Bruce Springsteen is the subject the New Jersey rock legend talks at length about his upcoming studio album, Letter to You.
In a video that accompanies the article’s online version, The Boss notes that the album is the first one he’s made with The E Street Band “in a long time,” and explains that it was recorded “in five days” with “the band playing completely live in the studio.”
He adds, “I’m not sure if we ever did [that before], because it’s totally live, including all the vocals.”
Describing his new music, Springsteen says, “It sounds current, and yet it sounds very much like the E Street Band. And there’s a focus on keyboards. Jake [Clemons] came in and did a beautiful job with the saxophone. And, [there’s] just something about the way the material is constructed and the emotional construction of the songs.”
Also in the clip, Springsteen reveals some of the music artists he’s been listening to lately. He mentions Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon, rapper Kendrick Lamar, young R&B artist H.E.R., alternative rockers Bleachers and singer/songwriter Lana Del Rey.
In the AARP article, Springsteen says that the “you” he’s referring to in Letter to You is “you…whoever is listening,” adding that “it is a summing up of what I’ve tried to do over the course of my 45, 50 years now, working.”
Reflecting on keeping passionate about creating music as he grows older, Bruce says, “I’ve continued to make some exciting and interesting work. And I continue to take my story and move it along further. And you don’t know when wonderful things are going to happen…that I would write this record at this late date for the E Street Band.”
