UPDATE: Matt Helders has released a short clip of his first ever solo venture. The teaser clip from the new project Good Cop Bad Cop with Milburn frontman Joe Carnall features Helders on production and Carnall on words and music.
01.02.19
Words and music by @JoeCarnallJnr
Production by @matthelders #GCBC pic.twitter.com/lvKrWCyBgF— Good Cop Bad Cop (@GCop_BCop) January 1, 2019
About the project, Carnall said, ‘For now I’ll just say that I made it with an old and very successful mate at his place. Some call him the Agile Beast. We had such a good time working together as we don’t get to see each other much these days’.
UPDATE: Helders has revealed more details about the project in an interview with KEXP. “I’ve got a little studio set up at home now that, when I’m there, I can commit some time to,” he said. “That’s basically old drum machines and synthesisers – a bit more electronic and a bit more like soundtrack-y, like a John Carpenter kind of thing.”
He continued: “There isn’t really a goal for what it will be yet. I’m just trying to drop in the tools in case, whether it’s a score or a record or what. I’m just enjoying it as a hobby and, when that leads to something, I think that feels a bit better for me when it’s, like, just something I wanted to do and have interest in.”
Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders has revealed that he is currently working on what would potentially be his first solo record.
Chatting on podcast, The Trap Set, he opened up about his solo work and concerns about going it alone, saying he wants to “make a lot of music” first to justify a record.
Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders has revealed that’s he’s currently working on a solo record, although it might be some time before you hear it.
Asked if was confident about finishing an album, Helders replied: “More and more I do, yeah. I feel like I’ve got to do a certain amount before it’s deserved in way. I don’t want to do it too soon and then regret it, like ‘Oh, I shouldn’t have made that kind of record’. You know what I mean? I want to make a lot of music and then like, ‘Oh, that’s the thing I like about this’.”
He continued: “I think I’m getting to a point now in which the style has developed and what I want to do is more clear to me that it was before. “
Speaking about “earning” the right to break away as a solo artist, Helders said: “I don’t want to get caught out for cheating my way somewhere.”
“I will do it. It’s like figuring out why as well. Like ‘Why do I even want to do that? Why do I want to make a record? What’s it for? I just like the process of creating it. Maybe it’s more because I’m not writing the lyrics, so it’s fine that I do that. When you’re writing a record and you’re putting yourself out there, a lot of people need a reason to want to hear a ‘message’ or ‘hear my opinion on this’.
That’s why I’m not that interested in the lyrics side of it yet. I want to make a lot of music and that sounds cool.”
Helders’ creativity is by no means limited by his role in Arctic Monkeys. He has been a member of Iggy Pop’s Post Pop Depression touring band with Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Dean Fertita. He is also a talented photographer.
Listen to the Trap Set podcast below.
[via NME]