British new wave legends Duran Duran have added to their extensive discography with the release of their 16th studio album, 'Danse Macabre', a Halloween-inspired pop-goth compilation made up of new material, covers and some deep cuts, which has taken the band back to the days of their debut.
Duran Duran's global musical influence cannot be understated, and with their latest project they've taken a fresh approach that has landed them the #1 spot on iTunes' US Alternative chart – relatively new territory for the band.Fittingly, drummer Roger Taylor chose Halloween night to shed some light on Duran Duran's darkest project yet.
"Last year we were on tour warming up for our induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and we decided to play some Halloween-inspired gigs to make them a bit different from our usual shows. We put together a list of darker songs which have inspired us over the years, and that grew very organically into a record."
'Danse Macabre' is an intriguing mix of new material, reworked songs, and covers ranging from the likes of The Rolling Stones to Rick James. "Selecting the songs was actually incredibly easy," Roger explains.
"We were on a plane between shows, and Nick [Rhodes, keyboardist] got his pen and paper out, in his usual fashion, and formulated a list in about three minutes. Most of the songs are a part of our DNA, we grew up on them."
One song does standout from this description as a much more recent choice – Billie Eilish's 'Bury A Friend'. "That's probably the least obvious track," Roger admits.
"John [Taylor, bassist] brought it in later on in the project and it was a great fit; I think it's actually one of the best on the album because we really made it our own."
Roger also reveals the goal with each cover was to move beyond the expected. "Rather than just doing straight copies of the songs, it's about injecting Duran Duran into the compositions."
This is evident throughout 'Danse Macabre', as some covers have had huge reworks, one example being new lyrics in Rolling Stones' 'Paint It Black'. "Reshaping the songs was a very comfortable process.
"Our albums tend to take years to put together, it's a long production and we get into an angst over every little detail, but this one came together instinctively. We trusted our initial rush of creativity rather than going back on ourselves, which is something we haven't done since [1982 album] 'Rio'."
'Danse Macabre' took on an extremely collaborative nature, with old and new faces, or sounds, featuring throughout. Among the new is Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin, another of John's ideas.
"He loves the way she plays," Roger says, "and she became a really core guest appearance. They created something really great."
Duran Duran also took the opportunity to reconnect with former members, notably guitarists Warren Cuccurullo and Andy Taylor. "We caught up with Andy first because he didn't make the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame show, which we were really looking forward to, so we were immensely disappointed that that didn't happen.
"Naturally, the next move was to ask him to feature on the new record. Simon [Le Bon, lead singer] went over to Ibiza with the backing tracks, which Andy loved – he was in very quickly, as was Warren.
"This album really lends itself to how Warren plays, so it was a natural fit. It feels like the whole family has come back together – maybe a dysfunctional family, but it feels that way nonetheless, and it's made the project really special."
One of the record's best aspects, according to Roger, is its spontaneity, encouraged by the presence of long-time contributor Nile Rogers. "He brings the most incredible, laser-like energy.
"He's been working with a lot of younger artists, and typically, when they're writing, their first idea is what they stick with, and he enforced that on us. We wrote 'Black Moonlight' within an hour or two, he was that inspiring."
After such a triumphant addition to their back catalogue, what's next for Duran Duran? Currently on a deserved break from a massively successful US tour, the band are taking things one project at a time, but have no intention of stopping.
"We tend not to think that far ahead. Present-moment living has become a bit of a cliche, but it's something that we've always embraced. I think we'll do some shows next year, and I'm sure we'll get around to another album at some point – we have a loose plan that we can live by."
