Q&A with Julian Casablancas 
The  Strokes singer talks about his solo album and his tour hitting House of  Blues on Tuesday  
Wednesday,  April 7, 2010
  [SIZE=-1] By Cole Garner Hill,  Special contributor[/SIZE]                          
                            Julian  Casablancas makes nonchalance seem like an art form. As vocalist         and head songwriter for New York retro-rockers the Strokes, he wrote         simple arrangements, crooned songs with cutting Lou Reed swagger,  and        performed like a drunken poseable action figure leaning on  the        microphone stand. And the band went platinum.     
             On his debut solo album, Phrazes for the Young,  Casablancas        indulges some of his wildest creative fantasies and  still makes the work        feel effortless. Producing his most complex,  layered music yet, he moves        across genres – including country,  synth-pop and soul – with surprising        grace.     
             While the album still exhales Casablancas' characteristic cool,         translating it live has been anything but easy. He initially envisioned         his tour as a distinct departure from life with the Strokes,  with        elaborate, futuristic stage sets.     
             However, after debuting the live setup at some shows in Los Angeles and         realizing the plan wasn't feasible for the long haul, Casablancas         rethought his ornate tour as a more rock-oriented,  straightforward        affair. That should allow the fans to focus in on  him when he hits House        of Blues on Tuesday. We caught up with  the 31-year-old and father of a        newborn son over the phone, after  a recent soundcheck. Here's more.     
            Q: What are  you sound-checking with tonight?     
            Casablancas:  Tonight we did a little "Glass" and "Left & Right in        the  Dark."     
                 
            Q: How's the  tour been so far?     
            Casablancas: It's  been going great, man. It's been super fun.        It's been crazy fun,  I've got to say.     
                 
            Q:  Any horror stories yet?     
            Casablancas: Horror  stories ... well, this was pretty funny; it's        not really a  horror story. I was just outside – I'm in Cleveland now –        and  there was this dude, a homeless dude, and he was just, like, trying         to show me around the town or something. I don't know, but he's like,         "Anyways, you got any money?" and I was like, "No." But then I  looked in        my pocket, and I was like, "Actually, I have a Canadian  20." He was        like, "Nah, I don't [expletive] with that  [expletive]!" And he just        walked away.     
                  
            Q: I guess he didn't want to bother trying to  exchange it on the        street.     
            Casablancas:  I guess. But, that's like 15 U.S. dollars, man.     
                  
            Q: How different is touring on your own?  Is it comparable to a        Strokes tour?     
            Casablancas:  The stage doesn't feel different, just because my         responsibilities are the same. I'm up there singing. Touring ... yeah,         I'd say it's easier. It's easier, it's funner, it's just a lot  more laid        back. Less strong opinions.     
            Q:  Are you getting to do a lot that you normally wouldn't do in the         Strokes?     
            Casablancas: I don't know,  man. I feel like I can do what I want        to do in the Strokes. But,  this has been the most fun I've had while        touring ever.     
                  
            Q: Were you able to bring your  new baby along for the ride?     
            Casablancas: No,  not yet. I will in Texas, probably. I might do a        little family  road trip.     
            Q: You decided to ditch the  elaborate stage sets for your tour after        the run of concerts in  LA. How has that affected your shows?     
                 Casablancas: The concept was to create this  amazing show and to        facilitate a free show. So, in every town, I  could play two shows. The        idea was to sell more expensive tickets  for the crazy show, and that        would finance another show. It's  all about the free shows; that's the        raddest thing. But yeah, it  couldn't really work out that way. It's kind        of on the shelf for  now. I hope to do it one day. But it doesn't really        hurt the  shows, because we were doing two shows at the same time – one         with the crazy production and one without – and to be honest, the crowds         are way more into it when it's bare-bones. The music is pretty  intricate        on its own, and that kind of energizes people, and we  feed off the        crowd. But when it was the big production, people  just kind of sat back        and stared, and were like, "Whoa." So, I  think more minds were possibly        blown, but ... it didn't really  rock. Not that it's really all about        rocking. You know what I'm  saying?     
                 
            Q: Yeah,  you're looking to try something new. The songs on the record        are  very ambitious. Did you face any challenges translating them live?      
            Casablancas: Yeah, it was definitely  challenging. I mean, before        the tour, it didn't exist live. I  think the payoff is really good,        though. Once everything worked  and was finally in line, playing the        songs, it felt like we were  lifting off the ground; it was exciting.     
            Q: A  lot of 'Phrazes for the Young' sounds influenced by '80s pop         culture, from sci-fi soundtracks to Joe Jackson. Were you nostalgic for         the sounds of your childhood on the album?      
             Casablancas: Not directly. Any artist, what he puts out is  like        his subconscious collection of memories. Or, what I think  you strive for        is to be a subconscious collection of things you  think are really good.        The things that influenced me more  directly on this record are things        like Hot Chip, kind of  polyrhythmic stuff. Some African music. I mean,        there's  definitely some '80s stuff. ... It was the apex of recording,         late '70s, early '80s, that clean, Michael Jackson sound. And then there         was also fringe '80s, like when the '80s tried to be really  experimental        and futuristic. All that stuff influenced the  record.     
                 
            Q: Can we  expect another solo record, or was this just a one-off        thing?      
            Casablancas: I don't know. We'll see.  Maybe. If I have ideas that        I want to do, and I know how I want  to do every single part of it, I'll        just do it on my own, unless I  need it to be a collaborative effort. 
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