On the heels of the release of their latest single — a cover of Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” — Kyle Gass of Tenacious D stopped by Loudwire Nights to share what else is on the horizon for the band.
“We have to finish the new record,” he told host Chuck Armstrong on Wednesday night (April 10). “We’ve been working on it, we have a very strict six-year cycle.”
Tenacious D’s previous record, Post-Apocalypto, came out in 2018, so based on Gass’ comments, 2024 should be the year fans get their hands on a new album.
“[It’s a] classic six-year cycle. I think we might be a little overdue … We gotta do it this year. We can feel the heat, but you know, it’s gotta percolate. We got to fit in between Jack [Black‘s] very busy film schedule. But we’re going to do it. We’re going to get it. Publish or perish.”
Tenacious D and Their Cover of Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time”
As Gass looked ahead to the D’s next album, he took some time to discuss the band’s decision to cover Spears’ classic song from 1999.
When asked how long he and Black were considering covering “Baby One More Time,” Gass was crystal clear with his answer.
“For as long as Jack was making Kung Fu Panda 4,” he said. “I think for as long as that.”
Gass admitted it was Black’s idea because the studio wanted something that would connect with the theme of Kung Fu Panda 4.
“It sort of fit in with the concept of hitting,” Gass said. “That’s what we like. Violence.”
Gass also said the song itself is “just a great pop song,” and any chance to put Tenacious D’s spin on a track like that, they jump at.
“When something reaches 25 years old, it’s automatically a classic,” he said.
“When you’re doing a cover, I think part of the game is, well, let’s try to make it better. There’s a song there. She did it. It was very much her style with the vocals, but we took it and we sped it up. And Jack did a stanky vocal and we added some crunchy guitars and kind of rocked it up.”
Will Tenacious D Release a Covers Album?
Tenacious D are no strangers to cover songs as they’ve put their touch on songs from the Beatles to Chris Isaak.
In fact, Gass revealed that he was hoping they might actually release a full-length album full of covers at one point.
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“If you do too many covers, then all of a sudden you’re a bar band,” Gass explained. “[But] I was really pushing for a covers project and we started going crazy because we have so many ready. We went into the studio and just knocked off, no exaggeration, 30, but kind of short versions just to see how we liked them.”
Sadly, as Gass put it, the project was dead in the water and fans will likely never hear the full album.
“We had some trouble getting the rights to one or two and then we got frustrated and said the hell with it. We’ll just do our own thing.”
What Else Did Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass Discuss on Loudwire Nights?
- Why Tenacious D fans across the world are more similar than they are different: “They give you a big smile.”
- What role Tenacious D’s music can play in friendships: “It’s a barometer of future relationships.”
- What it’s like touring the world and selling out venues
Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below
Kyle Gass joined Loudwire Nights on Wednesday, April 10; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.
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Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner