Cut Copy talk new album, turning down Gaga

17 June 2010

Melbourne synth-rock act Cut Copy have revealed they'll release their third album in January with a new single dropping this spring.

The record will follow up 2008’s acclaimed In Ghost Colours, which debuted at number one on the ARIA Album charts in March and was nominated for an ARIA Award for Best Dance Release (losing out to Modular labelmates The Presets). Off the back of singles like Lights and Music and So Haunted, the album also featured in numerous end-of-year lists for best albums of 2008.

Frontman Dan Whitford told Pitchforkmedia the band’s self-produced, as-yet-unnamed album is currently being mixed by Ben Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley) after being recorded in a Melbourne warehouse above a clothing sweatshop.

He described the new material as having “more of a repetitive, hypnotic, rhythmic aspect to a lot of the tracks” and revealed he’d been heavily influenced heavily by classic records from Fleetwood Mac, Talking Heads, Grace Jones and Malcolm McLaren whilst making it. They also been experimented with a choir and strings in studio to "add an extra dimension to some songs".

The band will play its first Australian shows in almost two years at the Parklife festival in August/September.

Whitford also explained why the band turned down Lady Gaga’s seemingly incongruous offer recently to support her on tour for an entire year.

“It was one of those weird moments where you're not sure whether to burn the letter or frame it and put it on your wall,” Whitford said. “We were simultaneously repulsed but also tantalized by the idea of touring with her for a whole year. It is funny how you can write off some huge, ultra-popular musician, but if you find out they actually like your music, you're like "Oh, well maybe they're all right! I was intrigued... [but] I don't think we ever seriously thought we'd do it.”

Watch the first episode of their 'making of' video series below