Liverpool’s Courting return with the deluxe edition of Lust for Life, expanding on one of their boldest and most ambitious records yet. We caught up with the band to talk about its meaning, new collaborations, and what comes next.
Lust for Life was already such a bold statement as an album title and concept. What does that title mean to you now that some time has passed since its release?
I think it means the same to us now as it did then; the whole album was meant to be a concise version of everything we’ve worked on in the last few years. I think the album and the deluxe both stand up to that.
When you were making the original album, did you already have a deluxe version in mind, or did the idea grow out of the reaction to the record?
We definitely had the deluxe in mind from the start. On the last few albums, we’ve been in such a rush to put the next record out that we’ve quickly ended campaigns and moved on - that’s not the case here. We wanted to show people that this is the art we’re standing on for a while, it’s a whole era. Also, it feels like a logical continuation of the duality theme, taking everything and kind of inverting it.
There’s a feature from RXKNephew on this version… how did that connection happen, and what made you think he was the right fit for the track?
Honestly, whilst I wish there was a funnier story, we just hit him up. We’re big fans of his work and the humour that comes across in his music, and thought of remixing a track with the intent of making something really fun. We also just wanted to do something a little leftfield, remind people that we can play both sides.
Was there anything surprising about collaborating with someone outside your usual creative circle?
I think the best part of collaborating with an artist you already respect and enjoy is just the excitement in seeing how they react and create to something you’ve made. The whole process was a lot of fun.
What’s been the standout moment of this year for you… a show, a response, or maybe just something behind the scenes?
Looking back, we played our first album in full in London in July, and it was such a party. It was so fun to see people loving something we’d made a few years ago and screaming every single word.
Sonically, what were you listening to or inspired by when making it?
The album inspirations are all over the place. The Replacements, Death Grips, Lou Reed, The Rapture, Swirlies, Sonic Youth, Jeff Tweedy, Steve Reich.
Were there any moments during the recording where you felt you were really pushing yourselves into new territory?
I think recording the whole of the title track felt like a bit of a mad moment. The second we recorded those 808s, the sax solo, the rotary speaker, the changearound in the middle - it felt like we were onto something really interesting.
You’ve just announced tour dates supporting The Cribs early next year… how did that come about, and what can fans expect from those shows?
We recorded some tracks with Gary and Ryan on our second album, New Last Name and they lent us a hand with some production. We love those guys, they’re in my opinion what a real band should be like - committed to their own ideas and vision. I think the benefit of our band is that we can kind of shift into different outfits depending on the shows we play. Sometimes it is fun to shock a crowd, but in this case, I think we’ve got to just bring out the bangers.
The Courting fanbase feels very connected and vocal online. Have you noticed any songs from the album that have taken on a life of their own with listeners?
I think “Pause at You” took on a life of its own, albeit before the track even came out. Originally, it wasn’t our intention to have it as the first single, but once we played our first tour in America - the response to that song was so immediate that we had to shuffle things around.
For someone discovering Courting for the first time through this deluxe edition, where would you tell them to start?
I think this album is a pretty good way to see what we’ve been playing with for a while. Maybe Pause at You, or The Twins.
Looking ahead, what’s next?
We’re planning on taking a break for a while, been thinking about making a concept album about a fictional motocross rider too, but it might fall through.
Photo Credit: Charlie Barclay Harris
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I think it means the same to us now as it did then; the whole album was meant to be a concise version of everything we’ve worked on in the last few years. I think the album and the deluxe both stand up to that.
When you were making the original album, did you already have a deluxe version in mind, or did the idea grow out of the reaction to the record?
We definitely had the deluxe in mind from the start. On the last few albums, we’ve been in such a rush to put the next record out that we’ve quickly ended campaigns and moved on - that’s not the case here. We wanted to show people that this is the art we’re standing on for a while, it’s a whole era. Also, it feels like a logical continuation of the duality theme, taking everything and kind of inverting it.
There’s a feature from RXKNephew on this version… how did that connection happen, and what made you think he was the right fit for the track?
Honestly, whilst I wish there was a funnier story, we just hit him up. We’re big fans of his work and the humour that comes across in his music, and thought of remixing a track with the intent of making something really fun. We also just wanted to do something a little leftfield, remind people that we can play both sides.
Was there anything surprising about collaborating with someone outside your usual creative circle?
I think the best part of collaborating with an artist you already respect and enjoy is just the excitement in seeing how they react and create to something you’ve made. The whole process was a lot of fun.
What’s been the standout moment of this year for you… a show, a response, or maybe just something behind the scenes?
Looking back, we played our first album in full in London in July, and it was such a party. It was so fun to see people loving something we’d made a few years ago and screaming every single word.
Sonically, what were you listening to or inspired by when making it?
The album inspirations are all over the place. The Replacements, Death Grips, Lou Reed, The Rapture, Swirlies, Sonic Youth, Jeff Tweedy, Steve Reich.
Were there any moments during the recording where you felt you were really pushing yourselves into new territory?
I think recording the whole of the title track felt like a bit of a mad moment. The second we recorded those 808s, the sax solo, the rotary speaker, the changearound in the middle - it felt like we were onto something really interesting.
You’ve just announced tour dates supporting The Cribs early next year… how did that come about, and what can fans expect from those shows?
We recorded some tracks with Gary and Ryan on our second album, New Last Name and they lent us a hand with some production. We love those guys, they’re in my opinion what a real band should be like - committed to their own ideas and vision. I think the benefit of our band is that we can kind of shift into different outfits depending on the shows we play. Sometimes it is fun to shock a crowd, but in this case, I think we’ve got to just bring out the bangers.
The Courting fanbase feels very connected and vocal online. Have you noticed any songs from the album that have taken on a life of their own with listeners?
I think “Pause at You” took on a life of its own, albeit before the track even came out. Originally, it wasn’t our intention to have it as the first single, but once we played our first tour in America - the response to that song was so immediate that we had to shuffle things around.
For someone discovering Courting for the first time through this deluxe edition, where would you tell them to start?
I think this album is a pretty good way to see what we’ve been playing with for a while. Maybe Pause at You, or The Twins.
Looking ahead, what’s next?
We’re planning on taking a break for a while, been thinking about making a concept album about a fictional motocross rider too, but it might fall through.
Photo Credit: Charlie Barclay Harris
SHOP NOW
