The Rolling Stones pulled back the curtain on their new album during an intimate conversation with Conan O'Brien in Brooklyn, offering rare insight into how one of rock's most iconic groups continues to evolve.
Held on Tuesday (May 5) at The Weylin in Williamsburg, the event drew a packed crowd of fans and industry guests, who were welcomed with a cocktail hour before the program began. Attendees were also treated to three songs from the band's upcoming new project, Foreign Tongues, giving an early listen to an album that blends classic Stones energy with a renewed sense of urgency. The lead single for the project, “In the Stars,” was released on Tuesday as well. The LP is due out July 10.
O'Brien, who moderated the conversation, pointed to “immediacy” as one of the album's defining qualities.
"What comes across to me is you're playing as if you've got something to prove," O'Brien said during the conversation. "There's an urgency to it. There's an immediacy."
That intensity, according to guitarist Ronnie Wood, comes from a mindset that hasn't changed much over the years.
"We just put it together. We love to do it," Wood said. "There's always something more… I love a challenge, and that's the whole album vibe: raising the bar. We've always been ambitious."
Guitarist Keith Richards added, "We have something in silence. We want to put it out. And you just want to see how it grows once you get in the studio with these guys [...] Let's see what you've got now [...] Some things work, other things don't. Most of them do."
Much of that energy came from the way the album was recorded. O'Brien revealed that most of the project was completed in roughly a month in London, where the group worked closely together in a tight studio setup that allowed for constant collaboration.
"We were all in the same room… you could see everyone, what they were doing, what they were thinking," Mick Jagger explained. "That room really worked out for us."
The conversation also highlighted the band's signature musical chemistry, particularly between Richards and Wood.
"You can't force it… it just comes," Wood said, pointing to the band's long history of developing riffs organically.
Beyond their rock foundation, the Stones emphasized their continued willingness to experiment across genres.
"The Stones as a rock band, but The Stones also has abilities to balance and [do] country music and dance music, and so we've run into the gamut of all these styles. So it's not stuck into all these styles [...] We've loved all kinds of music over our lives," Jagger said. "So we express that in the way we move forward."
The project also features contributions from notable collaborators, including Robert Smith of The Cure and Steve Winwood, as well as a track featuring the final performance of the group’s late drummer Charlie Watts.
"We did that in L.A. with Charlie and it's real fast like a punk rocker, hit me in the head. Charlie plays great. It's a super-fast song," said Jagger.
Wood added, "It's got the spirit of Charlie."
The group also revealed Watts handpicked Steve Jordan to handle drumming duties. [Bass duties in the group have been handled by Darryl Jones since original bassist Bill Wyman retired in 1993]. They also reflected on Paul McCartney, whom Jagger said "really wanted to jump" in the studio with them, claiming "he wanted to tick that box."
Wood added of the former Beatle, "Now he can say he played with the Rolling Stones!"
The connection between the Beatles and the Stones dates back decades. The Stones recorded and released the 1963 Lennon/McCartney composition “I Wanna Be Your Man” before the Beatles did.
Despite their legendary status, the Stones made it clear at Tuesday’s press conference that they're still driven by the same hunger that defined their early years.
"We're having fun most of the time, but, you know, a lot of times you have to really concentrate on what you're doing and make that five minutes really count," said Jagger. "I mean, it's a lot of fun, but it's also a lot of concentration. We did have a lot of fun, and I think the thing is, it's not a long drawn-out process."
