So I translated this hilarious interview with Alex and Miles since I suppose not everybody in the fandom can read French, or at least I gave it my best shot đ Hereâs the original: https://arcticmonkeysaf.tumblr.com/post/628981173429878785/itsaysrec-the-last-shadow-puppets-for-myrock
 The Last Shadow Puppets: The kids are alright
By Thomas Mafrouche for MyRock Magazine
 Eight years after their flamboyant first album, the two inseparable mates are back with âEverything Youâve Come To Expectâ. An even better album, though the secret of its making seems well-kept. A meeting under great tension.
Alex Turner and Miles Kane are two incorrigible hellions/troublemakers. They were already impossible to bridle eight years ago, at the time of their first album together, âThe Age Of The Understatementâ. I recall an infernal time. Not that the two pals are impolite or unlikeable: far from it. I even had a very good laugh, like when they amused themselves by hiding behind the revolving doors of the âHotel Amourâ and sending them slamming into each otherâs faces, much to the dismay and confusion of the personnel. It was funny and lively - and also a little childish - but I was left feeling theyâd been pulling my leg. With lots of banter, fooling around and juicy wordplay, the two uncontrollable kids had managed to carefully dodge every single one of my questions.
The same applies to last year, when Turner had appeared with Mini Mansions to sing on the stage of âAlbum de la Semaineâ. When I had expressed my surprise at the presence of Miles Kane backstage at Canal+, he had brushed aside any notion of a Last Shadow Puppets reunion on the spot, contenting himself with taking his friend in his arms and mumbling, âMy mate has come to support me and to enjoy the Parisian pleasures with me. Thatâs all there is to it. I guarantee it!â By all appearances, theyâd already been working on EYCTE in secret then, effectively taking the mickey out of me once again.
As good a way as any to prepare me for the following, since the two brats would pull the same trick on me that February 2. This time, I sense the trap from the moment they arrive in the entrance hall of a Parisian palace. Those guys swagger along, those guys wear haute-couture suits, gold watches and big clinking rings. Turner, hair slicked back all the way, seems to try hard with his big-time pimp appearance - or mini Fonzie, it all depends. As for Miles, who follows in his wake, his new buzzcut gives him a supervillain look straight out of an old âBatmanâ movie.
In other words, they donât pass unnoticed when they walk cross the prestigious hotel restaurant â frequented by Carla Bruni that day â confidently heading for the terrace to have a smoke. Within some seconds, though, this sensational entrance turns into an exquisite delightful farce as the two big shots donât manage to open the door which leads to the aforementioned terrace. Theyâre going round in circles, trying every door handle three times, and when they finally do carry it off, they promptly get a face full of rain. Alex, his Elvis quiff drenched, gives a forced laugh. In a flash of genius, they notice a covered terrace directly opposite, where they hasten to run (all while reiterating the story of their door problem). A crazy scene which has taken place in front of the amused hotel guests; you might have thought a scene straight out of âDumb and Dumberâ. A bit of fun before weâre headed for trouble, since itâs my turn to encounter the two Mr Bean wannabes. And the dialogue will once again be comical, to say the least. Here it is in full:
Alex Turner: Hey Mate, how are you doing? (sprawled on a bulky black leather settee)
Interviewer: Good, thanks. How was the terrace?
AT: Soaking wet! (immediately straightens up again)
Miles Kane: Ah, youâve watched it all? What a mess! (They both fall silent, look at each other, then proceed to burst into laughter.)
AT: Right, so have we not changed too much since the last time?
I: Not really, no. Except maybe Miles. That hooligan haircut suits you!
MK: Ah yeah, you like it? Thanks mate!
I: Eight years have passed since âThe Age Of The Understatementâ. Which one of you called up the other to start again?
AT: Every time I meet someone, at a party or no matter where, they always end up asking me âBut whereâs Miles?â As I got tired of hearing that same question over and over again, I told myself that it might be time to make a new album together. But when I got in touch with Miles, he was busy.
MK: And afterwards, when it was my turn to have some free time, it was Alex who wasnât available!
AT: So time went by. But now the record is finally here.
At that moment, the hotel waitress delivers their orders. Another beer for Alex and a coke for Miles, who then asks:
MK: Could I have something sweet to go with my coke? Some chocolate⌠or a cookie?
The waitress, visibly appreciative: âYes, Iâll see what I can do, monsieur.â
AT: I have a better idea, why not a space cookie?
The waitress, rather stumped and embarrassed: âHmm meaning what?â
AT: You know, like a cookie, but with a bit of weed.
The waitress, on the defensive: âThatâs illegal here, messieurs.â
AT: Yes, I know, it was a stupid joke. Do you smoke, Thomas? (addressing me)
I: Some people say that our dear president is sitting on the bill on the decriminalisation of cannabis and that he plans on pulling it out of his hat before the next elections.
AT: Heâd be well-advised to do so.
I: At the same time, itâs practically legal where you live, in Los Angeles.
AT: Almost, you just have to see a doctor to get a prescription.
AT: Obviously, since all you have to do is tell them you suffer from anxiety.
I: Miles, you now live in California, too?
MK: Yeah, I ended up moving there. Iâve even had my old Vespa sent over, a cream-coloured model from 1968 which Iâm very fond of.
AT: Truly, if you come across a Vespa in LA between two 4x4, thereâs every chance that it will be Miles! (He mimics Miles riding his Vespa at a great speed.)
I: The Age Of The Understatementâ was recorded in France, at the Black Box Studios. Was it for practical reasons that you chose to do âEverything Youâve Come To Expectâ in Malibu?
AT: Naturally, that way Miles could turn up on his Vespa! (laughs) To be honest, we wanted to do the album in France, at the La Fabrique studio in Saint-RĂŠmy-de-Provence, to be precise, where the last albums by Nick Cave and Foals were recorded. But their schedule was packed.
I: So you reverted to the Shangri-La Studios, which belong to Rick Rubin.
AT: Exactly, even though Rick wasnât around. The place is amazing, very modern, very light, very refined, very design. Itâs idyllic because itâs not far from the ocean.
MK: Ideal for taking a dip between two takes!
I: Nevertheless, it hasnât Americanised your music. The title track for example sounds like something from a Nouvelle Vague film!
AT: Thatâs true. But you know, deep down I still feel very European.
AT: We still have a lot of friends and family here in Europe, and we miss them all. But with this job, we have the chance to do lots of travelling and to stay in touch with all of them. I donât really have a home, if it isnât the road. People think weâve become bourgeois, but⌠(pauses) Have you ever been to California, Thomas?
I: Yes, and itâs true that itâs marvellous: The sea, the valley, the desert, the cityâŚ
AT: There, youâve said it all. California is a small bit of paradise where I like to dump my suitcases in between the hell that is touring.
MK: About that song âEverything Youâve Come To Expectâ, it really is the one I like best on the album. And you Thomas, whatâs your favourite song?
I: I love âSweet Dreams TNâ, which is the most American one on the record, paradoxically.
MK: Oh yes, itâs excellent!
I: Alex sings a bit like Roy Orbison on that one, doesnât he?
MK: Totally, to me itâs even the best vocal take of his entire career! (He cuddles him.)
AT: Thank you, my dear. (Note: here it says âmon lapinâ, which can mean âmy dearâ but literally translates to âmy bunnyâ, which I hope is what Alex really said⌠;P) The rhythm is also very Roy Orbison, with a Civil War touch (laughs).
I: You worked with the same team, that is, James Ford and Owen Pallett. Besides, itâs the same with Arctic Monkeys, since James has been with you from the start.
AT: I canât see myself making a record without James. Heâs always been there. Weâve been working together for ten years. I was looking at old photos the other day and found that we havenât changed much. Except that he has white hair! (He bursts into a laugh, pleased with his joke. Then the hilarity infects Miles, and a wordplay contest ensues, followed by an untranslatable remake of a dialogue from the film âAustin Powersâ.)
I: Among the new faces, thereâs Zach Dawes, the bassist from Mini Mansions. Alex, I imagine you met him through Josh Homme?
AT: Well done, Columbo! (And here we go again! This time, the two impossible scoundrels are having a great time re-enacting a scene from the âColumboâ TV seriesâŚ)
I: Other than that, do you guys have anything to say about Zach, or are we going to settle for acting out dialogues from old TV series?
AT: Bah, we have loads of albums in common with Zach. He got me into a great record: âA Love Extremeâ by Benji Hughes. Itâs an amazing double album, the best thing Iâve heard in the last few years.
I: About Owen Pallett, he declared that he had more freedom this time round.
MK: Yes, this time we were never going to add the strings at the end of the process. He was in the studio with us, all working  closely together on the songs.
AT: We werenât always in agreement about everything, there were even some tense debates. But sometimes he managed to transcend a song;, that was the case with âShe Does The Woodsâ. You listen to the demo and the final version with Owenâs arrangements, and theyâre like night and day! That guy is as good as a squid chilli! (Make of this what you will.)
I: On songs like âThe Element of Surpriseâ and âPatternâ, the way the strings are superimposed on the groove reminds me of the 70s, when soul music was starting to become danceable but not quite disco yet.
AT: Thatâs a very good analysis, my dear friend, maybe we ought to hire you.
I: Thank you, but Iâd prefer it if you continued to evolve a bit more!
AT: What I can tell you is that Miles likes listening to 70s soul when heâs making his steamed vegetables. (incredibly serious)
MK: Yes, I love steamed vegetables, and sweets as well. I love anything thatâs sugary.
AT: I prefer dried fruit, nuts and salty stuff.
I: Iâm extremely impressed. The complementarity! (very cynically, of course)
AT: As you see, we make a good match, donât we? (with a big smile to well and truly do my head in)
I: At the same time, itâs true that thereâs a real complementarity on this album, if only in the way you sing. Itâs easier to recognise your voices nowadays. Alex, youâre the crooner, whereas Miles seems to take on the role of vicious rocker.
AT: Thatâs pretty much it. Itâs because weâve evolved in different directions since the first album. We were just trying to imitate Scott Walker at the time, whereas now weâve tried to imitate Alex Turner and Miles Kane.
MK: That allowed us to play on contrasts and to give each other more space.
AT: And last time we were confined to the 60s, whereas we wanted to explore other sounds, other periods here.
I: So we keep coming back to the 70s. Sorry to keep on about that, but it seems that youâve been listening to a lot of Isaac Haynes. Ditto the album cover; I suppose the choice of an old photo of Tina Turner isnât without meaningâŚ
AT: Well done, Columbo! (Proud of himself, he repeats that one, pushing me a little further.)
I: Are you always this loutish when youâre together?
AT and MK: What do you mean? (in unison and mocking)
I: Separately, youâre great, but side by side, youâre downright insufferable! Are you always like this?
AT: Ah yeah, thatâs how it is with my Miles! I start a joke and heâll finish it! (he pounces on Miles and catches him in an armlock on the settee, before giving his crotch a light slap and shouting âHere comes the nuts!â) You wanna see how close we are as friends, Miles and I? Here, look, a spectacle exclusively for you! (At this point, we move up another notch in this madness: Alex swoops for a bowl of cashew nuts and starts to frenetically toss them at Miles, who tries to catch them with his mouth⌠after a fashion. From now on, I understand that continuing this interview in a calm manner is going to be very difficult.)
I: Right, since you donât seem keen to discuss your record, weâll change the subject! Letâs talk about David Bowie, whose song âIn the heat of the morningâ you covered in the past.
MK: Something really strange happened when we arrived in Paris last night.
AT: Oh yes, youâre not gonna believe your ears! (Heâs hopping up and down with impatience)
MK: Weâd unpacked our bags, then when we went back downstairs to the entrance hall to take a cab, âIn the heat of the morningâ by Bowie was playing in the background. It was unbelievable, as if we were in a film! (Alex starts singing the song with improvised gibberish lyrics and seems unwilling to stop.)
I: Whatâs your favourite Bowie era? For the orchestrations and arrangements, âHunky Doryâ is probably the closest to TLSPâŚ
MK: Oh yes, I love that album! Especially âTimeâ!
I: âTimeâ isnât on âHunky Doryâ, itâs on âAladdin Saneâ!
AT: I love the whole Ziggy Stardust period, with âHang on to yourselfâ, âFive Yearsâ and âRock ânâ Roll Suicideâ. But itâs true that âAladdin Saneâ is incredible, itâs got âDrive-in Saturdayâ and, above all, the grandiose âLady Grinning Soulâ.
AT and MK: âSheâll come, sheâll go, sheâll lay belief on youâŚâ (they chaotically sing the melody of âLady Grinning Soulâ together)
AT: Right, seeing as weâve been giving you such a hard time, I feel obligated to share a little piece of exclusive information with you. Open your ears, mate. We were listening to âYoung Americansâ a lot while writing our album, and especially âRightâ. So much that at one point, Miles came up with the idea to play the sax on our record. He tried⌠but when he never managed to find the âSiâ, he gave up. Ultimately, thatâs perhaps not a bad thing (laughs).
 Translation of the text under the header âArctic Monkeysâ
According to Alex Turner, weâre not going to hear about Arctic Monkeys for some time: âWhen weâre releasing an album with Miles, itâs because weâre on indefinite hiatus with the Monkeys. The guys have all had babies recently, so theyâre constricted and enjoying their happy paternity. And Matt is doubly busy since alongside his little girl, heâs involved in the new Iggy Pop album. He played me the record and I can tell you that itâs a banger!â
