Gorillaz’s eighth studio album Cracker Island is officially out today (February 24). As fans bask in the glory of its release and rerun previously dropped singles, “Silent Running,” “Baby Queen,” and “Skinny Ape,” the legendary group’s leader Damon Albarn is already looking towards the future (and not their derailed movie deal with Netflix).
During an interview with The Sun’s Simon Cosyns, Albarn shared that the untimely passing of past collaborators Terry Hall (of The Specials) and Dave “Trugoy” Jolicoeur (of De La Soul) has forced him to think about the future of the group.
“I’ve lost two good friends who have really inspired me,” said Albarn. Although he didn’t explicitly state that their passing was the root of his thinking, he did detail how both deaths impacted him.
“I had no idea Terry was so ill. Otherwise, I’d have gone to see him,” then adding, “What he and Dave had in common was building bridges between cultures in a very meaningful way. For my development, both were hugely important. I’m just carrying their flames.”
Albarn then shared that he is open to the idea of Gorillaz continuing without him, saying, “I’d like to pass it on to another guy who’s a cartoonist and a musician. That would be amazing.”
The musician has been such a fixture in the band that it would be hard to imagine someone else at the helm.
Gorillaz is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.