Listen: The Cribs collaborate with Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo for new single
I Don’t Know Who I Am is taken from the upcoming record Night Network
Image: Andrew Benge / Getty
UK alt-rockers The Cribs have released the latest track from their upcoming album Night Network, entitled I Don’t Know Who I Am. The song features the noisy guitar work and backing vocals from ex-Sonic Youth member Lee Ranaldo. He also appears in the accompanying music video – take a look above.
The song was recorded at Dave Grohl’s 606 Studios in Los Angeles before Ranaldo layered his guitar over the top at his own studios in Hoboken, New York. Ranaldo had previously worked with The Cribs on their song Be Safe, for their 2007 record Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever.
The band said of the song in a statement: “I Don’t Know Who I Am (although ultimately quite different) came together in much the same way as Be Safe did back in 2006 – we had a recording of a long, improvised noise-jam which we then tried to refine into a more cohesive song structure.
“Due to the similarities in the writing process, it made us think of Lee again… we had initially requested that he play noise guitar over the track, because we wanted to keep it somewhat abstract and create the impression of the melodies just kind of emerging out of the static… but he went beyond the call of duty and also added some beautiful vocal harmonies too, out at the Sonic Youth studio in New Jersey.
“Working with Lee on Be Safe was without question one of the highlights of our career as a band, and we think that I Don’t Know Who I Am is a worthy follow up collaboration. We are very proud of how it turned out.”
The band added: “Lyrically, the song addresses the disconnect that Ryan and myself have always had with our biological paternal lineage – and how that may have shaped our views on masculinity, gender roles, and the men we ultimately grew up to be.”
Their new album Night Network is due out 13 November.