Julian Casablancas on Why He Can’t Stand Listening to The Strokes’ “Last Nite”
The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas recently opened up about his complicated relationship with the band’s breakthrough single, “Last Nite,” revealing in an interview with The Guardian that the song has become “dead to” him. Despite its popularity, “Last Nite” is a song Casablancas admits he’d turn off if it played on the radio, due to years of performing it for fans who consider it a classic.
“Last Nite”: The Strokes’ Breakthrough Track
Released in 2001, “Last Nite” helped launch The Strokes into the mainstream, defining a new era in indie rock. As the lead single from their debut album Is This It, the song quickly became a cultural touchstone, inspiring countless fans and musicians alike. The track’s success marked The Strokes as the “saviors of rock ‘n’ roll,” cementing their place in the music scene. Today, it remains a fan favorite, and audiences still expect to hear it at every Strokes concert.
Casablancas’ Exhaustion with “Last Nite”
Despite the song’s legacy, Casablancas revealed that he’s tired of hearing “Last Nite,” especially after performing it at over 400 shows in the last two decades. In his interview, he said, “‘Last Nite’ by The Strokes is pretty dead to me. I’m not sure why… If I heard it on the radio, I’d probably turn it off.” While he feels similarly about other popular tracks like “Reptilia” and “Hard to Explain,” he remains more open to those compared to “Last Nite.”
This isn’t the first time Casablancas has shared his frustration with performing “Last Nite.” In 2020, he told The Times, “When you start playing 30 or 40 shows, the music doesn’t move you. You feel phoney… I couldn’t care less about playing ‘Last Nite.’” He explained that he quickly grows tired of songs, even comparing his feelings toward the track to his weariness of listening to Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.”
Artists and Resentment Toward Their Biggest Hits
Casablancas isn’t alone in feeling fatigued by one of his biggest hits. Many artists have expressed similar frustrations with their most iconic songs. Radiohead’s Thom Yorke famously distanced himself from “Creep,” and Kurt Cobain once admitted to feeling “disconnected” from Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Like his peers, Casablancas appreciates the song’s impact but admits he prefers exploring new material, which he now channels through his other band, The Voidz.
What’s Next for The Strokes?
As of 2024, The Strokes have only played one concert—a benefit show for Democratic candidate Kina Collins in Chicago on March 8th. With no other tour dates currently scheduled, fans are left wondering when they’ll have another chance to see the band live. However, Casablancas has kept busy, releasing his third album with The Voidz, Like All Before You, and completing a recent series of shows in New York.
For fans, “Last Nite” remains a defining anthem of early 2000s indie rock, even if Casablancas himself has grown weary of it. As The Strokes continue their musical journey, fans will surely cherish the song’s legacy, even as Casablancas looks forward to creating new music and memories.
