Les Claypool has spoken to NME about his latest album with Sean Ono Lennon, how a “new energy” that Primus haven’t seen for “many years” is inspiring new material, and comparisons to viral duo Angine de Poitrine.
‘The Great Parrot-Ox And The Golden Egg Of Empathy’ with Lennon dropped in May and marked the third LP from the duo as part of The Claypool Lennon Delirium. Structured as a psychedelic-prog concept album, the record follows the narrative of an AI robot gradually turning humanity into paperclips, but also holds themes of empathy, mortality and free will at its core.
“Shiner [Claypool’s nickname for Ono Lennon] is like my brother now,” Claypool told NME over Zoom, explaining that the record took three years to make and was potentially the most challenging project he has ever worked on.
The Claypool Lennon Delirium. CREDIT: Jay Blakesburg
“Coming into the third record, we really wanted to do something special. We set off to do some sort of narrative and came up with a few different notions, and eventually settled on this,” he said. “It was the longest record we’ve done and it was one of the most difficult records I’ve ever made, because when you’re working on a concept you have to stick within the parameters of that narrative.”
The album has sparked conversation over its references to the impact of artificial intelligence on manking – but the real message, Claypool told us, was not meant to be a discussion about AI, but rather about a general lack of compassion he and Lennon have observed.
“The funny thing is, the whole AI element of the storyline arose when we started this three years ago, and while the technology was on the horizon, it wasn’t as prominent and in your face as it is now,” the frontman explained. “It was just meant to be the conduit for the story, not the focus. The main point of the story is meant to be the loss of empathy that we’re seeing in society.”
Check out the rest of our interview with Claypool below, where he also told us about why Primus are feeling “rejuvenated” in time for their 2026 UK and European tour along with plans to drop a new record, hopes to make a stage play with Sean Ono Lennon, comparisons to Angine de Poitrine and more.
The Claypool Lennon Delirium ‘The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy’
NME: Hi Les, let’s look at the weird and wonderful concept behind the new Claypool Lennon Delirium album. Why has it always been important for you to tackle heavy themes with such a whimsical, lighthearted approach?
Les Claypool: “It’s something that has been in my writing for years now, and I didn’t even understand it myself at first. But as I’ve become a seasoned fellow on this planet, I’ve realised that it’s [because] I grew up with a lot of alcoholism and drug abuse around me, and the way we always dealt with things in my family was with humour. That’s the way I’ve always dealt with heavy situations. Just look at the very first song I wrote for Primus, ‘Too Many Puppies’. That was anti-war – which is still very relevant – but under the guise of puppies as a metaphor for young men.
“It’s just always been easier for me to step into characters too because I was never comfortable with my voice. My dad still to this day says, ‘You can’t sing for shit, but you can sure play that bass’, so I’ve always had that element within me. It was easier for me to develop these characters and voice my perspectives through them.”
There are still those who argue that artists should use their platform to speak out, or simply “stick to the music”. What’s your stance with that?
“It’s the same shit, different day, because there’s always something to get on your hind legs about. There’s a lot of divide right now all around the planet, but it’s especially noticeable here in the States. I have a lot of friends and relatives who think differently than me, and if we were to get into a room together and start voicing these perspectives as passionately as most of the country is doing right now, I wouldn’t get along with a lot of my friends and relatives.
“Things only work when we find ways to have our perspectives and voice our concerns without losing those relationships. Just because you have a different perspective than somebody, that doesn’t mean that you’re right and they’re wrong, or they’re a bad person and you’re a good person.
“I have a friend that has always felt like if you don’t agree with them, you’re the enemy… I don’t feel that way though, because if I did, I wouldn’t be hanging out with my uncle or whatever! My uncle’s a wonderful human being, but he just has a different perspective than me. Cross-pollinisation is the key to moving forward and all of us understanding each other and having empathy for each other. That’s something we tackle on ‘The Great Parrot-Ox’.”
The nods to AI in the album now have a different meaning to what you originally intended due to the rapid developments in recent years. With AI-generated music becoming more and more prominent, do you think artists need to be worried?
“As far as AI goes now, it’s like anything else. It’s here, we’re going to have to deal with it, and you’ve got to find a way to make it help the world as opposed to hinder it. Like it or not, it’s not going away. It’s part of our future, and everyone has to find their own way of dealing with it. No matter what I think, it’s going to be there regardless, but it’s like muzak in the elevator. It’s just there.
“Sean and I have discussed [the implications on musicians], and we think that people are always going to want to see real artists. The thing that’s going to suffer the most though, in terms of artists or musicians, are these jobs that original artists don’t necessarily take. It’ll be the gigs where you have to write music for a TV commercial, or you have to write music for a film, and that’s because it’s much cheaper just to plug [prompts] into an AI element and just spit it out.”
Speaking of the music landscape in 2026, are you still getting a new generation of fans discovering you and your music because of South Park?
“It’s odd, we just finished a big tour in the States, and it does seem like more younger people are at our shows now! But also there are a lot of things you can point to to explain that. There’s a nostalgia element, because a lot of the ’90s stuff is back and roaring again. Also, maybe it’s just because we can go out there and waggle our fingers a little better than some others.
“That’s one thing you can say about Primus, Delirium, [Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying] Frog Brigade or whatever, it’s very human. There’s a lot of improvisation at our shows, the sets change every night, and it’s a real experience with real human beings. There are no click tracks, no pre-programmed anything, and even the visuals at these Primus shows are on the fly every night. We’ve been working with an artist who I actually met through South Park to do that.”
Tell us more about the tour. It’s your first time coming back to the UK in nearly a decade and your first time here with new drummer John Hoffman in the band. What can fans expect?
“The interesting thing about ol’ Hoffer is that he joined after the Drum Derby [audition process], and there was this cultish hysteria that was going on around him. A lot of people were rooting for that guy. He was the total underdog – he had to submit twice before we even gave him an audition, but he’s been spectacular.
“There is now a new life and a new energy in this band that we haven’t seen in many years, and it’s infectious. I turn around on stage to look at him and he’s just smiling away and having the time of his life, and that carries forth to us and then to the audience. If you see us on this tour, you’ll see a rejuvenated Primus.”
That audition process got so much momentum and even had Billy Strings trying out to be in the line-up. What made you want to take that approach?
“It was an odd thing because we were all doing so well and getting along so well, and then all of a sudden our drummer [Tim “Herb” Alexander] just said, ‘I’m out of here. I’m gone’, and hasn’t spoken to us. That’s just life though, things change, people’s perspectives change, and people’s priorities change.
“We just started looking online and, next thing you know, we decided to do a big cattle call and see who’s out there. It felt like an opportunity, because this is the third time Herb has left, and the two times prior we always had somebody who could fit the bill that was ready to go. This time we didn’t have anybody ready to go, so it was time to beat the bushes. We lucked out with Ol’ Hoffer.”
You recently dropped the new Primus EP ‘A Handful Of Nuggs’. Is there a full album on the way?
“There will be. People always ask me what’s coming next and the best way I can explain it is to say: ‘Imagine there’s this big stove, and there’s a bunch of pots on the burners. Every now and again I’ll pull a certain pot to the front, and that’s the next thing coming’.
“There was a big bunch of pots for a while, and all of a sudden a lot of those dishes became ready to eat. This year, we’ve released the Delirium record, a Frog Brigade live record. I’ve got a Bastard Jazz thing coming. We’ve got a ‘Frizzle Fry’ thing coming out this fall… and then we felt we needed to put some new Primus stuff out too, so we did the song ‘The Ol’ Grizz’ as a taste of the next record. That is the first song off the upcoming album, and we’re going to continue to work on it through this next year.”
Maynard James Keenan told us earlier this year that he was tempted to bring the ‘Sessanta’ tour over to the UK and Europe, but would need new music from Primus, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer to justify it. With the three of you now working on new material, have there been any further talks?
“We did talk about it, but the promoters didn’t chomp on it. I don’t think they understand the notion of it. Plus, it’s been a long time since Primus has been to Europe, so I think there was an underestimation of the value. Now we’re coming over and all these shows are selling out like crazy, so people are starting to go ‘Wait a minute. These guys actually have some relevance to them.’ So I think that was a big part of it. But who knows? I’ve already told Maynard I’m in for ‘Ochenta’ [a tour celebrating his 80th birthday] when he does it.”
Keenan mentioned that the financial aspect was making it more difficult, which makes you think about how tough it must be for new artists trying to get on the road. Do you think if a band like Primus were starting out in 2026 you could hit the same heights?
“I really don’t know. It’s funny, when Angine de Poitrine popped up, all of a sudden everybody was sending me all their videos saying ‘Look at this, oh my God, this reminds me of Primus’… so those guys are doing it and it seems like they’re taking over the world. That’s a wonderful thing.
“Again, I think people just want to see real musicians play live. They want to see artistic guys and gals who can waggle their fingers and can do these incredible things with instruments. Maybe it’s a response to the AI? I don’t know, but it seems to have come around again. Look at Rush going back out on the road, or my buddy Billy Strings. A handful of years ago, he was playing little tiny places, and now he’s massive. Why is that? Because he can fucking play.
“As for how well would Primus do? I don’t know and I don’t think it matters. All the time kids ask me ‘What do I do? How do I become successful?’ and I always say, ‘First of all, you’ve got to quit thinking like that’. You should play music because you’re compelled to play music. If you can make $5 at it, that’s icing on the cupcake. If you can make $500,000 on it, then ‘woo-hoo’ – good for you. But ultimately you should play music because you’re compelled to do so, or because it’s what makes you feel good, or it’s what gives you a sense of identity. That’s always the place where Primus would come from.”
Angine de Poitrine live at the NME Beach stage at The Great Escape 2026. Credit: Chloe Hashemi for NME
Do you see that common ground between Primus and Angine de Poitrine as well?
“I see a common ground in the sense that they’re they’re not paying attention to the mainstream and just doing what gives them a chuckle. I’ve always said that one of my main goals in anything I write is just to make [Primus guitarist] Larry LaLonde laugh.
“He is one of the most wonderful, giving, witty people I’ve ever met in my life, and when we get in a room together, if I can write a lyric that makes him chuckle, I know I’m onto something. That has always been that in the back of my mind, and I think that’s what those guys are doing too. They’re just playing shit that turns themselves on, and people caught onto it. I don’t know them personally, but it looks like they’re having a damn good time doing what they’re doing and they’re taking the piss. Aesthetically, it’s very original, very odd, and very cool looking.”
Are those your words of wisdom to emerging artists, just enjoy the process, try to find something original, and don’t be too focused on the success?
“Yeah, just shoot from the hip and be yourself. Why did people want John Hoffer to win that gig so much? Because he was so genuine. He was nervous as hell, and you could tell he was nervous as hell! He’d been working at his skill for a long time and he’s just a genuine dude, and people could relate to that.
“There’s always going to be an audience for the next thing, and if you have your thing and it’s a little niche, then have faith that it will gradually catch on. With Primus, we were amazed that we got on the radio, let alone MTV. Ultimately, you never know what’s going to happen, but I do think with any artist – whether you’re creating shoes or drawing with crayons – the more honest you can be and the more you just let things flow, the more appealing it is to people.”
Primus, 2026. CREDIT: Press
What other pots do you have on the stove at the minute?
“There are always so many things cooking. I started working on this record with Billy Strings three years ago but we never finished it, so that’s got to get done at some point. Sean and I are also talking about putting together a stage play for this Delirium record. There’s talk of doing a fully animated piece, but that’s going to take some time and a lot of money, but we were literally on the phone recently trying to figure out how we can do a theatrical piece for this. We’re wanting to set up some residencies here and there and do some stuff. That’s probably coming up on the horizon.”
Primus’ European tour dates continues with stops in Glasgow, London and ArcTanGent. Visit here for tickets and more information.
The post Les Claypool talks new Primus music and Angine de Poitrine comparisons: “There is a new life in this band” appeared first on NME.
