{"id":58915,"date":"2026-02-25T23:00:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T23:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/25\/new-album-willow-and-more\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T23:00:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T23:00:34","slug":"new-album-willow-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/25\/new-album-willow-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"New Album, Willow, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cThis was the hardest record I\u2019ve ever made in my entire life,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/t\/les-claypool\/\" id=\"auto-tag_les-claypool\" data-tag=\"les-claypool\">Les Claypool<\/a> says. \u201cWe were building the pyramids. It was a monumental undertaking and accomplishment.\u201d Claypool and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/t\/sean-lennon\/\" id=\"auto-tag_sean-lennon\" data-tag=\"sean-lennon\">Sean Lennon<\/a> spent three years on May 1\u2019s <em>The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy<\/em>, the just-announced third album from their joint project, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/t\/claypool-lennon-delirium\/\" id=\"auto-tag_claypool-lennon-delirium\" data-tag=\"claypool-lennon-delirium\">Claypool Lennon Delirium<\/a>. It\u2019s a wildly inventive ride, a full-on rock opera packed with trippy prog journeys, Lennon\u2019s rich melodies, and Claypool\u2019s string-straining bass-guitar madness.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.megaphone.fm\/IMP8626567425\" frameborder=\"no\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\"><br \/>\n<\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tThe album\u2019s story is inspired by an oft-cited thought experiment about an AI that ends up destroying the world after following paper-clip-making instructions too literally. \u201cIt\u2019s hard enough to write a bunch of good songs,\u201d Lennon\u00a0says. \u201cBut to make them all fit a narrative was really hard \u2014 but also really fun in the end.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tNext up is Claypool Gold 2026 summer tour, with Primus, the Delirium, and Les Claypool\u2019s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade all sharing the stage each night. In the new episode of <em>Rolling Stone Music Now<\/em>, Claypool and Lennon go deep on the album, and much more. To hear the entire interview, check out <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/rolling-stone-music-now\/id1855128495\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> or <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/3DgY7bmg7DMPARR1JNtXpJ?si=LjIbVDzeS0mLIFj1KTcXSg\">Spotify<\/a>, or just press play above. Some highlights follow:<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t<strong>The duo\u2019s creative dynamic comes down to one conflict: Claypool likes to get the take and \u201cgo fishing,\u201d while Lennon is more obsessive.<\/strong> \u201cWhen we\u2019re making these records, he\u2019s more like Paul [McCartney] and I\u2019m more like his dad,\u201d Claypool says. \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s good, let\u2019s go,\u2019 and he\u2019s like, \u2018Well no, I\u2019ve got this glockenspiel part I want to play on the harmonium\u2019 \u2014 oh, and \u2018I\u2019m gonna redo all these layers of vocals.\u2019\u201d Claypool also sees his role as counteracting Lennon\u2019s melodic tendencies: \u201cI throw the warts and pimples and barnacles into the mix,\u201d he says. \u201cOtherwise it\u2019d be all pretty \u2014 [he] likes the pretty stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ editors-pick-module lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t<strong>Willow is the only guest vocalist on the album, and it turns out she and Lennon have been friends for years.<\/strong> \u201cAll celebrity children just know each other,\u201d Lennon jokes. \u201cThere\u2019s a network. If you do Control-Cap-Shift-Nepo on Facebook, there\u2019s a secret Facebook where we all just hang out.\u201d More seriously, he adds, \u201cThere\u2019s stuff Willow and I understand about being children of celebrities that\u2019s hard to explain to other people.\u00a0\u201c<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t<strong>Lennon also reveals that he and Willow have a history of unreleased collaborations.<\/strong> \u201cShe\u2019s just a cool friend of mine who happens to be an amazing singer, and we\u2019ve actually worked together on a bunch of stuff over the years that hasn\u2019t even come out,\u201d he says. \u201cShe listens to metal and jazz and funk \u2014 she\u2019s just really open-minded and experimental. I admire her a lot. I think her style is really sick.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t<strong>Lennon first discovered Primus after sneaking into a club in\u00a0Italy as a teenager.<\/strong> \u201c\u200aI\u2019ll never forget it,\u201d Lennon says. \u201cIt was so good. People were jumping off the balcony. It was actually terrifying. There were like these Italian kind of shirtless, mohawked punk guys, and Les was just, like, killing it. I loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t<strong>Lennon and Claypool played nearly every note on the album themselves, including drums, which they traded off. <\/strong>\u201cWhen I start playing drums, it sounds like a Claypool record,\u201d says Claypool. \u201cWhereas when [Sean] plays, he\u2019s got that Bill Ward, kind of Ringo, loping feel, which completely changes the landscape of the tunes.\u201d Adds Lennon, \u201cI\u2019m genetically connected to the Sixties psychedelia. I think I have that loping feel that the Colonel likes sometimes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ recirculation-modules trending-in-article lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t<strong>Claypool, a lifelong Rush fan, is thrilled about the band\u2019s upcoming reunion.<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m very excited to see the fire in Alex\u2019s eyes again, and Geddy being so excited,\u201d Claypool says. \u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful, wonderful thing\u2026 Seeing the breath of life that their new drummer has blown into their world\u2026 I\u2019m very happy for them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ recirculation-modules lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify\">\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Les Claypool and Sean Lennon Tell All\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/4nsQKT53iykTNT61TR7V38?si=_8E6gAKCQnWIInUb8wk6ag&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tDownload and subscribe to\u00a0<em>Rolling Stone<\/em>\u2018s weekly podcast, <em>Rolling Stone Music Now,<\/em> hosted by Brian Hiatt, on<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/rolling-stone-music-now\/id1855128495\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/rolling-stone-music-now\/id1855128495\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> or<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/5T4fqngDvNsDM7y46W1S4l?si=dbd274a790804ec2\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/3DgY7bmg7DMPARR1JNtXpJ?si=LjIbVDzeS0mLIFj1KTcXSg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Spotify<\/a>. Check out nine years\u2019 worth of episodes in the archive, including in-depth interviews with artists including Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, Questlove, Halsey, Missy Elliott, Dua Lipa, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, Brandi Carlile, Phoebe Bridgers, Yungblud, Rick Ross, Alicia Keys, the National, Brian May, Roger Taylor, Ice Cube, Taylor Hawkins, Willow, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Killer Mike, Julian Casablancas, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Marr, Scott Weiland, Liam Gallagher, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Donald Fagen, Charlie Puth, Phil Collins, Justin Townes Earle, Stephen Malkmus, Sebastian Bach, Tom Petty, Eddie Van Halen, Kelly Clarkson, Pete Townshend, Bob Seger, the Zombies, and Gary Clark Jr. And look for dozens of episodes featuring genre-spanning discussions, debates, and explainers with <em>Rolling Stone\u2019<\/em>s critics and reporters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/les-claypool-sean-lennon-delirum-new-album-willow-interview-1235522150\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThis was the hardest record I\u2019ve ever made in my entire life,\u201d Les Claypool says. \u201cWe were building the pyramids. It was a monumental&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":58916,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pop","article","has-excerpt","has-avatar","has-author","has-date","has-comment-count","has-category-meta","has-read-more","thumbnail-"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58915\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}