News and Music Discovery
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Gorillaz On World Cafe

Gorillaz
J.C. Hewlett
/
Courtesy of the artist
Gorillaz

Gorillaz' Damon Albarn drew me a portrait. Imagine my surprise to learn this. After all, this is an audio medium and he's half a world away in London while I'm chilling at the World Cafe studios in Philadelphia.

Hopefully, this gives you an idea of the conversation you're about to hear. Damon's in rare form, talking about North Korean chimes, Bruce Willis' house and why he's doing interviews when he and co-creator Jamie Hewlett made up an animated band specifically so he didn't have to do interviews in the first place.

Portrait of World Cafe host Kallao drawn by Damon Albarn, sketched during the interview from a studio in London while Kallao was in Philadelphia. "Unsurprisingly, it's not accurate, but it is a one of a kind."
/ Courtest of the artist
/
Courtest of the artist
Portrait of World Cafe host Kallao drawn by Damon Albarn, sketched during the interview from a studio in London while Kallao was in Philadelphia. "Unsurprisingly, it's not accurate, but it is a one of a kind."

Bad news, Damon, you're doing interviews.

Good news, the world is better for it. It's not all laughs and conspiracy theories, though. On the sixth studio album The Now Now the band explores a more reflective sound. There's an excellent secret Damon reveals about how this record fits in relation to the last, Humanz and he'll talk about living in a post-ruth world. Yeah, post-ruth.

There's a reason why so many musicians love and want to work with Damon Alban. Beyond being intelligent, thoughtful and perceptive, he's incredibly gregarious, infectious and fun, not to mention a personal musical hero. We do our best to keep it professional on the Cafe, but Damon was in a laughing mood from his studio in London offering up a cackle so good, I dare you not smile along with this interview. Let's get started with "Trans," recorded from Japan. Listen in the player.

Copyright 2018 XPN

Since 2017, John Myers has been the producer of NPR's World Cafe, which is produced by WXPN at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Previously he spent about eight years working on the other side of Philly at WHYY as a producer on the staff of Fresh Air with Terry Gross. John was also a member of the team of public radio veterans recruited to develop original programming for Audible and has worked extensively as a freelance producer. His portfolio includes work for the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, The Association for Public Art and the radio documentary, Going Black: The Legacy of Philly Soul Radio. He's taught radio production to preschoolers and college students and, in the late 90's, spent a couple of years traveling around the country as a roadie for the rock band Huffamoose.