Is there a better rock band that formed in this century than Arctic Monkeys?
In early 2006, they unleashed their first album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not that sold more copies in their native UK than any debut that had come before. Since then, they’ve been consummate artists – exploring, experimenting, and embellishing their sound on subsequent releases. The August 15, 2013 interview, recorded at the studio then known as Avatar now known at Power Station at BerkleeNYC, is with frontman Alex Turner and his pal since childhood drummer Matt Helders. Both were insightful and funny.
The chat coincided with the release of their fifth LP AM whose title refers to the name of the band and not the time from midnight to noon as I ran up the pole during our conversation. As Turner commented, the studio previously always seemed kind of secondary (to live shows) but on this album they embraced getting the most out of the controlled environment. We got into The Attractions’ Pete Thomas (“a rhythmical masseuse”) dropping by the sessions as well as Josh Homme’s exhilarating appearance. The latter led to why Queens of the Stone Age ex-drummer Joey Castillo was significant for Helders. Turner casually dropped his five fruit and veg-a-day of The Stooges, Zep, Sabbath, Stones, and Beatles and how Arctic Monkeys copped some production elements from contemporary R&B and hip-hop.
