Kentucky rockers Cage the Elephant returned with their fourth LP,Tell Me Im Pretty, last week.
Produced by Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach, the set sees the group heading toward late 1960s rock.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What inspired the throwback rock sound on this album?
Credit: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
We did a Doors song, and I realized that classic sound was thing that I wanted to hear.
It felt very modern.
We really tried shedding that, to show a lot more of ourselves in the music.
So that was something we were looking to take further.
How did Dan Auerbach get involved as producer?
Wed become pretty good friends over the years.
During our last tour with [The Black Keys], we showed him a couple songs.
Where does a song usually start for you?
On this record it was more of an emotion or a desire to provoke an emotional response.
Thats where they sort of started, but the writing happens many different ways.
The direction, really raw, gritty, and less thought-out involved way more of an emotional approach.
Sometimes it felt like journal entries and I had to pull back, it was too personal.
Maybe I fixated on it and wrote a lot about it on this record.
Whats the story being How Are You True?
He was kind of playing into the rock n roll persona and I thought, Oh no… Low and behold, we get on the airplane and hes sitting right beside me.
We started talking and he just kind of tells me his story it was pretty heavy.
I was really moved.
And then it turned out his name was True, which I couldnt believe.
After, I wondered how he was doing and where he was.
I felt like I should write a story about my own struggles.
As a young man sometimes you feel like youre isolated in your battle.
I just wanted him to know that the struggle can be similar.
What made you choose the albums title?
It sounds like a lost New York Dolls title on the surface; very shiny and glossy.
