Journalists covering the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards were warned in advance that the quality of virtual interviews with artists was entirely dependent on the wi-fi in their location. For the Strokes‘ Julian Casablancas, Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti, who wouldn’t reveal their exact whereabouts — except to say that they were in an “undisclosed” pandemic-proof “dungeon” — a glitchy connection made for an awkward presentation when the New York band won best rock album.
“We couldn’t hear, the connection got cut,” drummer Fabrizio Moretti explained after the Premiere Ceremony, which handed out awards that won’t be televised on the Grammy Awards broadcast tonight. “All we heard was the nominees and then we heard, ‘Say Something!’,” he laughed, along with his bandmates. “But we are very honored.”
During their acceptance speech the guys made reference to them winning due to “name recognition” only. Asked to elaborate on what they meant, singer Julian Casablancas said it was due to the apt title of their album, “The New Abnormal.”
The rock category was among the most diverse of the Grammy races, and included such nominees asDublin band Fontaines D.C.,the latest by Michael Kiwanuka and well-received effort byGrace Potter and Sturgill Simpson.
Added Casablancas: “I kind of always make fun of rock ‘n’ roll so I think it’s kind of funny, or cool, or fitting, that we won the award. I think that people that say things are dead, I just feel like their imagination, possibly, has died… Honestly, there’s room for so many genres of music.”
Congratulations are also in store for Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., who welcomed his first child, Holiday, on March 7.
ned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram/p/CMaHUPhlDG0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13">A post shared by Albert Hammond Jr (@alberthammondjr)
