Photos courtesy of BB Gun Press

Regina Alongi
Connector Editor

The Strokes may be one of the most legendary bands to come out of New York City in the last 20 years. In 2001, their debut album, “Is This It,” was featured in various publications as the best album of the year, is often called one of the best albums of this generation and was certified platinum by the RIAA. In between their five studio albums and 14 years as a band, their members have ventured out for their own solo projects. Albert Hammond, Jr., son of 1960s singer-songwriter Albert Hammond and Strokes’ rhythm guitarist, just released his third solo album, “Momentary Masters.” We were lucky to be able to catch up with Albert in anticipation of his Boston-area show at The Sinclair on Sept. 20 and discuss this recent effort, his thoughts on the songwriting process and even the current drug problem in America.

The album is titled Momentary Masters. Where did it come from and does the album have an overlying theme or meaning to you personally, opposed to the interpretation someone could get from it?

“Momentary Masters” came from this three-minute quote of Carl Sagan talking about the universe. It’s something that I used as a form of meditation and I was listening to it a few hours before I had to decide the name of the album. And those words kind of just struck me; just a gut reaction. I always try to go with that gut reaction – it’s a good thing to reference when doing things creatively, or just in general, really, in life.

And yeah, it has some overall meaning to me. It changes as I change. I’ve written words on this record that, months later, I’ve come back to and will have a different meaning to me. But I feel like it started out just trying to understand the different people I was, and trying to describe that in a universal emotion of interaction between people. Kind of like how your shadow works in your life. I got into a lot of different shadow work, and, I don’t know, it went from there. These were just like trigger points. You find other things through it when you’re writing; the melodies lead you somewhere else.

Right. There are some songs, looking through the lyrics, that seemed like they reflected your life, both with The Strokes and in your own personal struggles. Two songs I’d noticed specifically, “Caught By My Shadow” and “Coming To Getcha” seemed like they could be interpreted as things you’ve gone through with the band?

Yeah, that’s what’s so fun. If you look at my life and you know stuff I’ve been through, you can relate it and relate to it. But, at the same time, as you’re writing it, ten different thoughts come to your head. People always ask me if certain stuff is referencing to the band and things in my life and… though sometimes it can feel that way, it’s not entirely the only way it can be seen. Things are said in a universal way. Like in “Coming to Getcha,” where it’s like, “Just because we’re part of the scene doesn’t mean we share the same dream,” is not a pure relation to being in a band and not understanding where you’re going; it’s a little bigger than that. I think we’ve all felt that feeling of being a part of something and not knowing where it’s going, or not sharing the same values or ideas as people, just in terms of friendships or relationships or things in general.

“Momentary Masters” can be seen as Hammond, Jr.’s most “Strokes-like” solo album yet.

It’s more about taking the overall interpretation opposed to the specific meaning. That’s what I liked a lot about the album – some people write specific stories, some write more general things. I lean towards the general stories, where they’re more relatable and universal.

Yeah, you kind of play with that. It’s so hard to explain the whole process. I remember watching this Clash interview where they were asking Joe Strummer this, and I was like, “Oh, perfect! I can get an answer from him and just use it!” He said the same thing: he was like, “I have no idea!” And some of his songs were pretty direct, but he was saying, “I don’t remember where my exact mind was. It travels. It wasn’t just staying in one spot while I was writing.” And I liked that idea. As a fan that was enough.

I know, myself being a musician and writer, you really can’t answer those questions. It’s kind of the basic questions people ask, but – when you’re writing, it just comes. You’re not always necessarily writing about a specific thing, a specific story.

Exactly. And sometimes you find things in what you’re writing that make you go, “Oh!” Exactly. Things are just coming. You have this filter that is your life in inspiration form, and things get filtered through that. You just have different ideas and you start exploring them.

Or you go, “Hey, this word rhymes with this word. I like it. Let’s put that in there.”

(Laughs) Yeah, sometimes it can be as basic as that!

So, The Strokes are out of the RCA contract. You yourself have been involved in both indie and major labels – you’re with Vagrant now with this album and Cult [Records] with the last EP. Some artists are comfortable under that wing of the major label, and some are more comfortable in an indie setting. For you, what has been the best experience, and going forward do you have a plan as to what you want to stay with, whether it be indie, major, or however?

Well, I never look at it like that – I just look at it at where it seems people are the most excited and where I feel I would have the best relationship. It’s to keep people excited about what I’m doing. I want to be wherever I have the best chance to succeed, wherever that is, whoever is as excited as I am about the record but on a business side. I’m going to give all my energy, so whatever person puts it out, I want them to be putting all their energy in it too, so I kind of have to go around and feel that out. And after that, it’s a gamble. You don’t know if it will last.

So I’m guessing you’re not contracted for X amount of records or X number of years. You’re just taking it release by release.

Yeah, it’s release by release.

I watched an interview with you back when “AHJ” [EP, 2013] came out, where you said your plan was to release a bunch of EPs instead of full albums. What ended up changing? What drove you to release a full, ten-track album instead of another shorter EP?

I just couldn’t get enough attention from any people. I’m not big enough of a band to create my own world with it. I feel like if you’re big enough, you could commit to two years of touring and releasing music, and every six months release an EP, or stuff like that. I just wasn’t able to get enough press or reviews or festival offers only because it was an EP, so I felt like it was such a waste. I thought they were really good, but they were not gaining the attention I wanted them to. I had to go back to the format that fits what people do.

It’s tough trying to balance what you want to do creatively and what people are looking for and are willing to work with from an industry standpoint.

If you’re trying to make it in the industry, you kind of have to do that first. Then you can command your own thing. But beforehand, it’s very hard. Very, very hard.

Absolutely. Going on to a bit of a different subject here: this can be a touchy subject for some. I know you struggled with drug abuse. It’s becoming a big problem around here. I’ve had friends and classmates who’ve died because of their battle. Even the past week around here in Lowell, there have been reports of people around town overdosing. For someone struggling with the disease of addiction, what’s some advice you’d give, and are there any changes you think we need to see to battle it more effectively?  I know some towns are getting rid of arresting people who have drug problems and instead putting them in rehab or working with them to get them back on track.

I feel like most people know this, but the idea of having a “war against drugs” is crazy. It’s inherent in you that you want to change your consciousness – like the way when we’re a kid we spin on things. I feel like instead of spending all that money trying to stop it coming in, it should be spent on education and healing people. Also, you know…it’s so hard. A lot of times when you’re in that, you’re not really going to listen to what anyone has to say. You have to be ready to hear things, and (laughs) that’s not always the case! I thought about that really hard, I’m like, “How would I have some effect?” But I’m remembering myself, and if I was talking to myself, I’d be like, “Who is this asshole? He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

When you have a moment and you realize you can no longer balance both lifestyles and you realize it’s very clear it’s one or the other, there’s just a choice that clicks in, and then you have to re-learn how to have fun and be curious. There’s something you’re self-medicating that’s deeper and you can never know. To be honest, getting sober was the easiest part (laughs) after trying to figure stuff out about myself for so long. It’s harder now and I still go through great pains of figuring myself out, and I’m sober. But I guess, I don’t know how I keep it besides I have reference points of times that have come and gone and I feel like I try to remind myself about that. But, I mean, it’s hard. It’s – especially heroin. It’s a great drug to fix things. Basically perfect, except what happens to you afterward! But, when you take it, it kind of takes everything away so you don’t really have to face anything.

But yeah, it’s awful, I heard about that in Massachusetts – there have been a lot of overdoses.

It’s crazy. Kids 18, 19 years old and younger, you know? Kids I’ve gone to school with… It’s crazy.

Sure, I mean, cops now are allowed to carry naltrexone? That’s pretty crazy in itself! That means you have a problem.

I don’t know, it’s tough. I spend my time thinking of things like that, but I wish… I really think the answer is in how we do things. We definitely spend money in putting away the wrong things, or at least we’ve tried it one way and let’s try it another way. I really think if people had a hope when they were on their way out, there would be a lot less relapsing. If there was money for the actual three months that is needed, not 28 days – 28 days doesn’t do anything. Some people it might work for, but the majority of people are going to go right back. You need three months. 90 days. So the money should be there for people who are there. You’re never going to stop it coming in – there’s just too much money on the other side. You can kill everyone and there’ll be a new guy who’s like, “Yes I’m king!” (laughs) But that’s just the way it works. You’re never going to stop the drugs coming in.

Yeah, and how you said about running from things or learning things about yourself – I feel like when you’re in a different state of mind, it takes away the whole wonder of being a human. And, as learning things about yourself is hard and as terrible as it can be at times-

Well you don’t grow anymore when you’re on drugs! You stop changing.

Instead of getting out of it, it’s like you say, “I’m going to stay here and accept it, but hide from it instead of growing out of it and doing something to move forward.”

It’s tough though. I can’t imagine what it’d be like try to talk to someone who is really addicted to something and have them tell me the same things that I’ve told other people! (laughs) And then have to think to myself, “Wow, I used to say the same thing. How do I convince them?” I definitely have thought about that in seeing the array of the past people that I’m no longer, and just being like, “Well, how would I communicate with that person?” You know? That person would probably hate me now.

Final questions.

Top 5 CDs in your car right now

Oh, I don’t know, I’ll look over at my vinyl and see what I’ve been listening to lately. Ok, the Police – “Outlandos d’Amour,” their first record. Then I have The Cars, their first record. Then I have this Elvis record called “Golden Records,” which is a lot of fun. Then David Bowie’s “Space Odyssey.” And then, I think I have Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata and Other Classics”!

Are you a video gamer at all?

Uh, yeah! I do like them. I don’t really have time to play them much, but I have and will play. I’m bummed because I have to buy a Playstation 4 just to play the new “Uncharted 4”… I might just have to do that because that’s probably my favorite game of all time. The perfect game you wanted when you were a kid.

Biggest musical influence when you were younger?

Probably Guided by Voices. “Vampire on Titus,” that whole band in general, was just something I really needed.

A last thing… favorite food.

Okay. Japanese food.