Liam Gallagher thinks artists who tailor their music for streaming platforms are “teachers f**king pets”
“I think when you start doing more songs you take the foot off the gas on certain songs”
Image: Mauricio Santana / Getty
Liam Gallagher doesn’t take too kindly to artists who put more songs on their albums to game the algorithms on streaming services.
If you’ve noticed the tracklists of the albums you’re listening to getting steadily longer, it’s done for a reason – it’s a way for artists to attempt to make themselves stand out in such a saturated musical climate.
Gallagher has just released a collaborative album with The Stone Roses guitarist John Squire, which has a more concise 10-song tracklist.
“I’m glad there’s only 10 songs on the album,” Gallagher tells NME. “I think when you start doing more songs you take the foot off the gas on certain songs. Everything went into these 10 songs.”
NME notes that some artists do “pad out” records for maximum playlist appeal. Gallagher’s reply? “Well, they’re just teacher’s fucking pets, aren’t they? We’re not here to be fucking famous and try to break into China, go up against fucking K-pop and that. We don’t wanna be fucking breaking out into too many sweats, you know what I mean? We’re at a certain age now. We don’t wanna look desperate.”
Because of the brevity of the album, however, Gallagher and Squire’s live shows have been rather short, meaning they’ve been on stage each night for less than an hour as they’ve chosen not play any Oasis or Stone Roses songs. The only material in the set that’s not original is a cover of the Rolling Stones’ Jumpin’ Jack Flash.
Addressing the criticism, Gallagher says elsewhere in the interview: “10 songs and a fucking cover! What’s wrong with yous?” A new act, he adds, “wouldn’t fucking do a cover, so they can count themselves lucky.”
He also suggests there could be more albums from him and Squire to come. “You’re never gonna know what [that album] is until you do another one,” reasons Liam. “This is like a starter. You want the main fucking course, don’t you? And the dessert.”