Cerebral Ballzy on label boss Julian Casablancas: ‘He’s just a friend really!’

Monster NME Radar tour headliners say Strokes mainman has a 'good eye' as a label head

Cerebral Ballzy frontman Honor Titus has spoken about the band’s decision to sign to Julian Casablancas’ recently-established label Cult Records, labeling The Strokes’ singer as fundamentally “just a friend” and praising his “accommodating” nature.

Speaking after the first night of the Monster NME Radar Tour in Cambridge on Friday (November 15), Titus explained how the two parties had initially begun talks about working together.

“We met in New York through hanging out and he’s just a friend really. We’ve known him for a while; we just play basketball with him and shit,” he explained. “We wanted to release this next [album] right, we got talking to him about it and it just felt right.”

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The Cerebral Ballzy singer elaborated on Casablancas’ qualities as a label boss: “He’s really accommodating. Julian’s a really stringent guy and that’s the basis of why we did it with him. He’s got good taste and he’s a great guy; you need to work with someone that’s just got a great eye for things.”

Titus also revealed that Cult Records have “a lot going on” despite the fact that one of their first signings, New York band The Virgins, are splitting up. “He seems pretty label-focused,” said Titus, suggesting whispers of new Strokes material may be nothing but rumours. “[The Strokes] only put out a record recently anyway. Making music is a weird thing; you have to go through a lot first,” he said.

Cerebral Ballzy are due to release their second LP ‘Jaded & Faded’ through Cult Records early next year. Meanwhile, the band continue on the Monster NME Radar Tour tonight (November 18) at the Leadmill in Sheffield alongside Glasgow trio The Amazing Snakeheads and Essex newcomers The Bohicas – who will also appear in Edinburgh (19), Manchester (20) and London (21) before passing the baton over to London’s Fat White Family from November 22-27.

“We started off with a simple concept where we were taking it back to the roots of what we really liked about punk, but now we’re taking it to different places where hopefully it hasn’t been before,” states Titus of the band’s current live show. “We’re not 19-year old, blackout drunk punks anymore, not in the same way as when we were 19. We’re 24-year old, blackout drunks. We’re older blackout drunks.”

The Monster NME Radar Tour will call at:

Sheffield Leadmill (18)
Edinburgh Electric Circus (19)
Manchester Deaf Institute (20)
London Hoxton B&K (21)
Brighton Bermuda Triangle (22)
Nottingham Rock City Basement (23)
Bristol Exchange (24)
Birmingham Hare and Hounds (25)
Southampton Joiners (26)
Leeds Cockpit (27)

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