Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have unleashed their eighth studio album, 'Wrong Creatures', a record born from one of the band's darkest periods.
'Wrong Creatures' was recorded in 2015, some six months after drummer Leah Shapiro had undergone surgery to treat a rare and pernicious brain condition called Chiari malformations, which causes brain tissue to extend into the spinal canal.
Bassist and vocalist Robert Levon Been says that with each album the band makes comes a new challenge for them to face and overcome. “It raised the question of whether or not the band is cursed to always have to survive something,” Robert says.
“Like each album brings some new, horrific circumstance. I guess you get used to that but then again, what else is going to happen over the course of 20 years of playing music? Life happens to everybody... we're just people who make music, which is a lot easier than having a real job so we're actually pretty lucky I guess.”
In light of Leah's recovery at the time, Robert says grandiose concepts and ideas for the album were abandoned in favour of a carpe diem approach. “We had a lot of big ideas at first and then Leah going through a health scare for a while reminded us to make the most of the time we've got together and the band.
“We put big ideas aside and decided to just make a really good rock & roll record together,” he says.
“The concepts were all very cerebral, and then when you get three people in a room playing it's the opposite of that. It's just whatever happens happens, so this album took [on] a life of its own. All three of us kind of stood back and let it happen, let it be rather than try to force it to be something else.”
Although 'Wrong Creatures' was only released in January, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club undertook the European leg of the album tour late last year, resulting in some unique shows and interesting crowd responses.
“It was strange because we started the tour in Europe three months before the album even came out, so we were playing basically songs nobody had ever heard before and it was different, but we really like that,” Robert says.
“It doesn't happen very much any more that people's first experience of a new album gets to be right in front of them when it's happening [live].
“You don't get the immediate sing-along moments, but you get to actually be there with them when it's happening. It's been a weird ride, but so far so good and people seem to be happy with it.”
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club arrive in Australia this month and Robert is anticipating a rowdy response considering the album has had time to digest with the listening public. “It's really good news that we get to come back,” he says.
“The crowds in Australia are always fun to play and it would have been heartbreaking if there weren't quite enough offers to be able to afford to make it this time. Just to get to go is no easy task, so we're looking forward to it. Maybe you guys are going to be the sing-along crowd.”
'Wrong Creatures' is available now.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Tour
Mon 19 Mar - The Astor Theatre (Perth)Tue 20 Mar - The Gov (Adelaide)
Thu 22 Mar - The Tivoli Theatre (Brisbane)
Fri 23 Mar - The Enmore Theatre (Sydney)
Sat 24 Mar - The Forum Theatre (Melbourne)
Sun 25 Mar - The Corner (Melbourne)
