Metallica’s Lars Ulrich recently opened up about the evolving music landscape, the band’s unwavering drive to produce new music, and the only reason they would consider retirement in a new episode of ‘SmartLess.’
On the latest episode of the podcast, hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, Ulrich gave insights into Metallica’s journey, the challenges facing emerging artists, and what keeps the band going. He expressed gratitude for the continued engagement from fans, saying:
“Well, obviously, it’s changed quite a bit. And in your guys’ industry, some of the same things that we were dealing with 20 years ago are happening. Big picture, and I know this may sound like a little bit of a cop-out, I’m just happy that f*cking anybody cares about what we’re doing and shows up to see us play and still stream or buy or steal our records or whatever.”
He then highlighted that while established bands like Metallica have managed to weather these changes, newer bands often grapple with challenges:
“The engagement itself, I think, is the triumph and the victory. Obviously, it’s way, way harder for a lot of the younger bands nowadays because they don’t get the support of the record companies for basic things — just like gear and tour support. So there is very much of a different thing.”
However, Ulrich remains optimistic about the future of music. Emphasizing that persistence is key in today’s environment, he commented that talent and good songwriting would eventually find a home in the music scene.
He then added that they would consider halting their musical endeavors and retiring in case of one condition:
“Obviously, I understand that we’re exceptionally fortunate, but our success gives us the opportunity to sort of do all that. But if somebody said, ‘You can’t write or make records anymore,’ we would probably stop what we’re doing because it’s such an essential part of just our existence as people.”
Despite the various ways fans can now access music, Ulrich said that the band’s focus remains on the joy of the creative process.
Metallica’s recent activities support the drummer’s statements. The band recently wrapped up the first North American leg of their ‘M72’ world tour and is set to headline the Power Trip event at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, next month.
The band’s latest album, ’72 Seasons,’ was released in April this year, selling 146,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. during its first week and marking their 12th Top 10-charting album.
You can listen to the episode here.
