No Doubt were forced to transform their recording studio into a totally blackened room for their new album, so they could take advantage of Gwen Stefani’s creative juices.
Stefani has always been a bit of a night owl and is known to only be able to compose songs when she stays up into the early hours of the morning.
However, with her two young sons Kingston and Zuma keeping her busy, Stefani didn’t have the luxury of locking herself in the studio overnight.
So, as Diffuser reports, bass player Tony Kanal came up with a grand plan – and transformed the recording studio in his house into a dark room.
“We had to black out all the windows and this beautiful view of Los Angeles so Gwen could pretend it was night,” Kanal told The Sun.
“But it worked. Once we wrote the song Undercover, this massive weight lifted off our shoulders and we knew we could do it.”
Stefani said fitting in studio time with her busy schedule wasn’t easy, but ultimately, the band pulled it off.
“I’d be there from 4pm after being up all night with [youngest son] Zuma,” she adds.
“Tony was a lifesaver as I was so exhausted … he inspired me and helped me because I didn’t have the luxury of time.
“In the past I’d never write a song before the sun went down. This time I had to be home for when [older son] Kingston got out of school.”
No Doubt’s first album in over a decade – Push and Shove – will be out September 25. For more details on the record and its tracklisting, click here.
