In July 2018, Albert Hammond Jr., guitarist of The Strokes and acclaimed solo artist performed for the first time in Malaysia at The Bee, Publika, Kuala Lumpur. The showcase was an exclusive pre-party ahead of Good Vibes Festival 2018, brought by U Mobile.
The concert coincided with the release of Hammond’s fourth solo album, Francis Trouble, which came out on 9 March 2018 through Red Bull Records. The record was inspired by the memory of Hammond’s twin brother Francis, whom his mother miscarried in 1980. Hammond described the album as “a homage to both the death of my twin and my own birth, as well as the complexities of identity that arise because of their intermingling.”
A day after the show, we sat down at Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur for a conversation.
Albert Hammond Jr: We met at the coffee machine earlier, right?
Nazri Ahmadeus: Yeah, that’s right.
NA: First question, how does it feel? You’ve been playing for, what, nineteen years now?
AHJ: It feels pretty amazing. Since Twitter started, I’ve been asked about coming here on every record cycle I put out. So when I finally found out I was coming, it was incredible. I wanted to do it so badly that I was okay playing the night I landed after an 18-hour flight. That’s how much I wanted to be here.
NA: And when you played here, how did the fans respond?
AHJ: They responded really loudly. You weren’t at the show, right? Yeah, they were amazing. What blew me away was hearing them sing along not only to the choruses from the new album, but even the verses. They knew the songs and sang with so much excitement. It was really awesome.
NA: Your dad is also a well-known songwriter. What was it like growing up with that influence?
AHJ: When I fell in love with music, it was on my own. You can’t relive life with a different dad, so I don’t know how else it could’ve been. But the coolest thing about my parents was that they were just… cool parents. They gave me this dreamlike world, but at the same time they were real about how life works. I learned value and discipline from them — more than just music — and that’s what’s kept me going.
NA: Was it difficult to live in your father’s shadow, especially since you share the same name?
AHJ: Sure, there are always aspects of that. People hear “Junior” and expect something from you. But when I started making my own music, it just became my own path.
NA: When did you first feel like you wanted to pick up a guitar and become a musician?
AHJ: I saw this Buddy Holly musical. It was a drama, but whenever the character played music it was either in the studio or onstage. He was like twenty years old, writing his own songs, playing guitar and singing. I couldn’t believe that was something you could actually do. I just had to do it.
NA: I noticed you wear your guitar pretty high, like Buddy Holly.
AHJ: (laughs) Yeah, maybe. All my guitar influences — John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix — they wore their guitars high. The people who wore them low felt really dorky to me growing up. Later I realized some cool people also wore them low, but for me, high just felt comfortable. I looked in the mirror and felt unique.
NA: How does your songwriting process usually work?
AHJ: You’re always collecting material, even in downtime. When I came off tour, I started working on Francis Trouble Vol. 2. I had some new ideas, and Gus (Oberg) came by and we started making demos. It begins with a little part, then you add another, find a structure, and slowly build it up. I try to keep things simple so they can grow more complex over time. I’m not a quick musician — it takes time, like slowly etching away — but you have to be honest with yourself and throw away what doesn’t work.
NA: You’re not a drummer, so how do you approach rhythm parts in your songs?
AHJ: You don’t have to be a drummer to know what feels right. Sometimes I’ll create a part myself, sometimes the person playing will hear the vibe and add their own thing. That’s why we make demos — to create a vibe everyone can connect to.
NA: What’s your main instrument these days?
AHJ: A 1985 reissue of a ’72 Stratocaster. I found it at Richie Rich’s guitar shop in New York. I bought it, and it just became a part of me. Every time I went away from it, something felt off. Everyone around me felt the same way too, so it always pulled me back.
NA: You’ve worked with Gus Oberg for a long time. What keeps that partnership strong?
AHJ: Besides music, he’s my best friend. We keep pushing each other. Usually you change collaborators when you feel like you’re not growing anymore. But with Gus, we still make each other better. Over time we’ve become more honest, and that’s exciting. When we’re together, we’re better than when we’re apart – and that’s what you want to find.
NA: Do you approach each album as something completely separate from the last?
AHJ: I don’t think about sounding like others or chasing trends. I focus on song structure and parts more than production. Sound matters, of course, but I work with people I trust to handle that. Some of my favorite songs in history were recorded poorly, but they last because the songs themselves are great.
NA: Last question, how do you see being a music fan in the digital era, compared to the old days of record stores?
AHJ: I don’t know, you’d have to ask fans. (laughs) I still listen to new music, though. Lately I’ve been into a band called Minutemen — there’s a song called West Germany. Sometimes the business of music can drain your soul a little, but that song helps bring it back.
