Okay, yeah, Guns N Roses being announced on the Coachella lineup was a pretty big deal – I will not deny this. However, there was one other reunion on the bill that had myself and many, many others around the world even more excited, and that was one LCD Soundsystem.
It’s been five years since we’ve had any new material from the pioneering New York City group, who forged new and exciting paths in modern music. Helmed by James Murphy and flanked by Nancy Whang and Pat Mahoney (as well as a revolving door of many collaborators and co-performers), the band have gone onto become one of the biggest, most polarising and most influential acts in the entire world. So having them appear on this year’s Coachella bill, and having all the rumours confirmed – well, it’s a pretty big fucking deal.
However, some people weren’t as excited as others. In fact, some people got really angry at this news. Music, love of music and love of a band can do strange things to people, and this is what happened yesterday towards LCD Soundsystem. In response, Murphy has now released a (very) length statement addressing, affirming and acknowledging everyone’s feelings because that’s what he does.
In his statement, Murphy detailed the steps he went through before deciding to make more LCD Soundsystem music; how he suddenly found himself with a lot of new material, how he spoke with Nancy and Pat and they were in, how he finally felt ready to return to the studio. He also went onto address how blindsided he was by fans saying they were upset, or even feeling betrayed by this news. saying he was “seriously sorry”.
“[I]n my naiveté [I] hadn’t seen one thing coming: there are people who don’t hate us at all, in fact who feel very attached to the band, and have put a lot of themselves into their care of us, who feel betrayed by us coming back and playing…[I] saw some comments online a few days ago from people who felt that way, and it blindsided me, and made me incredibly sad,” he said.
“[I] was so clearly expecting the cynical cries of foul, that [I] hadn’t seen the heartfelt complaint coming. [W]e’ve always talked about how we’d never betray anyone who cares about us, but here we are now,” he said before pledging to make this record the best it can possibly be, especially for these fans.
“[T]he only thing we can do now is get back into the studio and finish this record, and make it as fucking good as we can possibly make it. [I]t needs to be better than anything we’ve done before, in my mind, because it won’t have the help of being the first time.”
Murphy also stated that this isn’t just “some reunion tour”, but they are “playing all over”. “[W]e’re releasing a record (sometime this year—still working on it, actually), so this isn’t a victory lap or anything, which wouldn’t be of much interest to us.
“[T]his is just the bus full of substitute teachers back from their coffee break with new music and the same weird gear—or as much of it as we still have…and rambling around trying to be louder than everyone else.”
So, whilst the rumour mill for where or when the rest of the tour dates will be (we’re looking at you, Splendour), it’s safe to say that 2016 is going to be all the better for having new LCD Soundsystem music in it. You can read the full statement here, and expect to have this new record in your ears (hopefully) very soon!