James Franco likes to keep himself busy. From starring in films with his buddy Seth Rogen, to publishing a book about Lana Del Rey, he’s a man that clearly does what he wants when he wants to do it.
And at the moment that seems to be starting a rock band with his old schoolmate Tim O’Keefe. Like many bands before them, Franco and O’Keefe met as students in art school. While in school, they collaborated on many projects including Franco’s 2011 Endless Idaho installation at the Gagosian Gallery in L.A. before forming Daddy in late 2011.
But after a few years of having fun, it seems the duo are starting to take the project pretty seriously and are gearing up to release a new album, Let Me Get What I Want, no doubt part-motivated by a worldwide deal with Kobalt they’ve just signed.
According to Franco, the motivation behind Daddy is to push beyond the sonic space of music into the surrounding ecology. Daddy investigates the territories of film/video, installation, and performance while simultaneously exploring the connections that form between them.
Drawing from the individual practices of both Franco and O’Keefe, Daddy brings together the interests and talents of these two artists. Franco continues his exploration of identity. Through appropriating and recontextualizing material from his work as an actor, director, and individual, he questions the existing boundaries between.
O’Keefe, the musician behind, brings to Daddy his imaginative sense of sound and play, creating evocative arrangements that merge together the assumed separations between time, space, and cultures.
The LP’s lyrics are reportedly based on Franco-penned poetry inspired by The Smiths, taken from his book Directing Herbert White: Poems. Not content with just that connection however, Franco has managed to enlist Smiths bassist Andy Rourke to actually play on the entire record.
The album isn’t due for another few months, but in the meantime the duo have shared their first taste of things to come with ‘You Are Mine’.
The influences of the track are immediately clear, with whiffs of The Smiths, Joy Division, and New Order sprinkled throughout what can only be described as New Wave with a garage spin.
The track also showcases Franco’s vocal talents, utilising his lower register as he harmonizes with O’Keefe.
Have a listen below, and keep an eye out for the full album in a few months time.
