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The album Cate Le Bon by no means deliberate to put in writing was born of heartbreak : NPR


Welsh artist Cate Le Bon has been reluctant to put in writing about love prior to now however embraces the heartache and challenges of breakup on her new album Michelangelo Dying.



ANDREW LIMBONG, HOST:

Breaking apart sucks. When a relationship crumbles, it might probably go away you feeling adrift, damage, indignant, unmoored – all these emotions jumbled into one depressing stew. It is not an ideal feeling. However these of us on the surface of the connection needs to be slightly grateful heartbreak hurts so dangerous as a result of it is given us some glorious breakup data – “Rumours,” “Blood On The Tracks,” “Exile In Guyville,” “Igor,” “Bitter,” “Melodrama” and on and on and on and on. And now, the musician Cate Le Bon has thrown her hat into the ring together with her new album, “Michelangelo Dying.”

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “HEAVEN IS NO FEELING”)

CATE LE BON: What does she need? Oh, yeah.

LIMBONG: And he or she joins us now. Hello, Cate.

LE BON: Whats up. Hello.

LIMBONG: So the story of this album is that you simply had been engaged on one thing completely different – proper? – a follow-up to your 2022 album “Pompeii,” which was an enormous crucial success. After which a heartbreak occurred. And at what level did you notice that you simply simply wanted to shift and work on one thing new?

LE BON: Properly, I believe I would been making an attempt to outrun heartache and convincing myself I used to be doing a fairly good job. However, you already know, I used to be actually simply carrying it round with me.

LIMBONG: Is songwriting a pure supply of consolation for you? Like, whenever you really feel wired in your everyday, do you end up, like, laying down bass tracks or one thing?

LE BON: (Laughter) It is what I prefer to try to expertise and make sense of issues by both, you already know, writing melodies or inside preparations. However penning this file felt like a really mandatory device. It was, you already know, one thing wanted to be handled, put down, in order that I might…

LIMBONG: Expunged, exercised, all these issues, proper?

LE BON: Oh, yeah, utterly. You realize, in order that I might, you already know, hope to make one thing that is not about heartache afterwards, you already know?

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “LOVE UNREHEARSED”)

LE BON: (Singing) She’s an actual contender for a marble face.

LIMBONG: Should you’re simply becoming a member of us, we’re speaking to Cate Le Bon about her new album, “Michelangelo Dying.” You’re a sought-after producer and collaborator, proper? You have labored with, like, Wilco, St. Vincent and all these different folks. You realize, you had talked about earlier than that you simply had been engaged on a variety of different artists’ data. What have you ever discovered from producing different artists that you’ve been making use of to creating your personal music?

LE BON: I imply, there’s a lot, you already know? I have been so fortunate. I believe Brad – working with Bradford Cox was like 20 years of expertise in a single, you already know, recording session.

LIMBONG: That is Bradford Cox from Deerhunter, proper?

LE BON: Yeah.

LIMBONG: Yeah.

LE BON: Yeah. You realize, it was – Bradford actually taught me easy methods to be – take up the house that was mine in a studio. You realize, Annie – St. Vincent – she’s sensible. She’s so, like, activated and so – you already know, music is the whole lot to her. And, you already know, a band like Horsegirl, I used to be utterly blown away by how sensible they had been at speaking with one another and making one another really feel seen and heard. And, you already know, that’s one thing that’s so essential however typically missed, you already know, in a studio.

LIMBONG: It is such as you’re build up a brilliant staff of indie rock stars.

LE BON: (Laughter).

(SOUNDBITE OF CATE LE BON SONG, “RIDE (FEAT JOHN CALE)”)

LIMBONG: Talking of rock stars, the good John Cale exhibits up as a visitor characteristic on this file. You realize…

LE BON: Yeah.

LIMBONG: …Listeners will know him as, you already know, the composer, former member of The Velvet Underground. The track that he is on – proper? – if I am not mistaken – proper? – he is the one which sings, like, it is the final experience, proper?

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “RIDE (FEAT JOHN CALE)”)

LE BON: (Singing) It is a experience.

JOHN CALE: (Singing) It is the final experience.

LIMBONG: There’s one half the place he says – as an alternative of, it is the final experience, he says, it is my final experience.

LE BON: Yeah.

LIMBONG: Was that an advert lib on his half?

LE BON: It was. Yeah. Yeah.

LIMBONG: Did he go rogue? What did you suppose whenever you heard that?

LE BON: (Laughter) Rogue.

LIMBONG: That appeared like a sort of a pointed assertion.

LE BON: He sings, it is my final experience. It is their final experience – you already know, one thing so private and turns into one thing so common. And, you already know, if I am completely sincere, once I first heard it, I simply burst into tears (laughter). And yeah, you already know, it is the facility of John Cale and his voice.

LIMBONG: Cate Le Bon, thanks. Thank a lot for taking your time, and congratulations on the album. It is actually nice.

LE BON: Oh, thanks a lot. Thanks for having me.

(SOUNDBITE OF CATE LE BON SONG, “RIDE (FEAT JOHN CALE)”)

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