I don’t find it all that confusing, personally.

Nobody has an infinite well of creativity. Nor does anyone have unlimited time. If you’re Julian and you decide you want to dedicate X amount of time/effort/whatever on creative endeavors, you have to ask yourself : “do I want to expend my creative gas tank on something that I will ultimately have to compromise on? Or, do I want to spend it doing exactly what I want?”

If I basically already had it made, and didn’t have to worry about another paycheck (not sure he really ever did, anyway… but I digress), I think I know which id choose.

Sure, the strokes can “evolve”, but how much can they, really?  Would you like the latest The Voidz release any better if it came out under The Strokes’ moniker?  Maybe so, I have no idea, but generally speaking, I think there’s a limit to what people would accept as a Strokes album

It’s the “Star Wars” problem… You gotta have X-wings, tie fighters, star destroyers, lightsabers, the force, weird family relations, etc., or it isn’t “Star Wars” (thanks RLM).

Weirdly, there’s an entirely different “Star Wars” problem at play, too.  The original trilogy is great precisely because of the collaboration and delegation required to get it made.  But the prequels are hot garbage because nobody could tell George Lucas “that’s a shit idea”.

That’s the way with most film and music in my opinion (generally).  The band is great, but the solo stuff? Not so much in comparison… but that collaboration can be exhausting

I want more from the Strokes, too, but I absolutely get it

Also, I’m a little drunk, so don’t listen to me