Julian Casablancas - Answer your questions (Azzaro Decibel Q&A) Part 1
Questions:
- Bands he wants to work with (0:01-1:03) - Favourite CD on repeat (1:05-1:38)
- Favourite Ice cream flavour (1:42-2:25)
- Favourite memory making the Advert (2:28-3:08)
- Favourite music Video (3:11-36)
- Favourite stage of the Musical Process (3:37-5:06) - If he was a kid now, what music would be an influence ? (5:07-5:37)
- Music or Lyrics first ? (5:41-6:20) - On a Second solo record ? (6:22-7:00)
- On inspiration (7:01-8:07)
(via comecloser-mileskane)
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
| I : Put on a rock band like The Strokes, was it a childhood dream? |
| JC : This may sound a bit silly from a musician but my dream was more to be a modern composer than playing in a rock and roll band … I was a fan of many rock bands so I think it’s great to have created my own one! But I’m probably more coming by the composition in itself, that is to say not just “play a few chords and write the melody,” I was really interested by the render of the drum, the accompaniment, by what each instrument could do its part to create a nice piece of music. |
| I : What was your first instrument ? |
| JC : A guitar that I still have, but I no longer use. It was cool 15 years ago, but I confess that today its sound is terrible. |
| I : What were the bands you used to listen to when you were younger ? |
| JC : I had several phases, I liked a lot Bob Marley, Velvet Underground too… but also Brian Wilson, John Lennon, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Doors and a lot of others… Everything from Bob Dylan to Guided by Voices, Beethoven, Tom Petty, Benny Goodman, Bruce Springsteen, Mozart, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, etc. |
| I : You quote Velvet Underground like the biggest rock band of all time. Why ? |
| JC : I think they are superior in many areas, I even feel that they probably were not recognized at fair value. They are immense and continue to inspire me. |
| I: What’s the most memorable rock moment of your career? |
| JC : The fans’ reaction to our music. It would be unfair to distinguish one gig from others. |
| I : Main composer of songs, you are known to be meticulous. Is perfectionism rock? |
| JC: It’s complicated, I think we can’t do something good without being intensely involved and without a lot of work. |
| Say that we work a lot is boring, however it’s the reality. Sometimes the songs come naturally but sometimes require to put a lot of heart into your work. |
| I try not to be too perfectionist but that’s inevitable … you just have to know when to stop. |
| I : Where does you inspiration come from? |
| JC : The creative process is mysterious. It’s hard to explain how it works really. To me, the more you work hard, the less inspiration matters. |
| I : Why did you want to be a rock star? |
| JC : The most important thing is to find his way. For me, music was obvious. |
| I : What is your definition of rock? |
| JC : The up-tempo of the 1950s, R & B …? But it’s a personal definition that differs depending on each person. My definition matches me. I guess we can give the usual clichés such as energy, rebellion, youth, recklessness and self-destruction etc … and also the idea of being bold enough to speak freely? |
| I : Do you think the message of a rocker is primarily contained in his music or in the mood that he displays openly? |
| JC : In his music, of course. However, nowadays, they shape each other, as long as they both come from a sincere approach. |
| I : You’ve calmed down, you’re married. In your opinion, it’s not anymore antithetical to the life of a rocker? |
| JC : I found stability in the construction of my personal life. And it does not stop me to express myself musically. On the contrary. |
| I : Do you think rock music has evolved? |
| JC : Of course. The music evolves with the times, the rock also, no matter what it means to people … |
| I : Some say rock is dead? |
| JC : People say that “everything has already been done” since forever, probably because part of their imagination is dead. |
| I : Do you think there is a strong link between the ability to keep his child’s soul and that of cultivating his image? |
| JC : Not quite, the idea of cultivating his image involves some thought, which strikes me as the opposite of childhood … |
| I : Did you know the brand Azzaro? |
| JC : I saw Enrique’s ads, so I knew they had very good taste in men. |
| I : Why have you agreed to become the image of Decibel, the new fragrance for men from Azzaro? |
| JC : The brand is changing, it changes and grows, it is a concept that suits me a lot now, just like we were in sync. |
| I also think that Azzaro gives me the opportunity to reach people I would not have achieved within the traditional framework of my work. |
| I : What message do you want to convey? |
| JC : Musically I’d love to do something more fiery, different, but which is nevertheless known. I wish all good things would become unavoidable, but unfortunately, most are pretty underground and remain unknown to the general public. |
| I : What do you think of the perfume name? |
| JC : I rather like if you want a name that makes thinking about music, it makes sense. |
| I : What are to you the smells of everyday life that are the most rock ? |
| JC : The smell of bars, smoke, gas and leather. |
| I : Do you think that perfume is an object of seduction? |
| JC : A certain smell brings you back automatically to a special memory … and the smell is an important factor in the attraction. |
Damsels, fear not for Sir Julian is here!
I’m sorry I just can’t wait for the full ver. of I Like the K(Night) so I occupy myself with my Sir Julian silliness.
Look what I found, an eau de toilette mini spray of dB by Azzaro Julian is promoting
*WANTS*
ANOTHER behind the scenes vid of Julian’s Azzaro decibel ad.
He sings a bit MORE of I Like the Night !! &….. I imagine the filming was kinda awkward for Julian O_O’ haha.
If Voltron (Julian’s pet dog) was a horse…and FIRE? He’s got shades man.
P.S. In case anyone’s wondering, the dude in the original pic is David Beckham & the the dude in the previous Sir Julian pic I photoshopped was Roger Federer.