In January of this year, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, who’ve been together for two decades, released their eighth studio album Wrong Creatures. Its moody, broody rock ‘n’ roll vibe offers an unexpected amount of heart and soul you don’t want to miss. Crafted alongside veteran producer Nick Launay, best known for his work with Nick Cave, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Public Image LTD, the record not only captures classic BRMC strengths, but vulnerable songwriter moments as well.
Lyricist and bassist Robert Levon Been called in from the road to chat with The Pop Break about the album’s more tender, songwriter moments, touring in Australia, his love of film, and the band’s upcoming tour with Depeche Mode. Below is our chat with him.
I saw that you and the band were in just in Australia last month for a week. How was that, and how are the Australian crowds responding to the new album?
(laughs) We were just talking about [that] — it was really fun but, we were just bitching about how it was too condensed. The shows were back to back back. It didn’t leave much time to play and take a trip or see anything. It’s kind of the curse of it sometimes, going to places. You’re lucky to get to go, but it’s always good to complain a little. Wish you could see a little more or see friends while you’re there. Thankfully, we’ve gotten to go there a few times.
Yeah, especially when you’re traveling so far. Sometimes it basically feels like you’re on the plane for days.
Yes (laughs) especially going halfway around the world.
I asked how the crowds were because I actually just saw you guys play at Brooklyn Steel in New York this February and, obviously was totally blown away by the show, but I also was so impressed by how respectful the crowd was. Some people had their phones up and everything, but it really felt like stepping into an old rock ‘n’ roll club where people were really engaged and not staring at their phones. Do you find that’s common with the Black Rebel fan base in general?
Not always. I think the fans, I don’t know if their alcohol or booze helps, or what night of the week or the time we’re going on. But yeah, New Yorkers are a bit more of professional drinkers while others are still learning how. We’ve always had – since the very beginning – I remember we always had fans who really know music and the history of what came before what and had some respect for it. And that was true before we even know what the hell we were doing. Sometime our fans would teach us and hold the bar up for us so we don’t get lazy or sloppy.
Yeah, I definitely feel that. I really loved at the show how you guys opened with “Spook” and it seems like you do that a lot. It feels like the perfect atmospheric, and dark, ethereal song that really sets the tone for the whole show. Do you have a favorite track from Wrong Creatures at the moment that like you really like playing live?
That one is a nice way I think — I really like starting with “Spook” ‘cause it does set a tone. It’s harder sometimes to hold back. Your instinct with your adrenaline is really to come out like guns blazing with some adrenaline-pumping song. But there’s something, even more tension to keeping it tight with some dirty blues groove. That’s been fun live, but I don’t know if there’s one favorite. There’s some we haven’t played yet, but I’m hoping we’ll finally learn how to play by the time we get to Jersey. Like “Calling Them All The Way” and a couple others that aren’t on the album that we’re talking about playing and get to share with people.
Right now, my personal favorite is “Haunt” and I know you guys have played that before, but not too much. I watched a really beautiful acoustic sessions you did of it for KXT that was on YouTube. It’s such an intimate song, but feels like it can fill a big space. Could you talk a little a bit about the writing process behind that one in particular? Because it feels really special.
It was the scariest song to write just because it — the melodic space it had… The melody came first and the structure of it, it really felt like it was kinda like sacred ground as far as it has root song structures of like Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave songs that I really revere. I don’t tread lightly around that kind of world, so just doing it justice was — there’s more care in my eyes when writing that one just to not blow it. It would be a shame to miss– I don’t know the right analogy. It just feels like those more storyteller songs that are more emotional, and have a frequency or tone, you have to work harder to not drop the ball.
It was strange. It came a little easier than I thought it would. When the melody came and some of the words were coming, I remember thinking, “This will take me 10 years to write.” Which I have quite a few of (laughs). I just get spooked out, no pun intended, there’s certain places I get nervous about going. For instance, off the Howl album, it was a love letter to like The Band and Dylan and real, true songwriter history that I wanted to respect. I don’t know if I can make a full album of it, but I can pull off four or five minutes of that (laughs). That one means a lot and I’m glad we got that one off on this album.
Well, I think it’s very successful and it’s really fresh and great to hear. It’s one of those songs that, when you put the album on, you sort of stop in your tracks and think, “Wow this is great, what is this one called again?”
With that one, it started — I like the idea of changing the perception of what we think of the word “haunt.” Usually people imagine a scary ghost or horror film, but I thought the real meaning of the word, or what it really feels like to be haunted by something, is really sorrowful. Like a memory that you can’t lose versus a zombie chasing you or something cartoonish. I liked bringing it back to that. Something more adult.
I love that. You can tell there’s a poetry with the thoughtfulness of the words. It reminded of an interview I read that you did last year in France where you mentioned how visuals and film in particular really inspire your writing process. And I was wondering if you had a favorite director or film that you find particularly inspiring when writing? Like I know that “Circus Bazooko” from Wrong Creatures sort of came from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. Were there other films that inspired you?
(laughs) I started doing this thing — ‘cause I’m like a big cinefile. People make fun of me that know me – it doesn’t make sense that I make music because I’m more obsessed with film, but I’ll do this thing where I’ll watch a trailer of something I’m really excited to see and can’t wait to see. I’ll often turn the sound off and watch the trailer on repeat for an hour or so, while finding words [to write]. It’s strangely — it’s like the promise of something is always greater. Or the imagination or what you project is… people or relationships are like that as well (laughs). Or a photograph.
I remember doing that with the Under The Skin trailer, [Mad Max] Fury Road trailer, Tree Of Life trailer. I remember wanting to see those films because they’re all perfect and amazing but no matter how great it is, it’s nothing compared to the daydream and the story in your own head. It’s like reading a book versus seeing something. I don’t know, as far as the films, it’s a weird way to stir up emotion. I’ll do that with an album too. I’ll often buy an album and stare at the record before listening to it for quite a while. The promise, or the projection of what it might be, is more exciting than whatever box it ends up in after you hear it or see it.
Yes, totally. It’s like the anticipation of the full story is almost as exciting as the full story itself.
Usually the films or the books or the record are far greater than I can imagine, but it’s something about the imagination staying open and your blood pumping cause you don’t know what you don’t know yet. There’s something exciting about that. It raises the heart rate.
That’s so beautiful. I love that you turn the sound off even just to take in the visuals. That’s pretty amazing. It actually reminds of, speaking of a band that has an incredibly visual live performance, Depeche Mode. And you guys are going to be playing with them really soon. Are you excited about that? Were they ever an influence for you growing up?
I think all of us grew up with their records and adoring them. And they’re one of those bands that don’t get listed with others. When you think of the best bands of all time, you think Dylan, Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Joy Division, or something, but their shows are still as great and exciting as ever before. They have that ability to have timeless music even considering that they’re so electronic-based.
It should technically not work and it should date itself but the quality of it is a test of how much there actually is when you look past the surface. I have a lot of respect for them. It’s a big big honor to get asked to be apart of their show. You never know opening up. Their crowd are notoriously hard on whoever is opening up. Just to be apart of it will be something to tell the grandkids one day.
I was just curious, aside from Depeche Mode — who I just saw live for the first time last year and was totally blown away by how incredible live they still are — is there anything else coming up for the band that you’re really excited about?
There’s this vinyl box set that we just put out. People finally got it this week. It was a 9-month-long process creating new artwork and everything for it. Mostly, I’m just super relieved that people got it. It’s out, or in the mail, it’s like out of our hands. We can’t ruin it anymore (laughs). And there’s songs on it, like a secret cassette that aren’t on the album. That’s kind of the main thing I’m excited to see people’s reactions too. We’re doing a lot of summer festivals and Europe stuff. Looking forward to surviving all of it and living to tell the tale. Instead of not surviving and having someone tell the tale for me (laughs).
You guys are going to do great. I’m excited for the tour and excited to get my hands on that secret cassette – that sounds so special.
Yeah, we might put it out in another shape or form later. Some people will hear it first, but what’s cool is that they aren’t b-sides. They weren’t songs that we were like, ehh. They’re all proper a-side songs that we were originally gonna have — it was gonna be a 16 or 17 song album, but, at the last minute, we decided to not put people through that. (laughs) But yeah, it will be great for folks to hear finally.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club performs Friday May 11 at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City with Pete International Airport. Click here for tickets.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket goes to War Child to support children and families in communities affected by war throughout the world.
