(SOUNDBITE OF JAPANDROIDS' "THE BOYS ARE LEAVING TOWN")
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
That's Japandroids. The indie rock duo ripped open their debut full-length album called "Post-Nothing" with this exclamation.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE BOYS ARE LEAVING TOWN")
JAPANDROIDS: (Singing) The boys are leaving town. The boys are leaving town. The boys are leaving town now.
SIMON: Fifteen years later, the band is leaving town, they say, but not before they release one last record.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ALL BETS ARE OFF")
JAPANDROIDS: (Singing) Didn't even notice all our friends take off. Busy talking like no time had passed at all. Situation caused us both to blush.
SIMON: The album is "Fate & Alcohol." It's part look back and part ponder forward. And it deals with life, fate, family and, yes, substance abuse. David Prowse is half of Japandroids, alongside Brian King. He joins us now from Vancouver. Thanks so much for being with us.
DAVID PROWSE: Yeah, my pleasure. Thanks for having me.
SIMON: So let's start at the end. Really your last album?
PROWSE: Yeah. It's really our last album. This is not some sort of elaborate marketing stunt. It's our last album.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ALL BETS ARE OFF")
JAPANDROIDS: (Singing) ...Tonight.
PROWSE: I think Brian and I live in two different places geographically, and I think we're just sort of in different places in our lives. We started as very close friends, and we've kind of grown apart in a lot of different ways, and this seemed like a natural kind of time to close.
(SOUNDBITE OF JAPANDROIDS SONG, "D AND T")
SIMON: So you hear a track like this - "D&T." A lot of energy there - isn't there? - for a group that's calling it quits.
PROWSE: (Laughter) Yeah, I mean, we don't know any other way.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "D AND T")
JAPANDROIDS: (Singing) Then another one, for fun, 'cause Friday night told me to.
PROWSE: That song's a good example of how things are changing with us. I mean, I think on the surface, that sounds like a, you know, a, quote-unquote, "classic" Japandroids song. You know, musically, it's really energetic, feels pretty anthemic. But, you know, the lyrics tell a bit of a different story.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "D AND T")
JAPANDROIDS: (Singing) Bartender knew. Shе's seen every kind of blues. I tried to play it cool, but she knows all about you, how I saved every last second of our life from off-hand hello to all-night goodbye.
PROWSE: And it gives you a bit of insight into where Brian's head has been at in the last a little while as he's making changes and, you know, maybe realizing that being the life of the party isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially as you get a little older.
SIMON: In fact, let's hear from the track "Upon Sober Reflection."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "UPON SOBER REFLECTION")
JAPANDROIDS: (Singing) Don't want to know if you love me if you ain't going to do something about it. Don't want to know if you love me if you ain't going to do something about it.
SIMON: And Brian can't join us for certainly a joyful reason, right?
PROWSE: Yeah, that's right. He's, like, literally about to become a dad (laughter). So, yeah, he's a little indisposed.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "UPON SOBER REFLECTION")
JAPANDROIDS: (Singing) Yeah, you want to share my sheets with me.
SIMON: What do you think changed in his life, your life, your life together as musicians?
PROWSE: I mean, how much time do you have? (Laughter).
SIMON: We're here for you.
PROWSE: You know? (Laughter) Yeah. I mean, I think just like any other people, you grow, you change, you learn and hopefully, you learn as you get older. And I think, Brian - it's hard for him to untangle music with sort of the darker things that have come along with it. And I think, for now, he just needs to take a break from that whole world. And I'm still doing music stuff, but I've taken off my artist hat, and I've put on a venue operator/promoter hat. I'm supportive of Brian. I'm glad he's a happier and healthier person today than he has been at some points in the past. And if that means the end of this band, so be it.
SIMON: Tell us about "Gaslight Anthem."
PROWSE: That's the Dave song on the record. So, you know, I sing the lead vocal, and I wrote the lyrics to that song.
(SOUNDBITE OF JAPANDROIDS SONG, "A GASLIGHT ANTHEM")
PROWSE: You know, it sounds pretty upbeat, but the lyrics come from a bit of a darker place. It actually comes from a friendship of mine with someone who struggled deeply with substance use - not Brian (laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "A GASLIGHT ANTHEM")
JAPANDROIDS: (Singing) Darling, it's been a minute or so, yeah, since you've been knocking at my door.
PROWSE: I had a friend who was much smarter than I was and always had a way of escaping, you know, some of those difficult conversations that I tried to have with them many times over. And, yeah, it's just sort of talking about that frustration. She could use her amazing intellect - and this is one of the smartest, funniest people I've ever known in my entire life. But she could use that brain power to service her addiction rather than engage in, like, an honest conversation with a friend.
SIMON: I've got to tell you, it's been my experience that sometimes, somebody's intense intelligence works against them because they can just come up with more cunning reasons to do nothing.
PROWSE: One hundred percent agree with you on that.
SIMON: I never pass up a chance to talk about my hometown.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CHICAGO")
JAPANDROIDS: (Singing) Like we see it in Chicago.
SIMON: What led you to do this song?
PROWSE: Chicago is a place that we were both very fond of and had a real connection to. We've played there a million times and always had a great time there. So, you know, obviously, the songwriting process is a little different from song to song with us, but a lot of them come with sort of a skeleton of a song that Brian brings in. Maybe it's just a handful of chords and maybe a chorus. Yeah, that one was kind of a pretty basic sketch of a song before we kind of dug into it together. I just really liked that sort of - that guitar rhythm that Brian was introducing, and then that snare roll comes in. It's just something that I heard in my head immediately.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CHICAGO")
JAPANDROIDS: (Singing) Don't got the words - don't matter. Sometimes, silence says it all. But if you ask me, pathetic comеs to mind. Fate and alcohol.
SIMON: Are you going to miss working together?
PROWSE: Depends on the day, you know?
SIMON: Yeah.
PROWSE: I mean, you know, it's - I think making music with somebody is a pretty magical thing, and it's sad to think that that's not going to be a thing anymore. That said, I mean, making this last record was challenging for both of us, and I'll be able to really enjoy all the beautiful things about playing in a band together after I get a little bit more distance from it, you know? But yeah, that's my long answer. And the short answer is yes, I will miss it.
SIMON: David Prowse of Japandroids and band's final album. And they've convinced me. "Fate & Alcohol" - out now. Thank you for speaking with us.
PROWSE: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CHICAGO")
JAPANDROIDS: (Singing) Thing about love, I know it when I see it. So spare me the bull****. It's plain to see. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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