Some 300 years after Antonio Vivaldi captured the feeling of springtime with his Four Seasons, another composer is drawing from the same inspiration Rivers Cuomo of Weezer.
His band, never one to take much time off, is putting out a quartet of albums this year in much the same spirit as Vivaldi. Cuomo has titled the series SZNZ and is beginning, of course, with Spring. It's out this Sunday which happens to be the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere.
Morning Edition's A Martinez spoke to Cuomo about the cathartic new release, written during lockdown, and maintaining relationships three decades into a band's life.
This interview has been edited and condensed. To hear the broadcast version of this story, you can use the audio player at the top of this page.
A Martinez, Morning Edition: So, Rivers Vivaldi might have gotten the jump on you here, having written The Four Seasons some 300 years ago. Was that work an inspiration at all for you on this?
Rivers Cuomo: Yeah, absolutely. In each of the four EPs [of SZNZ] at least one of the songs interpolate one of his riffs. So it was fun to take a bit of one of his ideas and set my own lyrics to it and try to make it sound like a modern rock song. But I think most people are going to hear like, for example: The first song on Spring is called "Opening Night." People are going to hear that and be like, "Wait a minute, what is that?" And then they're going to be like, "Oh my God, I know that from some commercial or some... I don't know, something. It's some classical thing." Yeah, it's from Vivaldi.
Tell us what your approaches to this project are what's your mission statement?
Well, we actually had a mission statement, so I'm glad you asked. It was to pick up where we left off with our last album, OK Human. It was Weezer with an orchestra; setting aside all commercial concerns and just really delving into my love for classical music and opera music and writing on the piano instead of an electric guitar, and just trying to go all-out with the crazy composition and the melodies. And so that's what we did... and I think we pretty much hit the nail on the head.
I think there is a lot to be said for a group that can stay together as long as you have. I think of Pearl Jam that group has stayed pretty much the same for a long, long time. What do you think accounts for that longevity, that ability to stay together and not get on each other's nerves to the point where you just want to never be near each other again?
I feel like we all benefited a lot from getting married not to each other and going through couples therapy and learning how to communicate and compromise. We didn't have any of those skills when we started and there were definitely some rough patches, but everyone's so chill now. It's great.
I think it's really reassuring to know that things can last even through some rough spots.
I'd be glad if people get that sort of reassurance from our story because we all come from broken homes. And I know for me it was super important.
Back to SZNZ. When you're thinking about spring songs, what kind of ideas and concepts come to mind?
Well, it's definitely thinking a lot about, you know, the typical things you think about coming back to life, rebirth, coming out of a long, cold hibernation. In terms of spirituality like, living more in the moment and not being too hung up on self-denial, enjoying life. Those sorts of themes.
And that is exactly what I heard in the song "All This Love." It seems to almost be a nod to the pandemic and that we're all kind of coming out of it. It feels like we're entering a better stage, or maybe a more-free stage. Tell us about that song.
That song is all about just this incredible feeling of pent-up energy and wanting to express yourself and go out and be social and share your love. The chorus is really explosive and says, "I got all this love, I've been saving it, saving up, let me let it out." And it's just a really, really explosive feeling. In contrast, the first verse is [paraphrasing] "I've been stuck inside and I got this mask on my mouth, I forgot how to sing, I forgot how to love and live."
And on another level, thinking of how I've, at times, had this tendency to be too intellectual and not instinctual enough about art. There's a very obscure nod to the scientific way of creativity, a reference to Benjamin Franklin [in] the opening line, with "the key and a kite, waiting for lightning to strike camping out in the field by my house." So that's me thinking too hard about how to go about my creativity instead of just letting it flow.
Were you always more intellectual instead of instinctual when it comes to your art?
I've had that instinct since before Weezer even existed. I mean, I remember being a teenager and being so curious about music theory and at the same time, thinking, "Wait a minute, that's not cool. You're not supposed to study music theory if you're a rock musician." So there was always a struggle for me.
But I'd say in recent years, I've really found a great balance and am feeling more instinctual than ever at the same time, I have tons of spreadsheets and computer programs that I've written to help me along. I'm firing on all cylinders, for sure.
Now, have you started thinking about SZNZ: Summer yet?
Yeah, I'd say like everything is 90% written as of last year this is what I did during the lockdown. So I have these folders, four folders of really well-written-out songs. I'm working with another producer now on the summer songs and we hope to have fall done before we leave for Europe at the end of May, and then finish winter in August.
Is that a normal pace for you? I don't know I'm not a musician, it just sounds like a lot.
I mean, a lot of the songs are short... It's a lot. It's definitely a lot. And you know, we've announced it. We've committed to doing it... and yet we haven't actually done it yet. So it's uh, it'll be a challenge. But everyone knows what we're in for and we're all into it and we want to do it. And hopefully we don't drive our managers too crazy, because it's going to be a ton of work.
Do you work better that way? You know, announcing something, committing to do it even though you haven't done it yet?
Oh no, I don't. I don't think it really affects me either way. Like, I am very, very excited to work every day just for the sake of creating something, and I don't necessarily need the motivation of having a deadline.
Speaking from a journalist's point of view: if there is no deadline on me, I don't know if I'll ever turn anything in, ever. [Laughs] So I wonder if you work that way too as an artist?
No, I don't. I just love building stuff, and every morning I wake up and come down to my studio and build stuff, and then we have to figure out what to do with it.
What kind of reaction have you gotten from fans of yours? Sometimes, I think fans get a little too in love with what they liked about you when you started, and maybe don't like it when an artist tries to do new things.
We definitely went through that phase, like in the beginning of the 2000s. It was real tough. But it seems like we're surrounded by fans who are super excited about new music and they themselves are actually frustrated when they encounter other people who have closed minds [towards] the new stuff. So it feels like we've got a great, great little neighborhood around us.
And that being said, one of our concerns was like, "We don't want to burn the audience out," because we've been putting out a lot of music. We did two records last year and this will be another 28 songs this year.
I might be wrong on this, but it feels in what I've heard that you're using a lot more acoustic instruments for the spring collection. Was that by design?
Oh, absolutely. Spring is chock full of acoustic and ancient-sounding instruments. Recorder, acoustic Guitar, mandolin, 12-string. So yeah, it's a very natural, woody type of sound.
The whole time I was writing and recording. I was imagining myself in the movie production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, when they wake up in the forest. It's just such a beautiful, magical scene ... all these woodland creatures and fairies. But that's just spring.
Summer is going to move into a completely different emotional and sonic terrain where it's going to be much more aggressive and angry and you won't hear those woody sounds anymore. And then fall is going to be a much more like, technological element and dance rock. And then with winter, we return to a more acoustic, mournful tone.
I just realized, Rivers, that this is a strictly northern hemisphere kind of record are our fans in Australia, New Zealand going to be upset?
I'll tell you, we did make one concession already we changed "fall" to "autumn." Apparently no one uses the word fall except for Americans.
Weezer's new EP, SZNZ: Spring, is out Mar. 20.
The rest is here:
The four 'SZNZ' of Weezer - NPR
- How dogs are paving the way for human longevity drugs - Longevity.Technology - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Innovative Approaches to Improving Human Longevity - Securities.io - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Top 5 Companies Offering Solutions to Increased Human Longevity - Securities.io - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- Morning Medical Update: Gut bacteria and longevity; People with ... - Medical Economics - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Artificial Intelligence and the Aging Process: A Match Made for ... - Down to Game - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Saint Bernard Lifespan: How Long Do Saint Bernards Live? - AZ Animals - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- 'Human Resources' Was Poised to Be Netflix's Longest-Running ... - PRIMETIMER - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Early Life Adversity Doesn't Affect Gorillas Like Other Species - The Good Men Project - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Wellness luminaries, experts to meet in KK - The Borneo Post - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- I grew up with hazardous smoke from forest fires in Asia. Here's what ... - Morningstar - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Workplace Networks Are More Important than Promotions to Engage ... - GlobeNewswire - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Accenture staff working at Google training AI move to unionise - The Australian Financial Review - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Hair Wigs and Extension Market Size to Grow by USD 5.26 billion from 2021 to 2026, Growth Driven by Technologi - Black Enterprise - April 10th, 2023 [April 10th, 2023]
- Want to age like a fine wine? Here are some tips for longevity and feeling younger - The Indian Express - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Human body | Organs, Systems, Structure, Diagram, & Facts - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- Human | Avatar Wiki | Fandom - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- Calorie Restriction and Fasting Diets: What Do We Know? - January 4th, 2023 [January 4th, 2023]
- Emma Thompson On Longevity Of Holiday Fave Love Actually But It Is SEX Actually That Is Earning Her Awards Buzz In Leo Grande - Deadline - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Heads or tails: What statistical models tell us about the probability of living beyond 110 - The Conversation - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- LinkedIn founder and VC Reid Hoffman says human amplification via A.I. will revolutionize large enterprises in the next five years - Fortune - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Human hibernation is possible and could boost longevity | New Scientist - December 2nd, 2022 [December 2nd, 2022]
- Home - Human Longevity Institute - October 23rd, 2022 [October 23rd, 2022]
- Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity - Mayo Clinic - October 23rd, 2022 [October 23rd, 2022]
- Life expectancy - Wikipedia - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Life Expectancy - Our World in Data - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The Longevity Investors Conference Gstaad brought together longevity experts and deep-pocketed investors - Cointelegraph - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The Search for a Pill That Can Help Dogsand HumansLive Longer - WIRED - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Aging of the Heart Correlates With a Poor Gut Microbiome - Lifespan.io News - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Aditxt, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADTX) Announces Development and Publication of a Mathematical Model for Predicting Longevity and Variations of Immune Response... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- FOXO Technologies Announces First Distribution Partner and Begins Product Rollout in California; Expands Executive Team With Insurance Industry Talent... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- A conversation with Holocaust scholar Dr. Irving Berkowitz - South Florida Sun Sentinel - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Nine postdoctoral fellowships in aging research awarded by the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and AFAR - EurekAlert - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The 5 Wellness Habits That Slow Down Aging, Science Reveals Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Winning Federal Contracts on the Top 20 Contract Vehicles - Bloomberg Government - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Lawrence Austin promoted to rank of colonel - Winona Times - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The longevity dividend: Work in an era of 100-year lives - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Retirement Savings Calculator - Northwestern Mutual - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Clues to Human Longevity Unearthed in Largescale Mouse Genetic Study - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Can we find ways to live beyond 100? Millionaires are betting on it. - MIT Technology Review - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Restrict Calories to Boost Immune Function - The Epoch Times - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- The Black Progress Index: Examining the social factors that influence Black well-being - Brookings Institution - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Kevin Williamson on Scream 6 and Franchise Longevity - Bleeding Cool News - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- 507-Year-Old Clam May Be the World's Oldest Living Being - History of Yesterday - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- I should look forward to early retirement, but I think I'm dreading it - CBC.ca - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- International Coffee Day 2022: How The Beloved Brew Helps Fight Cancer, Kidney Disease And Depression - ABP Live - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Corey Feldman And Jamison Newlander Talk The Lost Boys And The Birth Of The Two Coreys - Forbes - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Proven Levels of Human Longevity | NextBigFuture.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Prolonging healthspan by delaying ageing -- NUHS opens Singapore's first Centre for Healthy Longevity to increase healthy lifespan of Singapore... - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- What is the Secret to Longevity in Real Estate? - CandysDirt.com - Candy's Dirt - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Jeff Stukey & Jay Olshansky, Ph.D with Wealthspan Advisors, Interviewed on the Influential Entrepreneurs Podcast Discussing How Aging Science... - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- The Queen of the World - The Atlantic - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- THR Icon: At 100, Norman Lear Looks Back (And Ahead) at Whats Changed Since the Maude Abortion Episode - Hollywood Reporter - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- TIFF 2022: The Colour of Ink Review - ThatShelf.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Should Age Be on the Ballot? - Next Avenue - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Was The Spring Water At Balmoral Castle The Secret To Elizabeth II's Longevity? - Nation World News - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- A complete guide to the health benefits of nuts europeantimes.news - The European Times - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Debut Launches its Bio2Consumer Platform to Become the Leader in Vertically Integrated Synthetic Biology - PR Web - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Rapamycin Drug Used in Cancer Therapy Found to Increase Human Lifespan [Study] - Nature World News - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Eating Healthy: Why Eating Grapes Would Increase Lifespan | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News Guardian Life The Guardian Nigeria... - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Beauty Bets on Longevity WWD - WWD - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Analysis of the impact of success on three dimensions of sustainability in 173 countries | Scientific Reports - Nature.com - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- You might have glowing skin in no time by making few easy changes to your skincare routine - TDPel Media - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Nucleai Appoints New Head of Pathology to Support Expansion in Biopharmaceutical and Clinical Markets - Business Wire - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Daily AI Roundup: Biggest Machine Learning, Robotic And Automation Updates - AiThority - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Prolonged and intense heatwave affecting parts of western and northern Europe breaks temperature records; globally, July 2022 was one of three warmest... - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- YLEM: Augmenting sustainable futures through material exploration and testing - STIRworld - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Do you want to live forever? Big Tech and the quest for eternal youth - The New Statesman - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- This startup wants to copy you into an embryo for organ harvesting - MIT Technology Review - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Renewal Bio Acquires Breakthrough Stem Cell Technology With Applications in Infertility and Longevity - Benzinga - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Get married or get a degree to live longer says study, debunking theories of womens longevity over men - Times Now - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Nucleai Appoints New Head of Pathology to Support Expansion in Biopharmaceutical and Clinical Markets - StreetInsider.com - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Some species are immortal but dying of old age is humanity's secret weapon - The Telegraph - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Opinion: Changing When and How Much We Eat May Extend Health Span - The Scientist - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Vieroots uses genome testing to win over a growing tribe of wellness enthusiasts - YourStory - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Herbs radiate and give you youthful skin - The Hans India - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- How Pop Culture, Politics, Science, and Business Got So Old - The Atlantic - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- John Hood: How to read this column | Columnists | journalnow.com - Winston-Salem Journal - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- How Long Is The Human Lifespan? Here's What Studies Have Found | mindbodygreen - mindbodygreen - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Employees are livingand workinglonger. CEOs are introducing initiatives like phased retirements to harness the longevity economy - Fortune - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Why Do We Get Old, and Can Aging Be Reversed? - Quanta Magazine - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]