“Any friendship over time gets stronger,” Granduciel, 42, tells EW.
“So collaborating this time around felt like more of a deeper connection than it had before.
We understood each other more, what we like, what we’re trying to do.”
The War on Drugs.SHAWN BRACKBILL
The concise yet transcendent 10-songproject (out Oct. 29) began its journey in March 2018.
Adds Hartley, “This was like, ‘Let’s make something that we haven’t made before.
Let’s make something bigger, and with better song composition.'”
‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore,’ by the War on Drugs.Atlantic Records
“Adam was being really inclusive, which is not something that is normally his forte.
He’s just such a force of creativity that he’s not often looking for help.
But this time there was co-writing and arranging.”
Like Hartley, keyboardist Robbie Bennett loved getting “to participate more on the ground floor.”
I think he felt comfortable with us in a way he hasn’t before to do our thing."
“It’s like, ‘If you’re here, I want you to do your thing.
But he was pleasantly surprised to hear what the guys came up with on their own time too.
It was that collaboration, the second I heard it, it totally defined the song for me.
‘That’s it right there.'”
“That one was special to me,” Bennett adds.
“Adam had sent me a demo: ‘Just working on this, do you have any ideas?’
I can play, let me do it!’
It was a proud moment for me to get a little guitar on the record.”
As more moments like that happened organically, Granduciel began to rely on his bandmates more.
“That stuff only comes with time and friendship and trust.
“It was a very productive time.
It was really special,” he says.
After touring the world many times over, Hartley says the band was always going to get closer.
But getting closer to the actual creative process of making this album was the true surprise for them all.
Hall agrees, and says he’ll always appreciate how much the new album brought the guys together.
