“Every song on this record is what's called the hero's journey,” Cold War Kids frontman Nathan Willett tells Apple Music about the second installment of the LA band's planned trilogy. “It's a literary structure that I read in Joseph Campbell and a lot of older literature like The Odyssey, Siddhartha, and Dante's Inferno. These universal stories with a start, middle, and ending that are part of a spiritual journey.” Though inspired by these works of fiction, New Age Norms 2 also relates to Willett and his project's enduring success and how he'd like to impart many of the lessons he's learned to younger generations. “I don't think I've ever had anybody to look up to, somebody who is older and who's made great art and is really proud of it and also lives a life that they're really happy with,” he says. “I turned 40 this year, and I have two kids and this life that I'm so grateful for. But I'm also like, 'How can I bring up some younger musicians that I could teach how to do great work and live a great life, to be a great artist?'” Willett also wanted the band to step out of their comfort zone and work with different producers they admire. This time, they brought along producer Shawn Everett behind the boards—intent on capturing a classic-meets-modern funk feel that brims with raw energy and spontaneity. “I'm a huge fan of him and the Alabama Shakes Sound & Color record he made,” he explains. “I just knew that was something that Cold War Kids had to be a part of. It felt like we just had to let him direct us a little bit, and for us to be free in our writing and performing, but to have him sonically do his thing with us is very exciting.” Here, Willett walks us through the album's concept, track by track. Who's Gonna Love Me Now “‘Who's Gonna Love Me Now' is being young and irreverent and kind of pissed off, and just rejecting ordinary life and setting out. Cold War Kids as a band has always been crazy fortunate with writing songs, like 'Hang Me Up to Dry' from our first record, that got amazing radio play. And we had no idea about how to lean into a song being made potentially a hit song, or anything like that. We've been lucky to exist in that world and then also still be a little naive to it. Working with somebody like Shawn is so refreshing, because it's not really a conversation that he would ever have. It's really just about how it feels. It's not a formula; you just know it when you feel it.” Obsession “‘Obsession’ to me is like, ‘You can't go back again.' You're leaving your old life for this unknown, for the artist life and first finding your authentic path. I love it because, musically, it feels like this very fun, light Motown rock ’n’ roll.” You Already Know “‘You Already Know’ is really just taking the plunge. There's this swagger about it. It's like you're kind of hustling; you're at that point of no return. Getting your self-confidence, which comes from the inside out. Like you're not validating outside of you. It's like, ‘What's the answer to this question?’ You already know it and you're self-assured.” Ceiling Fan “To me it feels very British, or almost like a Pulp, Suede, and Richard Ashcroft kind of thing. By my definition, it’s very indulgent, and kind of sexy and worldly. Like taking whatever drugs, or just abandoning to the flesh, losing your purpose and being way out there. So that's the point in the journey where you kind of are adrift and in a very fun way.” Regret Regret “‘Regret Regret’ is the come-to-Jesus moment, the despair. It's about the ghosts and the dead that are in your past that are calling you back to life, of suffering and wanting redemption and not wanting to live in regret.” Somewhere “It’s coming home, returning to hope and courage and transformation. It’s about finding freedom in your own limitations and commitments.” Across the Divide “‘Across the Divide’ is one of the weirdest songs on here—and also one of my favourite songs. It's almost like exploring a very Pink Floyd-y, existential, self-examining supernatural feeling. It's about finding that rebirth and rediscovering yourself.” Catch Me Falling “The last song is about being the hero, becoming an idol, and looking back and looking at the younger generation and how to pass that torch and being a part of that story.”