Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) is known for his innovative contributions as a producer for bands like the Black Keys, U2 and his collaboration with James Mercer for Broken Bells. The 36-year-old shared his thoughts with Rolling Stone on where he is in his life, relationships and some of the projects he's been working on.
"I don't have a relationship, so I'm kind of all over the place," he said. "When I meet younger people, I'm like, 'Wait a minute, I'm not so young anymore. Is this the way it's supposed to be?'"
For a man who might be entering a different place in his life, perhaps a transitional phase, his work as an artist isn't wavering. Burton's current experiences influenced After the Disco, which he wrote with Mercer in Los Angeles. The Broken Bells' second LP will be out Jan. 14. Mercer shared a bit about what it was like working with Burton at his L.A. home.
"He can be pretty dark in his musings about life, being single, all that stuff," said Mercer. "Whereas I've left a lot of that behind. I'm kind of an old married guy."
Burton's darker more pensive look at relationships and heartache influenced the album, but with the dance, synth aspect to the tracks, it doesn't necessarily feel that way. "If you were to play the songs on a piano, they would sound pretty sad," said Mercer. "But you add the beat and hooks, and then it becomes a party record, in a way."
Mercer and Burton will be touring starting this Februrary, sharing the new tracks with eager Broken Bells fans.
