JLS: On The Diet you cut back on things – what in your life were you cutting out? What excesses?
CO: I think for me it was more about dropping some of the musical trappings that I felt dragged down the last record. I took my foot off the gas on a lot of the synths that I was really into experimenting with in New Misery. That’s not saying we didn’t use them on this record, we had access to Roger Manning’s synths who plays in Beck and Air, since he was storing them at the studio. The writing process occurred directly following the dissolution of my relationship and after a mass exodus of people working for me. So I wrote it with no tether, and in a place where I was mostly on my own in my blacked-out room working on songs. Then as I began to start dating my newest ex, that factored in too.

JLS: What was one of the first records you remember falling in love with?
CO: I remember picking up Their Satanic Majesties Request by the Rolling Stones and Recurring by Spacemen 3 when I was sixteen or something, at this cool record store in Chicago called Reckless Records. I couldn’t stop playing either of them, and I remember burning copies of them for the other Smith Westerns guys. These two albums sent me on my journey of discovering all this old music that is so influential and seminal not only on my own stuff but for anyone playing guitar pretty much.

JLS: I’ve seen your Twitter feed and you seem to have a good sense of humour. When things get heavy, what makes you laugh?
CO: I guess if I had to use one word to describe me it would be sardonic. I think if you can approach things with sarcasm and not completely turn it into a joke but be sarcastic enough that you can take some of the sting out of your problems it’s a good starting place.

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