Q&A

damon Albarn “in a way this is my most inward-looking record”

what took you so long to tackle a second lP?

We never really lost our thread, we just needed something to spark the engine. It’s an emotional response to what’s going on, but that’s the magic of music – when it can transcend being just one person’s feelings.

why does blackpool figure so strongly?

I came to Blackpool late […] it was always this mythic place. And I think it’s extraordinary how many piers we’ve got – they’re metaphorical tentacles trying to reach out to the rest of the world, and so in a way they’re the last defence against Brexit.

You’re not angry on the album – why not?

I have a tendency toward quiet despair; it’s a particular potion and if you’re prepared to imbibe it, it can make you feel quite funny. I sing about

[England] being inward looking – “the realm of moles” – and in a way this is my most inward-looking record.

There’s an overall melancholic tone…

I have to make a decision when I make a record like this as to what instrument I’m going to play, so I decided on the Lowrey. I just switched it on and the first thing that came out was the organ line on “Merrie Land”. It has that end-of-pier sadness and is a little bit Tales Of The Unexpected.