Q & A: Cold War Kids (Part 2)

Your lyrical narratives lend well to music videos and your teaser video for Behave Yourself was just that, a teaser. Can we expect more videos and what usually goes into the making of your videos?

Nathan Willett: Yes, expect more videos. We will have the “Audience” video done by the time the EP is released. We have always been really involved in the video making process. It’s a love/hate relationship. To create a story that is relevant to the song and yet builds something independent of the song is so tricky. This one was great because we did it with our friend Vern Moen, who rules. There’s a whole lot of us underwater and stylized interactions with our real life women. It’s theatrical—sort of Cassavetes style. The “Audience” video is superior to any other video done by a sweet rock band in some time.

Part of Behave Yourself was recorded while you guys were in the studio for Loyalty to Loyalty. Which part? And why was it not included in Loyalty?

“Santa Ana Winds;” some of it we kept from that session. We couldn’t bear too much sunlight on that record.

“Sermon vs The Gospel” originally appeared on the With Our Wallets Full EP, one of your first releases. Why re-record it now and on this EP? Is it indicative of how far you guys have come since those original recordings?

It’s actually a ghost track on the first record. I did a terrible recording of by myself and we put it on the record. We started playing it live with a full band arrangement and people knew the words. We fell in love with the new version and re-recorded it.

You’ve stated that you’re only doing four shows in January since you’ll be in the studio; can we expect another full-length or EP soon?

Yes, album three is in the works now. We are working with a producer named Jacquire King. He has a sweet and eclectic roster of Modest Mouse, the last Norah Jones record, Tom Waits’ Mule Variations, the last Kings of Leon record...So, he is going to work miracles with us. All of our music has always been written entirely by us without any influence, so to have him step in and help us with the direction is tremendous. I was just watching the Wilco Documentary again and I think that in many ways Wilco is to country/Americana as Cold War Kids is to soul/punk. We are taking what we do to the next level on this record. The EP is the final reminder of the good old days of quick and fun, minimal Cold War Kids recording.

As for the four shows and your free recording offer: have you figured out the technology?

Yes!



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