The interview was part of the premiere of their new Double A single, “The Hardest Thing / Orange County.”

•The Mountain was recorded entirely in India throughout 2024 (New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Amritsar, Varanasi, and Rishikesh).

•Damon describes the country as intense, chaotic, spiritual, and deeply inspiring, a place where tragedy and joy coexist at the same time.

•The album was born out of personal grief: Damon and Jamie lost their parents just ten days apart.

•India offered them a different perspective on death, very unlike the Western view—one focused more on acceptance, color, and ritual.

•Although the record explores loss, it is not dark; it’s filled with moments of brightness, hope, and spirituality.

•Damon explains that in countries like India or Mexico, death is approached with less fear and more celebration, which deeply influenced the album’s tone.

•Asha Bhosle, the legendary Bollywood singer, appears on Shadowy Light. Damon recorded with her barefoot, sitting on the floor of her home, giving no instructions: “When someone has been singing for 80 years, they don’t need direction.”

•Tony Allen, the late and crucial Gorillaz collaborator, appears on The Hardest Thing. Damon admits he will never stop missing him, and his presence on the track is deeply emotional.

•The album reconnects with the original Gorillaz manifesto, including the idea of featuring voices of artists who have passed away (such as Mark E. Smith).

•Jamie notes that, 25 years later, they’ve finally managed to execute that idea exactly as they always envisioned it.

•Damon said India would be, for me, the first place we played, and it’s probably going to be the last place we play. Jamie said It takes a while to arrange it, but it’s being arranged. The India gigs are definitely going to happen.