Counting Crows are a seven-piece band originally from California. They released their seventh album Somewhere Under Wonderland on September 2, and tour the UK throughout November.
We spoke to singer Adam Duritz to find out more about recording an album, being decisive, and not really having a plan
HOW ARE YOU ADAM?
I’m very well. Getting busy now ahead of the new album, but that’s always good. We finished it all in May, so we’ve been waiting to release it.
WAS IT ENJOYABLE, RECORDING THE ALBUM?
Well, recording is part enjoyable, but mostly kicking the crap out of each other. I wouldn’t call it fun. It’s satisfying, but it’s work. It’s brutal. You’ve got to be. To make good records you’ve got to kick the crap out of each other.
NOT LITERALLY?
Figuratively, but I think figuratively is actually worse than literally. I think most people would take a good swift beating in exchange for the other way. I boxed for years, and I would rather get hit than do the stuff we have to do to ourselves during recording.
WHY IS IT SO BAD?
It’s nothing personal, it’s just human. No one demands enough of themselves on a minute-to-minute basis to sustain that sort of creativity. So you have to demand it of each other. There’s no way seven people are demanding enough of themselves to make great records all the time, you have to be so self-critical and demanding and you have to be able to notice the good stuff when it happens. So it’s easier if we do that for each other. And anyone can play perfectly, but it’s not that we want, it’s not good enough, we want a level above that.
A LOT OF THE WRITING COMES DOWN TO YOU, DO YOU BEAT YOURSELF UP OVER THAT?
I’m incredibly self-critical when it comes to lyrics. This wasn’t that hard an album to write. After the tour was over last summer, I got the band to my house in New York, and we spent a week every month at my house writing for the duration of the autumn.
THAT’S DIFFERENT TO NORMAL?
Yes normally I’d be on my own writing, especially at the beginning, it’s much more informal. This time it just felt easier to have everyone here.
THERE ARE NINE SONGS ON THE ALBUM, WHAT MADE THESE PASS THE TEST?
Well, they’re done. We finished them. We only wrote nine songs, and these are the only nine we are recording. I’ve never been one for writing 30 songs and recording a few. That’s never been my thing. It’s wasteful, and a lot of people do it. It feels more indecisive than anything, like people are worried about making a decision. It never seemed necessary to me.
THE OPENING SONG ON THE ALBUM IS CALLED PALISADES PARK, WHICH IS IN NEW JERSEY?
It was in New Jersey. It’s not there any more. It was an area, as well as a theme park. I never went there, but I was fascinated by it as a kid. I thought it made for a great album opening, I’m really happy with that song.
THE LAST COUNTING CROWS ALBUM WAS A COVERS ALBUM. WHY?
We wanted to make it, but I was working on a play at the time, and I didn’t want to write for two different things at once. It seemed confusing to me, working out whether it went to the left or the right. I didn’t want to do that, so I wrote for the play, and we made Underwater Sunshine. It felt like a doubly productive year.
DID YOU EVER THINK YOU’D RELEASE SEVEN ALBUMS OVER A 21-YEAR PERIOD?
Oh I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going to happen next week. I know people do that, but I don’t. Worrying about the future, no, not me. We’re going to get there anyway, so there’s no point. I never really spend a lot of time thinking about it or worrying about it. People always want to know what I thought back in the ’90s, but I don’t know. We were just making a record, and I hoped we’d make another one. There’s no more cohesive planning than that.
TOURING IS A MASSIVE PART OF YOUR LIFE. DO YOU LIKE IT?
It’s just how it is. We’ve just finished a massive tour in the States, I’ve been home about a week, and I’m away most of the year. You just have to accept it, but it’s not all that bad. I miss home, but I do love being on tour. Playing is definitely my favourite aspect of being on tour.
- Tour dates include Glasgow O2 Academy on November 2.