Roger Taylor from Duran Duran: The musician loves the James Bond song by Billie Eilish

Roger Taylor of Duran Duran
The musician loves the James Bond song by Billie Eilish

Duran Duran are back! After the current single “Anniversary” was released at the end of August, the British new wave band, which will celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2021, will release their 15th studio album on Friday (October 22nd) with “Future Past”. On the work, co-written by hit producer Mark Ronson (46), the formation around frontman Simon Le Bon (62) is among others together with the Swedish singer Tove Lo (33, “Habits”) and Blur guitarist Graham Coxon (52) to listen.

In an interview with the news agency spot on news, drummer Roger Taylor (61) explains why the band, as the album title suggests, is maintaining its typical sound, but at the same time keeping an eye on the future. In addition, the musician, who left the band in 1986 and returned in 2001, talks about changes Duran Duran has noticed in four decades in the music business, and reveals what he, as Bond Song Interpreter of 1985, said of Billie Eilish’s (19) “No Time To Die “lasts.

Duran Duran’s new album is called “Future Past” (German: “Future Past”). Why did you name the album that?

Roger Taylor: We were already deep into the album work and it became obvious that we are relying a lot on our past on this record – especially in terms of the rhythm. We weren’t afraid of it. There were times when we ran away from who we really are.

Do you mean the year 2007 when you tried to bring modern pop elements into your sound with the help of Justin Timberlake and Timbaland on the album “Red Carpet Massacre”?

Taylor: Probably. But producer Mark Ronson told us in 2010 not to fear our past. “Everyone else is trying to sound more like you. Why don’t you sound like you yourself?” The new album has now taken on the early Duran-Duran identity again. But of course we always keep an eye on the future. We want to be contemporary and sound like a modern band. We therefore thought that the two words past and future describe the sound of the record well.

The single “Anniversary” has already been released. Is it celebrating Duran Duran’s 40-year career?

Taylor: It does, even if it wasn’t written with that in mind. The text is basically about the celebration itself. There are some darker tracks on the album and we wanted it to be celebratory too. People then related it to the band’s anniversary and that’s okay, because every song can be interpreted individually.

Your debut album was released in 1981. What has changed in the music business since then?

Taylor: The way we consume music has changed beyond recognition. When I left the band in 1986, the CD was the dominant sound carrier. When I returned in the early 2000s, everything was already about the internet, downloads and iTunes. Nothing has changed in terms of live performances as there will never be a replacement for someone with a guitar, drums or whatever on stage. Energy is transferred between the artist and the audience and the resulting atmosphere cannot be generated by a computer. So the live business has at most improved and grown.

This is also where artists make the most money these days.

Taylor: Exactly. Live gigs have become increasingly important and we now also play at festivals that we weren’t invited to in the 1980s. You had to be a heavy rock band or something.

You owe the invitations to your four decades of career. How important is commercial success to you today?

Taylor: Good question! So far I haven’t given much thought to that. I think money is no longer the driving factor for Duran Duran today. Of course it’s a business and we have to make a living from it. But we were always driven by the goal that our music would be accepted by as many people as possible. That’s why we became artists – to touch a lot of people emotionally. Of course we like to do it on a large scale and if we were only to sell 100 albums it would be a kind of failure for us. But first and foremost we want to touch people.

As a musician, you can also have a lasting impact on people. In 1985, for example, Duran Duran appeared at the legendary “Live Aid” benefit concert, and in 2007 at the “Live Earth” event as part of the education about climate change. Why do you agree to appear for a good cause?

Taylor: As you get older, you realize how important these things are. We all have children and it is very important to us to be part of something that protects their future. We support anything that we think has a valuable purpose. The early 1980s were, in retrospect, a very selfish time, especially in the UK following the dire oil crisis of the 1970s. “Live Aid” was a kind of turning point for us. It drew attention to the fact that many people are less fortunate than us.

You recently appeared on the stage at Global Citizen’s worldwide live concert in London. Your young colleague Billie Eilish played in New York on the same day. Like Duran Duran, she also recorded a James Bond song. Do you like No Time To Die from No Time To Die?

Taylor: I love him. It is appropriate for today and this movie. People sometimes ask, “Oh, don’t you wish you had done the current Bond song?” And I say: “No. That was right for this very moment.” Our song [“A View to a Kill” aus “James Bond: Im Angesicht des Todes”, 1985] turned out great and luckily became one of the most successful. But we’ve done that before and Billie Eilish has now produced the greatest song for today.

Do you have a favorite Bond song other than your own?

Taylor: Probably “Goldfinger” by Shirley Bassey. I also love “Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney’s band Wings. There are so many great Bond songs.

… and Bond actors. Who is your favorite 007?

Taylor: Sean Connery as the classic Bond. I also love Roger Moore. He was very gallant and had a dry sense of humor. But Daniel Craig is great too. He is also the right man for today.

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