Last month, John Cale – co-founder of influential New York rock band The Velvet Underground – released his first new album in a decade.
On Noise Of You, the 80-year-old Welsh musician collaborates with indie artists such as Weyes Blood, Sylvan Esso and Animal Collective.
Photo: Supplied
Cale says that while touring, curating and composing film scores keeps him busy, he's also constantly working on new music in his private studio.
Back in Spring of 2020, he had a new album due to be released when the pandemic hit.
Over the next couple of years, he adapted the songs into a response to a new, more troubling world – and enlisted other musicians' voices and perspectives to help convey his message of healing.
"The beginning of this album was borne out of a place that needed healing, healing from what was now the darkest days of society under the guise of nationalism. It's a weird obsession with lies and hate.
"Living with a constant pit in my stomach, the way many of us have felt for too long now, I needed to say something, do something, create something that spoke to this dread and despair of the moment.
"The songs that ultimately became the album helped me to communicate those feelings in a way that I'm not able to do in a singular conversation."
There's no shortage of great music in the world, Cale says, you just have to maintain the desire to explore it.
"I don't listen to things that fit into one category or sound therefore I don't want to make music that fits into a singular category. Expanse is optimal for creativity.
"Between the visceral identifiers lies disinformation, conspiracy theories, guns, violence and so much hate. I want people to speak truth to help heal this mess. Redemption is possible ... I work hard, exercise, work more, traipse around in the sun and get back to work."
Cale says he's already looking forward to starting his next album – and paying his advancing age no mind.
"I've got 80 songs written in the past year. I don't care about birthdays. They're not intrinsically creative or interesting so they are [just] a day to add into the existing week."
Nico, performing with Velvet Underground in 1966 who Cale writes about in the song Everlasting Days. Photo: YouTube screenshot
