Photo: Press
Albert Hammond Jr has opened up about his quieter married life, his past as a tortured artist and his new album Momentary Masters - which he describes as 'the best songs I've ever written.'
Following years of drug habits and a stint in rehab, a clean and settled Hammond Jr seems positive in an interview with Papermag.
"I've never been in a better place in my life, in terms of feeling happy or good about myself," he said, but goes on to talk about his bad days: "Don't get me wrong, there's definitely times where I want to quit or don't understand anything I'm doing."
The guitarist got married to restraunter Justyna Sroka in 2013, domestic life and a new found positive attitude has seemingly assisted in his best material: "I feel like the best songs I've written, as soon as I was done, I was like, 'Oh my God, I did it!' But in that split second that it comes, that feeling goes...It's the same thing when you find complete happiness, you find this complete low. I feel like that's what being creative is: It's you bouncing with emotion and what you capture in those bounces. Accept where you are and use it."
He went on to discuss whether he has fallen into the cliche of the 'tortured artist' where drugs make for improved creativity, explaining : "I've found that sometimes it's nice to be able to do something and open a new door and see, but after a while of doing [any kind of drug], you forget that it opened a door and then you're just stuck in a stagnant place and you're no longer learning, which means you're no longer changing."
Albert Hammond Jr's third album Momentary Masters will be released July 31 on Vagrant, and features Gus Oberg as producer. This is his first release away from bandmate Julian Casablancas' label Cult records.
Listen to 'Born Slippy' below:
Meanwhile, The Strokes play London's Hyde Park as part of British Summer Time on Thursday 18 June, tickets are on sale now. For tickets and more information, visit here.
