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Damon Albarn's Gorillaz swinging into new Indian era

Working on new music in India has given Gorillaz fresh purpose says Damon Albarn. The animated band return with Orange County this week ahead of a new LP in February and admit creating in India fried their minds. They reveal the unfortunate circumstances that first took them to India but hope to return there to tour after huge UK shows.

[Gorillaz new album The Mountain]

Gorillaz new album The Mountain arrives in February

GORILLAZ duo Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett reckon recording their new album in India brought them closer together.

The band are back with new single, Orange County (ft. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson & Anoushka Shankar) the latest offering from their upcoming LP, The Mountain due February 27.

Working in a new country has revitalised the band after 25 years together. "Well, we had a great adventure," said Jamie who provides the visuals behind the animated act.

"I think that its reminded us that in order to really, to make something really good, you have to go somewhere that you've never been or an experience you've never had, not just, you know, be in the studio in LA or London or wherever, but go off on a journey, which is what we did and India was the place this time.

[Gorillaz duo Damon and Jamie]

Gorillaz duo Damon and Jamie

"It gave us a lot. If you're an artist or a musician or anybody creative and you go to India and it doesn't fry your mind, then clearly you're not a creative person. It's all there. Everything is right in front of you. And you come back just full. Your mind's just full of stuff. It had that effect on me anyway and I think it had the same effect just working with, with musicians who are just the moment they start to play, you're like, oh my God."

Now Gorillaz hope to bring their live shows to India after a busy summer touring around the UK and Europe. Blur legend Damon said: "That would be for me the first place we play it, but it's probably going to be the last place we play it."

Jamie added: "Takes a while to arrange that but it is being arranged. The India gigs are definitely going to happen and we've been pushing for that since we started talking about the tour but it's just taking a little bit longer logistically to arrange.

[Gorillaz Orange County single]

Gorillaz new single Orange County

Making the decision to record the album India was sparked by a family emergency. Jamie explained to Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music 1.: "My wife was in India with her mum in Jaipur, she'd been for a month. And she was going to fly home and she was sending me messages saying, bags packed, taxi arriving. And then half an hour later, her mum had a massive stroke and was rushed to hospital and went into a coma.

"She was in a public general hospital during a pneumonia epidemic. So, you know, it doesn't get more traumatic. So I jumped on a plane and I went to join her and we were there till the following year, six or seven weeks in Jaipur, dealing with that, which was pretty hardcore.

"But at the same time, I was visiting Jaipur in the afternoon just to have a break from hospitals and I kind of just completely fell in love with the place. And when I got back, I said, we should go to India and think about the next record."

Damon added: "And I in a Machiavellian way, thought, this might be a good place for Jamie to like explore his drawing."

[Jamie and Damon with their creations]

British virtual band 'Gorillaz' created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett(Image: Jamie Hewlett)

Working with musicians from different cultures is nothing new for Damon who thrives on adventure. "I find all practitioners of that kind of improvisational classical music some of the most wonderful people to play with," he said of working on the new music in India.

"Honestly, I think it was a breeze going going there after so many years starting in Mali kind of learning, and still doing it just on this massive learning course. And the musicians in in in Mumbai, which was the first place we landed - it was kind of clear that there's just such a a great tradition and ability to speak multiple musical languages in that city, just in that city alone. So, I mean, we've only just scraped the surface."

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