Ian Astbury (The Cult) Interview

Photo Credit: Michael Lavine

 MUSICinVancouver got to talk with Ian Astbury of The Cult this week in preparation for the band’s newest album. Titled Choice of Weapon and due to be released on May 22nd, this will be The Cult's ninth album. According to Astbury, the album honours existing fans and embraces new ones because “even though it’s raw rock ‘n’ roll [...] it’s also a very fresh, current sound.” Describing Choice of Weapon as “cohesive, resonant, deep, rich, brutal, sexual, cinematic” Astbury insists that the album gives Cult fans what they deserve while still managing to “break new ground,” something which he thinks is “evident in the songs.”  While noting that he hopes people will “ identify with the record and take something from it that maybe enhances their life experience” Astbury concedes that it isn’t about appealing to the masses. He draws inspiration from many sources including his travels, philosophical teaching, and other musicians. His only real goal is to “tell [his] story, experiences, events and observations.” The most important thing for someone to take away from their new songs is to “pay attention to your life; that life is sacred, that life is fleeting.” He urges everyone to “jump in” and “live life to its fullest potential.” And for Astbury this means working on developing his art, since his “life is music.” 

Photo Credit: Michael Lavine

Even though the band has been working hard on the album, Astbury still has time to imagine future collaborations, including artists from different genres coming together to create a “contemporary opera.” Collaborations are one of many experiences which Astbury believes “can only enhance [his music].” Whether from new people, situations, or self-knowledge, Astbury admits he has gained “a wealth of experience” that he believes allows him to evolve as an individual and as a musician. All of this experience has gone into Choice of Weapon, an album that Astbury finally finds deserving of his fans.

Photo Credit: Michael Lavine

MUSICinVancouver interviewed Ian Astbury from Toronto and he seemed happy to be reminded of Vancouver:

Oh, you’re in Vancouver? Fantastic. I was living in Kitsilano for about a year.

Did you like it out here?

I love it. Vancouver’s a very well kept secret. Let’s see, we’ve made two albums in Vancouver as well. It’s beautiful.

Great music scene too.

Yeah, absolutely.

What are the main messages that you’d like people to take away from your newest album, Choice of Weapon?

I think my intention when I was writing this wasn’t so much to create a statement, like a social, political statement or anything like that. My main intention was to reflect observations and experiences. So however that’s interpreted, I mean it’s not essential that you take something away from it. I mean, it’d be really cool if people identify with the record and take something from it that maybe enhances their life experience. But the main intention for me was to really kind of tell my story, experiences, events and observations. So maybe schematically a message-pay attention. Pay attention to your life, that life is sacred, that life is fleeting. That there is no permanence, everything is constantly evolving and with that realization how do you live your life to its fullest potential. Maybe don’t wait, jump in.

Do you hope to reach a new audience with your latest album or is it geared more towards existing fans?

Well there was no real intention of a particular audience in mind it was about trying to encapsulate the lyrical ideas and the musical ideas in a form that was cohesive and resonant and deep and rich, brutal, sexual, cinematic. We wanted to get into that get into the animalism of what it was. But in terms of where we’d like to see it reach, we would love to see it reach as many people as possible. We’d love to see it go beyond our core audience. But we do consider that people have been longtime Cult fans and I think that’s why we really took a lot of time with this record. I went around saying Cult fans deserve better after we made our last album. The last album wasn’t fully realized. I really felt that Cult fans deserve something of a value if not beyond that of the trilogy of albums we made in the 80s and the early 90s. So it was really essential for us to make a record that was fully realized. So hopefully there’s something there for everyone.

Given that you have a loyal fan base, do you think you have more freedom to experiment with your music?

Well, the freedom is yours when you create. When you go into the studio it’s really down to you to determine how far you want to go with it. You’re really your own master in the studio. It’s really up to you. In terms of what the culture projects on you. Being in a post-modern hard rock band that’s been around for twenty-odd years, in the 21st century, in 2012, you’re kind of at the bottom of the food chain again. We’re actually the underdogs. Predominant culture is pretty much hip hop, pop. The kind of music we make and are associated with is considered to really belong in the 20th century and with all respect to that statement I think we’ve made a record that is very progressive, very of its time, relevant, and we’ve certainly employed techniques. We’ve evolved as a band, I’ve evolved as an individual. We certainly have an awareness of contemporary culture, current events and I think all of that’s integrated into the record. Certainly the choices that we’ve made reflect what we do. We are engaged with the world in its present state but not trying to replicate a bygone period. We don’t call it in the rearview mirror, we’re not a nostalgia act, we’re not trying to replicate the band’s past and we’re trying to forge ahead and break new ground. And I think it’s evident in the songs, especially things like "This Night in the City Forever", "Life is greater Than Death". Even "For The Animals," even though its a raw rock ‘n roll song that would fit right into the New York scene in 1975 right alongside the New York Dolls, it’s also a very fresh, current sound. So we give it a lot of consideration.

How has your song writing process evolved throughout your life?

I think initially when you start out you’re kind of a dilettante. Your energy and your earnestness makes up for your lack of musical ability and your lack of language and ability to articulate but over the years you get better at your craft and you get better at how to put yourself over. And you get more self-knowledge, you learn about yourself more, you know how far you can go, what your limitations are, what your strengths are. So with that kind of self-knowledge you evolve. I think if you listen to that awareness you can be capable of great results. 

How has your life affected your music?

They’re entwined. They’re not separate. There’s no duality. My life is my music and my music is my life. They’re very integrated in that way. And the lyrical content-I’m speaking about observations and experiences that I’ve had firsthand. It’s inseparable. The clothes I wear on stage are usually the clothes I wear during the day. The things I say in the music and in interviews and when I’m performing are the same things I have in conversation with friends. It’s just seamless. 

What keeps you inspired to continue writing music?

Probably being inquisitive. I’ve always been inquisitive since I was a kid. I always want to know how things work. I like getting to the molecules of things, getting to the molecular structure. I’m inspired by what other artists do. I’m inspired by traveling. I’m inspired by books and films. I’m inspired by meeting new people, being in new environments and situations. A lust for life. All these aspects inspire me. Buddhist teachings, philosophical teachings. People like Joseph Campbell, Terence McKenna. There are many teachers, many philosophers I’m inspired by. And I love the ones that have been through a bit of a life. People who are growing and evolving through their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s-a full life realizing that it’s not over at 27. You have to keep going, you keep growing. There’s no need to stop. The only time to stop is when you have nothing to say, then stop, do something else. I’ve done that. I’ve walked away from this for a while and reenergized then came back.

And did that time away help you evolve as a musician?

Absolutely. It’s really important to have perspective. It’s really important to clear your head and take a walk, take a break, go travel, have another experience, work with other musicians. Those experiences can only enhance the core which in this instance is Choice of Weapon. So much has gone into this record energetically. A wealth of experience has been drawn from my work with The Doors or working with film or traveling to places like Tibet, being around indigenous elders, living in cities like New York-all this has materialized in this record. 

You mentioned one of your past collaborations with The Doors, but are there any other musicians you’d like to work with?

Yeah, I’d love to work with Crystal Castles. I love the song Violent Dreams which is incredibly beautiful. I’d love to work with some hip hop artists. I’m a great admirer of RZA, you know, Wu-Tang Clan. I greatly admire Salem. I greatly admire David Bowie. I’d love to be part of an ensemble. Maybe a cast of various performers and singers and create an opera, a contemporary opera. I think it’d be really cool to have an ensemble of some incredible singers. The idea of working with someone like PJ Harvey and even Feist or even Lady Gaga and then working with people like Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and James Lavelle from UNKLE who I have worked with in the past. But the idea of Chris Goss who’s one of our producers, working with these people who are incredible artists and creating something to go over the idea of being an ensemble. I really love collaborating with other people. It’s more fun. 

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Thank you for reading our post on Ian Astbury of The Cult! If you'd like more info about the band or their new album Choice of Weapon visit their official website and make sure to download the single "Lucifer" for free!


-Elysia Stutt