywhere unless they kick me out"

'In Transit', the Strokesiest song on the record ("I wrote that to try to be a Strokes song but they were like 'no' so I was like 'okay'), suggests this record is a welcome releases from the pressures and strains of being in Albert's other band.

Albert nods, "That sounds good to me, maybe I was saying that to myself. I don't think I feel trapped in the band but I'm definitely glad I made this record. It wasn't 'I wanna get out', just sometimes after all the press and touring with each other, sometimes you want something different. Everyone must've known in the band, they all knew I liked to write and sing so it didn't come out of nowhere."

And it was nothing to do with your dad (famed '70s AOR crooner) Albert Hammond being on the comeback trail and convincing you to get in on the solo action?

"My dad? No, if anything I want to do exactly the opposite. I love the guy, but I'm more trying to emulate something such as The Crickets - a three-piece"

If 'Yours To Keep' was a knocked-together-in-spare-time masterpiece, Albert's plan to keep the accidental brilliance rolling - having explored the "world-in-my-head- vibe" on 'Yours..', a more extreme second solo album is written and recording has already began - even before Albert, Josh and Matt have worked out how to play the first one live.

"We wanna take (this project) to extremes, have the loudest, angriest song you've head and the quietest song you've heard," he smiles. "When we finished recording this album we were smiling so much. It's a good place to start to know me. It sounds like me, it sounds like us. You can't really say it sounds like anyone else."

Re-introducing Albert Hammond Jr: simply the pest



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