The Secret To Duran Duran's Ongoing Durability

Forming in Birmingham in the late 1970s, Duran Duran have continually ridden the waves of industry shifts and stylistic evolution since driving the so-called Second British Invasion of the US amid the rise of the MTV generation.

With their self-titled debut album dropping four decades ago, Duran Duran swiftly solidified their status as superstars on the rise, thanks in part to their polished and adventurous music videos (who could ever forget the furore behind the sexually-charged Girls on Film), as well as their synth-soaked take on pop, and their glam aesthetic. 

The band would go on to adjust to minor lineup changes over the years, while also producing a prolific outputting of material, from the 1982 second album Rio, which spawned hits like Hungry Like the Wolf and My Own Way, through to their more recent releases, including 2015's Paper Gods.

While the staunch heydays for Duran Duran have ebbed and flowed, including periods where the band tasted a similar frenzy to that of Beatlemania, the most intriguing element to the Duran Duran legacy is not so much the fact that they have continued to endure for over four decades, including releasing a fifteenth album Future Past today via BMG; rather, this is a band who have never been absent for long enough over the years to be deemed a 'comeback' band, continuing to forge ahead and challenge themselves personally and stylistically, as Duran Duran bassist John Taylor discussed on today's episode of The Green Room podcast.

"We're on a...an investigative journey," Taylor told host Tiana Speter on today's episode.

"We started out, and it was...we had no idea what we were doing, really! We were just reflecting on our times, it was a fantastic moment in culture. 

"The end of the '70s, the early '80s, was a really fantastic time to be in music. And for us now to still be making music together and writing songs together, you know, you've really gotta dig deep. 

"I mean - there should be a lot to say, really! We've seen a lot, we've experienced a lot...it just comes down to wanting to bring the best that you can bring.

"We're always gonna be a little bit frustrated that it's not quite...you know, I might wish it was a bit more of this, and Nicks' gonna think 'oh, I wish it was a bit more of that'...but we've got this thing, we've created this brand, if you will. And we just try to do the best by the brand.

"Terrible thing to say really, isn't it? The first time I used the word 'brand' in association with the band was about ten years ago, I think. And I was like 'oooooooo!'" Taylor winced and laughed. 

With a history laden with swift success, industry acclaim and steady releases, the ongoing Duran Duran chronicles could be chalked up to many things, from their genius second self-titled record in 1993, more colloquially known as The Wedding Album, which cut through the grunge and hip hop flavours in vogue at the time, to voracious touring and knack for looking beyond what everyone else around them is doing. And while teaming up with the likes of David Lunch to film concerts and busting out knockout cover songs aren't enough to ultimately sustain a band long-term, John Taylor parted the veil into the underlying force that has kept Duran Duran alive after all this time.

"We've all got friends, couples that have been together, seemingly forever," Taylor said.

"And, you know, when they break up...it can really knock you. It's like 'oh my god! We thought Bob and Jessie were gonna be together forever!'...and it shakes you up! Because it almost, like...your togetherness seems somehow connected to their togetherness. And suddenly - Bob's on his own and running around and he's got a new girlfriend. And you're like: 'hang on a second! Maybe I want a new girlfriend!"

"I think, to some degree, there's a responsibility to society," Taylor giggled then continued, "To stay together! You've gotta have a really fucking good excuse to break up, is my point.

"Yeah, I mean...we've been through periods where I'm like: 'yeah, I'd like to play with a different drummer' and 'I'd like to have blah, blah, blah'...but, at the end of the day, these dudes are, like, the best dudes you could possibly want to work with on a daily basis. 

"And I've looked!" Taylor emphasised. "And I can tell you that for a fact, they're an amazing bunch of guys.

"And for all the shortcomings...you know, nobody's perfect, they're an amazing bunch of guys who wanna, like, go back in, 'let's write another song together, how about this, are we gonna write a fast one today or are we gonna try and write another ballad that makes people cry?!'" Taylor laughed again.

"You asked what the 'secret sauce' is for staying together - and it's just not breaking up, most of the time!"

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Duran Duran's new album Future Past is officially out today, for more info head here.

You can listen to the full episode with Duran Duran's John Taylor and host Tiana Speter below or directly on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts - or wherever you usually get your podcasts from.

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Need more music, film, TV and comedy in your life? Check out all previous episodes of The Green Room here - and did you know you can also watch episodes of The Green Room too? Head here to check out some of the recent videos, and if you're still hunting for content to feed your ears, be sure to check out some of the other exciting Handshake Agency podcasts below!

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