It’s been a long 11 years without them, but finally, No Doubt is officially back with a new album, Push and Shove, next month, and we COULDN’T be more psyched about it!
And apparently, we’re not alone, because during a recent interview, band members Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal openly discussed why it took them so long to get working on tune-age together once again, how the lead singer feels about her solo career, and what exactly went into the song-writing process this time around!
Gwen explains:
There’s nothing that compares to being in a band with your best friends you’ve known all these years. Playing live is so automatic and so electric. That whole period when I got to do [solo] records, to me it was indulging my theatrical side, and getting to be really creative that way; like, do costumes, and costume changes; do music that was electronic and not have to worry about a drummer or anything else — songs that were never really meant to be taken seriously, just for fun. It was just a project I did that was very inspired, and it kind of got a little out of control, really. [Laughs.] But there’s no place like home; we’re so comfortable together, we understand each other. It feels, like, normal. Whereas that [solo] period felt like I was trying to be something, and play a role, and pretend.
And Tony elaborates:
On this record, we spent a lot of time fine-tuning songs. Sometimes we├óΓé¼Γäód spend a week working on a verse, and then say, “Okay, the verse is great.” And then write the chorus and say, “That chorus is amazing, the verse isn├óΓé¼Γäót good.” And we├óΓé¼Γäód go back and spend two weeks on the verse. We didn├óΓé¼Γäót have the luxury like in the past of writing 30 songs and picking the best 10. This was, like, every song had to count. And the eleven songs we have are the eleven songs we wrote.
So, SO cool!
Obviously, it’s more than clear that they took their return to the scene VERY seriously, and really went above and beyond to ensure that the quality of music they were producing was nothing short of TOP NOTCH!
And that’s on top of the MAGIC that automatically happens when No Doubt is involved!
We think it’s safe to assume we’re all going to be one AH-MAZING treat come September 25th, folks!
GET PUMPED!
And ch-ch-check out the full interview from Gwen and Tony… AFTER THE JUMP!!!
[Image via WENN.]
Where were you guys at as a band after your last album, Rock Steady, in 2001?
Stefani: We were just burned out; we had toured so, so much, and it takes so much of yourself. I think we decided we really just wanted to take a break. I got married and decided I wanted to do a dance record, and I didn├óΓé¼Γäót ever expect for it to be what it was or for the No Doubt thing to be such a long break, but it was one of those things where you just had to sort of follow your inspiration. And then as soon as I was done with that last [solo] tour, I was done. I was like, Okay, I├óΓé¼Γäóm ready; I├óΓé¼Γäóm so ready for the No Doubt record. And then I got pregnant with Zuma [her youngest son], and it was really challenging to be pregnant and come off all the stuff I had done, and try to write. And that├óΓé¼Γäós why things got really delayed; it was like, impossible. I just couldn├óΓé¼Γäót do it; I had nothing left to give. And when I finally had [Zuma], we said, “Let├óΓé¼Γäós just go on tour and try to get inspired.” And when we came off tour we wrote our first song.
Kanal: When we got onstage together, just reconnecting and playing music together, it was such a big deal for us. It kind of brought us back to what we started the band for in the first place, which was just to get onstage and play music. I think reminding ourselves about that and doing it in front of tons of people really helped us get inspired and gain our confidence back to get back in the writing studio.
In the time in between, did you guys meet at all to play around and feel things out?
Stefani: Well, we don’t jam. Come on, Tony!
Kanal: We don├óΓé¼Γäót jam, we haven├óΓé¼Γäót jammed for a while. [Laughs.] But in the years we weren├óΓé¼Γäót making music, we were seeing each other all the time, at kids’ birthday parties or social events. There was always stuff going on. As much as there was a break, it never felt like, Oh my God, I haven├óΓé¼Γäót talked to that person in forever.
Stefani: Tony worked so much on my records; we were together a lot.
Kanal: I think I even went to see you play on tour, too …
Stefani: Yeah, you did.
Gwen, you mention feeling like you were definitely ready to get back to No Doubt. What was it specifically that you felt was missing?
Stefani: There’s nothing that compares to being in a band with your best friends you’ve known all these years. Playing live is so automatic and so electric. That whole period when I got to do [solo] records, to me it was indulging my theatrical side, and getting to be really creative that way; like, do costumes, and costume changes; do music that was electronic and not have to worry about a drummer or anything else — songs that were never really meant to be taken seriously, just for fun. It was just a project I did that was very inspired, and it kind of got a little out of control, really. [Laughs.] But there’s no place like home; we’re so comfortable together, we understand each other. It feels, like, normal. Whereas that [solo] period felt like I was trying to be something, and play a role, and pretend.
Kanal: The one thing I know about Gwen is when she’s inspired, you kind of have to get out of her way. To see her manifest this whole new kind of world on the dance records or on her clothing lines, this empire she’s built, is so amazing. Yesterday, I watched her introduce the First Lady of the United States — she hosted Michelle Obama at her house. It really brought things full circle for me; it was like, That’s my friend who I’ve known since I was 16 years old, hosting the First Lady at her house. I was just incredibly proud of her.
Stefani: Oh, Tony! That’s so sweet!
Tell me about the idea behind the video for “Settle Down.” It├óΓé¼Γäós so warm and fuzzy and nostalgia-y, down to Gwen├óΓé¼Γäós outfit.
Kanal: I had this idea of all of us kind of driving from separate places and coming back together, literally: meeting in this undisclosed barren desert location and playing music and dancing, just getting back to what we do. So we called Sophie Muller, who we├óΓé¼Γäóve collaborated with on tons of videos, and she got more excited about it than even we were. I kind of joked around: “Wouldn├óΓé¼Γäót it be cool to have people doing, like, a Jamaican country line dance?” ‘Cause it has this weird country-esque melody in it. So Sophie and our choreographer, Fatima, went to a Jamaican nightclub and picked out the best dancers and asked if they wanted to be in a No Doubt video. And now there├óΓé¼Γäós this cool, surreal line dance in the video. But I know what you├óΓé¼Γäóre talking about, that one moment when we all kind of see each other and give each other big hugs. It├óΓé¼Γäós a very cool, emotional moment.
Even though it was staged, did you guys really feel that moment?
Kanal: [Laughing.] It wasn’t staged!
Stefani: We were totally acting! It was the middle of the night, are you kidding me?
Kanal: No, it was seriously, like, four in the morning. We all have kids, so we’re usually waking up at four in the morning, not filming videos.
Since we haven’t heard the full album yet, are there any specific songs you can call out that have a particularly good backstory?
Kanal: On this record, we spent a lot of time fine-tuning songs. Sometimes we├óΓé¼Γäód spend a week working on a verse, and then say, “Okay, the verse is great.” And then write the chorus and say, “That chorus is amazing, the verse isn├óΓé¼Γäót good.” And we├óΓé¼Γäód go back and spend two weeks on the verse. We didn├óΓé¼Γäót have the luxury like in the past of writing 30 songs and picking the best 10. This was, like, every song had to count. And the eleven songs we have are the eleven songs we wrote.
Stefani: To write an album takes so much focus and selfish time, to just write and think about your life. For me. Maybe not for other people. My husband, for instance, can write a whole album in two weeks and record it and be done. But for me, it takes such a long time.
Much has been made of the fact that you’re all parents now. Has that mellowed the group out at all?
Stefani: I don├óΓé¼Γäót think it├óΓé¼Γäós mellowed us out, but priorities have to change. Before, it was unspoken that the band was the No. 1 thing; there was not a girlfriend or someone else that could be before the band. It wasn├óΓé¼Γäót even something we discussed, it just was what it was. But we├óΓé¼Γäóre at a stage where we don├óΓé¼Γäót have to be like that anymore; we can kind of do this when we want to do it. Like today, for instance, I told them, “I cannot do twelve-hour days anymore, stop it!” [Laughs.] I just missed Kingston and Zuma going to sleep. But I get to talk to you, and it├óΓé¼Γäós actually a nice break ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ my kids are so much work. [Laughs.] No Spider-Man for me tonight, but that├óΓé¼Γäós okay. I├óΓé¼Γäóll take a break.
-
Categories
