Stevie Nicks on Working with Gorillaz on “Oil”: “I’m an Honorary Gorilla”

Stevie Nicks is still feeling the rush after working with Gorillaz on their forthcoming eighth album, Cracker Island (Parlophone), due out on Feb. 24, 2023.

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The album will feature the band’s recent Tame Impala and Bootie Brown collaboration, “New Gold,” as well as guest artists, including Beck, Bad Bunny, Thundercat, and Nicks, who appear on the track called “Oil.”

In a recent interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Nicks said she was excited to become an “honorary Gorilla” while working with the Damon Albarn- and Jamie Hewlett-led band of four fictional characters and musicians.

“Well, I have to tell you, it was really great,” said Nicks. “Because [‘Cracker Island’ co-producer] Greg Kurstin sent [the song] to me. I call Greg back, and I go, ‘Oh, I think this is now our new favorite song, and I haven’t even sung on it yet. But yes, I would love to do this.'”

Nicks added, “I learned that song as if I had written that song and as if I was an Englishman, with that accent. And I love it so much.”

Speaking about the upcoming Gorillaz album, the band’s first since Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez in 2020, guitarist Noodle said, “‘Cracker Island’ is the sound of change and the chorus of the collective.” Drummer Russel Hobbs added, “When the reckoning comes, gotta be ready to step through the gateway. Cracker Island’s got the entry codes…”.

Living in the Gorillaz world, Nicks demanded that she be featured in one of the band’s animated music videos when they are ready to release one around “Oil.”

“That’s how I know about the Gorillaz… because of all their crazy cartoon videos,” said Nicks. “I want to be a Gorilla, and I want to have big, false eyelashes, and I want to have blonde hair, right? So, that’s what I said. And so, they’re doing it as we speak. And the whole song is… I think that song is somewhere between love and war.”

She added, “I can’t wait till it comes out because I’m so proud of it. Now, I was an honorary Heartbreaker. I was an honorary Foo Fighter. And now, I’m an honorary Gorilla. I’m so happy.”

The band recently released their title track single, featuring funk and R&B artist Thundercat. Nicks recently shared a new cover of Buffalo Springfield‘s 1966 hit “For What It’s Worth.”

Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

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