Pete Townshend said he has plenty of ideas for new Who music, but he fears the band’s “old-fashioned” approach might complicate the prospect of another album.

The guitarist, 76, also reflected that he and singer Roger Daltrey have different attitudes towards the veteran group’s future.

“[I]t does take quite a lot of time to put together the 20 or 30 songs that are needed for both Roger and I and any producer that we might be working with to cherry-pick the ones that fit the times,” Townshend told Guitar Player in a recent interview (via Contact Music). “Because you write the songs, and then two years later you're putting them all out, and you just hope that you're going to hit the mood of the moment.”

He continued: “A lot of artists now are writing songs at home, recording them at home and putting them out within weeks. But our process is the old-fashioned way, and it does take a lot of time. So I don't know, but I am optimistic. And I'm certainly full of ideas.”

On the subject of the original members’ differing attitudes, he explained: “I think Roger doesn't want to be selling ideas that are either vague or evolving, that are unfinished. But I'm still at a place now where I want to be gambling and taking chances as a studio composer and writer.”

Townshend cited his age and the experience of “flailing” during lockdown as reasons why he might be against the idea of touring in the old-fashioned way again.

“It could be tricky,” he said. “I think Roger just wants to get out and use his voice. And so it feels to me like what he'll want to do is play catch-up with touring … But I don't know the extent to which I will be willing to tour the way we have been touring in recent years, although I have been finding it easy and I've been finding it interesting.”

 

The Best Song on Every LP by the Who

More From Eagle 106.3