Rivers Cuomo of Weezer talks about new albums
'Ok Human' to be released 29th January
Weezer fans would be pleased to know that they're getting two new Weezer albums this year. 'Ok Human' will be arriving in days time and Van Weezer will be released in May.
When recording of 'Ok Human' was almost complete, Weezer got the news that they'd been booked to play the Hella Mega Tour, a massive stadium tour with Green Day and Fall Out Boy from March to August in 2020, Which has been postponed due to Covid-19.
Rivers told NME that the 'Ok Human' album wouldn't work well in huge stadiums and arenas: We were like, ​‘Okay, we just made the worst possible type of album you could make before a stadium rock tour,’†Rivers says
When nobody is going to concerts, how can you possibly promote a stadium rock album?
At the time the band shelved 'Ok Human' and started writing and recording 'Van Weezer'. The album is a collection of stadium and arena ready rock anthems that was inspired by their shared youth love of Kiss, Black Sabbath, Metallica and obvious from the name of the album Van Halen. And then...Covid-19 smashed the world. Rivers says “So we were like: Well, now we’ve just made the worst possible album for a time when you can’t actually tour or perform or rock out, When nobody is going to concerts, how can you possibly promote a stadium rock album?â€
The release of ‘Van Weezer’, originally planned for the middle of 2020 but was put back to 7 May this year, which should be in line with the rescheduled dates for the Hella Mega Tour, which at this time is planned to open in Vienna on June 9. Seeing these uncertain times for live music concerts the tour perhaps looks unlikely, but Cuomo says that as far as he’s been told, the tour is still on.
Cuomo says “My manager just told me yesterday that the US promoter is still saying it’s gonna happen, That could change, but I’m not making any other plans for the summer.â€
“This is probably the best possible time for this album, It’s about feeling isolated and alienated and secluded, so it’s the perfect album for now.â€
With their album 'Van Weezer' on hold Cuomo went back to work on the album 'Ok Human' which strangely seems more in tune with the times than it was recorded. As people say 'We are living in strange times'. Cuomo says “This is probably the best possible time for this album, It’s about feeling isolated and alienated and secluded, so it’s the perfect album for now.â€
Check out their clip for the first song off their 'Ok Human' album.