Idles’ Joe Talbot: “I find love fascinating and empowering”

idles’-joe-talbot:-“i-find-love-fascinating-and-empowering”
Idles’ Joe Talbot: “I find love fascinating and empowering”

Idles have just released their fifth album ‘Tangk’, and lead singer Joe Talbot discusses the various ways in which the band has changed since their formation. For Talbot, the basic tenets of love are essential, especially during the current chaotic political climate. The band’s recent single ‘Grace’ contains the recurring message of “No god, no king, I said, love is the thing” which acts as the central driving force for the rest of the album.

Talbot delves further into his personal life, where he talks about the importance of starting afresh and recognizing love above all else. Openly seeking therapy and finding love are the two primary factors that contributed to his overall well-being and state of mind. When speaking about his approach to love songs, Talbot mentions how he is interested in exploring the facets of love that are often ignored, but that he believes are essential to grasp to sustain a healthy life. These include attributes such as empathy, patience, honesty, communion, hard work, recovery and forgiveness.

Talbot is quick to clarify that the previous aggression on his sleeve was not due to anger but instead passion and violence. He blames himself for not presenting issues with enough simplicity and compassion. He desired to shout to bring attention to complex issues in society while also neglecting to hold himself accountable for his actions. The punk band collaborated with LCD Soundsystem, and the band’s experiences reminded him how magic it can be for a group of strangers to connect and dance to the same beat.

‘Tangk’ centers around a message of love, empathy, and compassion, which Talbot reiterates multiple times throughout the interview. He feels that acts of love should be the primary driving force behind our actions rather than choosing political alliances. While there might be dissenting opinions on the album’s message, there is no question that Idles is one of the most significant punk bands in the current music scene and is here to stay

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