NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Thirty Seconds to Mars is back with a new clutch of songs born from the pandemic and collected under a very long title. is exactly what it sounds like 鈥� optimistic, despite the doom.
鈥淚 really feel like it represents where we鈥檙e at as a planet, as a people,鈥� says who formed the band with his brother, Shannon. 鈥淵ou keep waiting for crazy to be over. But there鈥檚 just one more day. And sometimes it鈥檚 easy to forget that life is full of promise and hope and beauty.鈥�
Despite its long title, the band's sixth studio album is filled with shorter songs than usual and with a sound that tries to veer away from their typical anthemic, soaring sound.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not shy about things,鈥� says Leto. 鈥淏ut this album was different. We really challenged ourselves to do as little as possible. We wanted there to be a focus on the vocal and really to allow what is there to be felt and heard.鈥�
The resulting 11-track album is heavy on hooks, with 鈥� a dancehall banger that Lady Gaga would be proud of 鈥� making the top 10 of Billboard's Rock & Alternate Airplay and Alternative Airplay.
鈥淭his is an important album for us. It feels like we鈥檙e a brand-new band, like we鈥檙e at the beginning again and that鈥檚 an exciting place to be on your sixth album,鈥� says Leto.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really breaking new ground for ourselves creatively and going to places we haven鈥檛 been before. And I think a lot of people are going to be surprised.鈥�
The music has offered the Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning Leto something to concentrate on drags on, which has silenced movie and TV shoots.
鈥淚鈥檓 really grateful that I do have another outlet to share my creativity, and I share it with my brother. And that鈥檚 a really important thing for me,鈥� says Leto. 鈥淚鈥檓 compelled to do both.鈥�
He and Shannon began work on it early during the pandemic. Jared was in Nevada and California for lockdown and his brother was in Seattle. 鈥淢y brother and I had a little distance, which is always good when you鈥檙e working on an album,鈥� Jared jokes.
鈥淥nce we had finished every show that鈥檚 available to stream in every language 鈥� I think maybe it was around the I鈥檓 not sure 鈥� but we decided to use that time to our advantage and get to work on a new album.鈥�
The duo stockpiled a few hundred songs and whittled them down to the final 11, from the anguished torch song "Never Not Love You" to the encouraging 鈥淕et Up Kid.鈥�
鈥淥f course, they started off kind of dark and brooding songs about isolation and desperation. But as we started to come out of that time, the songs reflect those feelings, too, like hope and optimism.鈥�
They got help on some tracks by writer-producers Monsters & Strangerz 鈥� on 鈥淣ever Not Love You鈥� and 鈥淟ost These Days鈥� 鈥� Ed Sheeran and Snow Patrol's Johnny McDaid 鈥� on 鈥淲orld On Fire鈥� 鈥� and Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons on "Life Is Beautiful."
鈥淥ther artists, they teach you things. They bring out different sides of yourself,鈥� says Leto. 鈥淚 would have started that much sooner had I known the reward that was there and the benefits and how fun and exciting that it could be.鈥�
Leto is one of those rare artists who has succeeded in both movies and music 鈥� with two albums in the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 鈥� and is not told to stay in his lane. This summer, Thirty Seconds to Mars played Lollapalooza alongside The 1975 and Kendrick Lamar.
鈥淚 think we鈥檝e all gotten a little more forgiving of people kind of stepping into different lanes, exploring different avenues,鈥� he says. 鈥淢aybe it鈥檚 a return to a time from the past where, you know, musicians were dancers and dancers sang and singers acted." He adds: 鈥淚t all comes from the same place.鈥�
Leto has also softened his grip a bit on the band and its music. He says early on it was important for him to have control and to take ownership.
鈥淏ut as I鈥檝e gotten older, I鈥檝e learned to relinquish some of that and share some of that and collaborate more and be open to other ideas and inspiration,鈥� he says.
鈥淲hat a privilege it is to make a sixth album. It鈥檚 incredible. I never thought we would make a single album. I never thought we would have a song on the radio. I never thought a single person would sing our songs at a concert.鈥�
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Mark Kennedy is at
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
