During a recent interview with The West Australian, Albert Hammond Sr. dished that the Strokes are working with Rick Rubin. Hammond’s son, Albert Hammond Jr., is, of course, the lead guitarist in the Strokes, and dad has high hopes about the group’s new material, saying, “I speak to my son every day and he says that they’re so happy… I’m sure this will be a very successful record.”
There were rumors back in 2007 that Rubin was working with the band, but this may be the first actual collaboration between the two parties. Rubin has over the years worked with a number of aging rock acts, from Weezer to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Linkin Park. The Strokes, believe it or not, are now more or less in that group. Their last release was 2013’s critically-panned Comedown Machine, which, unlike its predecessor, was at least recorded by all the band members in one room.
Update (July 30, 1:45 p.m.): The Strokes have clarified that they are not recording, and that any potential Rick Rubin collaboration is a long way off, if indeed it ever happens. Albert Hammond Jr. tweeted that, while the band met with Rubin, “even a theoretical album plan would be years away.” His dad, he says, was just “prematurely excited.” Read his tweets below. [h/t Stereogum]
Sorry everyone we are not in the studio recording
— Albert Hammond Jr (@alberthammondjr) July 30, 2017
Forgive Albert Sr he got prematurely excited. A lot of unknowns and nothing worth speaking about at this time.
— Albert Hammond Jr (@alberthammondjr) July 30, 2017
We met and played a few music ideas for Rick to feel out a vibe but even a theoretical album plan would be years away, if at all.
— Albert Hammond Jr (@alberthammondjr) July 30, 2017