I wish to ask you concerning the upcoming Grammys. Congratulations on Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Beneath Ocean Blvd getting an Album of the Yr nomination. Trying again on making that document, what did creating that work imply to you? 

I didn’t assume I used to be going to be making this album till I met Mike Hermosa; he didn’t contemplate himself a musician in any respect—he was a cameraman, a DP—however he would play, and I actually preferred a number of the stuff he was enjoying. I then turned that into an surprising album for myself. I knew it was going to be an album after I sang casually to about 4 of his four-chord licks; I didn’t anticipate to get 4 songs shortly, however as soon as I’ve about 4, I at all times really feel like then I’m most likely going to make an album, if I feel they’re adequate. I wrote “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Beneath Ocean Blvd,” “Let the Gentle In,” “The Grants, and “Taco Truck” throughout the identical time interval. With that little basis, I used to be like, ‘Oh, okay, I will go all the best way with it.’ In order that album type of discovered me. Issues didn’t actually go the best way I believed that 12 months, we had quite a bit happening, so I wasn’t actually certain what sort of life or legs the album would tackle. One other factor that I feel propelled it was really the album covers. We took virtually as lengthy with making the duvet as making the album; it was a gradual course of. However I actually, actually preferred our album covers, and as soon as I noticed all of them, I felt like there was a special power round it. It’s type of like, an image’s price a thousand phrases.

One in every of my favourite tracks on the album is “A&W,” which has a Grammy nod for Track of the Yr. I feel it delivers among the finest musical transitions of the 12 months; the tune takes you on a journey. What was the intention behind the observe’s epic mid-song switch-up?

That tune sat in Jack Antonoff’s mailbox for 9 months. It was alleged to be a ballad, and once I was finished making the album, I requested him to hearken to it. I had already put down the instrumental, and it didn’t embrace the “Jimmy Cocoa Puff” half that it transitions into. He felt actually, actually strongly that it ought to. And I wasn’t certain, as a result of I had written the Jimmy half 13 years in the past, and I had recreated it with him two years in the past. So I re-recreated that, and I did a special interpretation that was somewhat extra bouncy. And on the time, I wasn’t actually certain if the transition diminished the tune’s level, or if distracted from it in a great way—if took it from one place into a greater place. In the end I used to be like, I would favor for this tune to transition right into a happier place; I don’t need it to land on this unhappy spot. So, it’s attention-grabbing: When Jack has a very sturdy opinion, I’ve positively discovered that it’s extremely price trusting it. Generally we’re so otherwise inclined musically, however with this one, I’m actually glad that we went with our inclination. In the event you requested me, I’d not have thought that this tune would acquire any traction. However I’m actually blissful about it; I feel it’s cool.