Glamour Paris (Nov. 12th 2012)

Music: We Interviewed No Doubt!

NOTE: Originally published in French; translation courtesy of Google.

Twelve years after their last album, the mythical band of the 90s is back with a new opus, Push and Shove. Glamor took advantage of their visit to Paris during their private concert to meet Gwen Stefani and her acolytes.

Glamor: No Doubt returns twelve years after his last album. Where did you go? 

Gwen Stefani: We prefer to prevent, this will be a very very long answer. In fact, everything is almost entirely my fault: I had two children between 2006 and 2008. Well, my musicians have had too, but it's different for them. Their wives could take care of it. While I was pregnant then I had to be present... When I finished touring my album The Sweet Escape in 2007, I already wanted to compose again for No Doubt, but I became pregnant one month after my return home. I was no longer in a very creative phase, I was tired, I just wanted to enjoy my pregnancy and my little baby. Then we went on tour in 2009 for 60 dates in the United States. The tour was very special: we enjoyed every moment, our babies were waiting behind the scenes. And even if we wanted to resume writing as soon as this tour ended, it was longer than expected: we had our respective families, we had to take care of children, go to the studio. In the end, we could see each other only once or twice a week ... But we loved doing it! It was a very long answer, I warned you!

And we will still have to wait 12 years to listen to your next album? 

Gwen Stefani: (Laughter) For the moment, we do not really think about the future, we live the present moment. I am very proud to have made this album. To make a record, it is necessary to focus on oneself, to be interested only in what one feels but when one is mother, one has a little the head elsewhere. During this period, my life was a permanent contradiction. It was a real challenge to reconcile these two worlds and that's why we are so proud of this album. 

Where did you get inspiration for writing Push and Shove  ? 

Tony Kanal (bassist): Playing our old songs on our tour in 2008 gave us the motivation and impetus to go back to the studio. Then each piece is a kind of snapshot of how we felt when we wrote them... 

Gwen Stefani: I was inspired by these guys (showing the band members)! Tony, for example, is for me the musician par excellence. I made him listen to the songs I loved, the ones I grew up with, and he analyzed everything. During the breaks, he wrote a lot alone and he explained to me: "That's what happens there, technically, musically..." Then we wrote all the lyrics together, I really felt like I was back in my family, and since we were supported by the fans, we really took our time. nice challenge that is to come back years later.

What memory will you bring back from Paris? 

Adrian Young (drummer): Uh ... a hangover? 

Tom Dumont (guitarist): I'm delighted to spend my money eating something incredible. I hope my best memory will be in my stomach. 

Last week, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. What would have been your first step if you had been elected? 

Gwen Stefani: I'm very happy not to be president! 

Tony Kanal: Everyone would have been forced to buy our Push and Shove album . 

Tom Dumont: ... or we would have offered free albums to all citizens. 

Tony Kanal: This is our dictators side!

Tom Dumont: And everyone should have learned the lyrics by heart! 

Gwen Stefani: And recite them! 

Gwen, you met Barack Obama in October, can you tell us what he told you? 

Gwen Stefani: I met Michelle Obama because I organized an afternoon at home to raise money for the campaign. There were activities for children, games, makeup workshops. Michelle Obama came to give a speech and so the president was there too. It made me funny to see him so closely. He was so relaxed. He thanked me for organizing this day. 

Tony Kanal: Did he tell you about kids too? He did not tell you it was important for the kids to take a nap?

Gwen Stefani: In fact when Michelle Obama came, nothing happened as planned. The children had to sit, mine did what they wanted: one sat on the floor, the other was walking on someone's hand and he had spilled cake on the pink top that I picked for him. It was chaotic but hilarious. I do not think it bothered Michelle because she knows what it's like to have children. And so when I spoke to Barack Obama, I asked him if his wife had told him anything about my not-so-wise kids, and he said, "It's very important that they do their best. nap!"