Credit: Guy Aroch Back in April, Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler proclaimed that the "writing has intensified" for the band's next album. Unfortunately, things apparently have slowed down as the COVID-19 pandemic persists.
Speaking to NME, Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist -- and Win's younger brother -- Will Butler says that the band is currently in a bit of a holding pattern when it comes to new music.
"Arcade Fire was recording. Well, we were recording," Will says. "But now our drummer is in Australia, two of us are in Canada, and the rest are in America. Australia are having a crazy outbreak, the border to Canada is sealed right now...like, Jesus Christ."
"It takes more logistics to get together," he continues. "It always took a certain amount of logistics, but right now it's insurmountable."
Will adds that the physical distance between the band members has hampered their creativity. "None of us quite have the file management skills for it to be creative at the moment," he says.
As for how far Arcade Fire got before things slowed down, Butler says he can't be sure until the album's complete.
"I'll only know that when it's done," he explains. "Like, 'Oh, half of it came from before [lockdown],' or 'None of it came from before!' Who knows."
Whenever the new Arcade Fire music does arrive, it'll be the follow-up to 2017's Everything Now.
Will, meanwhile, will release his new solo album, Generations, on September 25.
By Josh Johnson
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