SWWP #56 - Photographer Colin Lane On Capturing The Strokes

Summary

Podcast Summary: SWWP #56 – Photographer Colin Lane on Capturing The Strokes
Host: Julian Delgado
Guest: Colin Lane
Release Date: April 14, 2026

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Overview

In Episode 56 of Something Wrong With The Podcast, host Julian Delgado sits down with renowned photographer Colin Lane—best known for his iconic photos of The Strokes, including the legendary Is This It album cover. The conversation dives deep into the story behind those images, Lane's serendipitous relationship with the band, the aesthetics of early-2000s NYC rock, and the crossover between fashion and music photography. They also touch on Lane’s work in the hip-hop space and reflect on the enduring impact of both his photos and The Strokes themselves. The tone is conversational, candid, and affectionate—a warm recounting of music and photo history.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Colin Lane Met The Strokes and Early Shoots

• Chance Assignment: Lane was assigned to shoot The Strokes for The Face magazine in 2001, before the band was signed.
  • “The magazine was the bigger sell than the band at that point.” — Julian (03:40)
  • Lane hadn’t heard of The Strokes, but the buzz started after hearing their "Modern Age" EP (04:43).
• Lane invited the band to his apartment for headshots, then suggested an impromptu rooftop shoot—an "illegal adventure" that became memorable for everyone involved (06:56).
  • “We got these great shots... I’m pretty sure that's why they picked me to do the press shoot for the first album, because we had this like, slightly illegal adventure.” — Colin Lane (07:20)

2. The Story Behind the ‘Is This It’ Album Cover

• The famous “ass shot” cover wasn't actually from the Strokes shoot but a year-old Polaroid taken of Lane’s then-girlfriend wearing Chanel gloves after a fashion shoot (10:03).
  • “I was like, hey, let’s take some sexy pictures, you know? She was like, fuck that. I’m tired. I'm going to bed... Just one pack of Polaroid, 10 pictures, then we'll be done.” — Colin Lane (10:03)
• Lane "just happened" to have this photo in his physical portfolio when showing the band after their official press shoot.
• Julian Casablancas, flipping through the portfolio, suggested it as the album cover (13:13).
  • “Julian sat down... the ass shot was in my portfolio and he’s like, that would be a cool cover, you know. What's up with that one?” — Colin Lane (13:13)
• The photo was ultimately used as the international cover since a last-minute discover of an art book led Julian Casablancas to prefer another image (Neil DeGrasse Tyson's atoms-colliding photo) for the US release—but thousands of copies with Lane's photo had already been printed internationally (14:40).

3. Cementing an Aesthetic for a Generation

• Lane became closely associated with the New York rock "look" for the 2000s, helping define a gritty, urban, and authentic vibe.
  • “Wasn't it weird? Like, I guess, like it's easier to do this now in hindsight, but at the time you probably weren't thinking of this... you're also creating the aesthetic and look for what rock was in New York at the time.” — Julian (16:13)
• Lane’s natural inclination for street photography and willingness to take chances yielded candid and legendary shots (16:50).

4. Touring and Social Dynamics with The Strokes

• Lane traveled with the band, shooting rehearsals, backstage moments, and festivals.
  • Notables from the era: Jack White, Beck, Ryan Adams, White Stripes (17:25).
• Lane became friendly with the band, playing soccer and baseball with members, but acknowledges not pushing himself "enough" to capture even more from those golden years (20:12).
  • “My big regret is that I didn’t push more to shoot more of the Strokes... I was older than them. I wasn’t, like, one of them, you know. But they were very welcoming.” — Colin Lane (20:17)
• The band’s tight social group, rooted in school friendships, was “super close and super tight.” (22:30)
  • “They were all, you know, always hugging and kissing each other and... grabbing each other's butt. They were super close and super tight.” — Colin Lane (22:35)

5. The Arc of The Strokes & Lane’s Continued Relationship

• Lane captured landmark moments—Julian’s wedding, important tours, studio hangs.
• He notes the band's evolution in sound and stage presence, lauding Julian’s improved vocals and confidence (25:52).
  • “Julian's voice has improved over the years... and his stage banter has gotten really good.” — Colin Lane (25:38)
• While no longer in their immediate circle, Lane shares pride and affinity for the band, describing a natural drifting apart as lives moved on (27:22).

6. Musical Crossovers: Shooting Hip-Hop Legends

• Lane pivoted sometimes into hip-hop portraiture, sharing stories about:
  • Diddy (“Never let me do a portrait, he was producing the video too, MTV News was there, just a crowd everywhere he went…” — Colin Lane, 28:36)
  • Raekwon (who balked at dirtying new shoes), Method Man (notoriously late but gave Lane a “cool boot mark”), Ja Rule, and A-Trak (shot as a 16-year-old after his DJ championship victory).
• He points out the difference between photographing rappers (who love the camera) and indie rockers (more aloof/discreet):
  • “The difference with hip hop guys versus, like, the indie rock guys... hip hop guys love it if you're in their face with a flash, you know, they could care less.” — Colin Lane (33:52)

7. Insights on Music vs. Fashion Photography

• Lane always aspired to be a fashion photographer—which led him, indirectly, to the “ass shot” cover.
• He highlights the financial disparity: fashion photography remains much more lucrative than music work, unless you’re shooting for major stars (37:50).
  • “Music doesn't pay unless you're shooting, you know, Beyonce or you know, Taylor Swift. They use all the fashion photographers...” — Colin Lane (37:50)

8. The Legacy of the Original Photographs and Album Art

• Lane has tried (unsuccessfully) to get Chanel to purchase a print for their archives, underscoring the enduring cultural value of “that glove” (37:03).
• They discuss recent Strokes album covers, including high-priced, re-appropriated art pieces (39:06).
  • “There's been a lot of, you know, he's been sued... He just reappropriates other people's art and then in that way, he makes it art instead of a commercial photograph.” — Colin Lane, on Richard Prince (39:35)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On capturing The Strokes at the turning point:
  • “I was just happy to be shooting for The Face. I’d never heard of The Strokes. They were unsigned... Then I listened to it—I was like, holy shit. These guys are amazing.” — Colin Lane (04:43)
• On the risk and reward of the rooftop photo adventure:
  • “And so I took The Strokes there. And wouldn’t you know, it’s the first time I get busted…But I knew one other building…would you guys want to try another building? And they were like, yeah, let’s go.” — Colin Lane (06:56)
• On accidental legend:
  • "If he had found that [atoms-colliding cover] picture like a few days earlier, I would have been shit out of luck." — Colin Lane (15:19)
• On the band’s tightness:
  • “That's one of the things that made them special. They were all buddies from school... always hugging and kissing each other and, you know, grabbing each other's butt.” — Colin Lane (22:35)
• On the realities of getting paid:
  • “Music doesn’t pay unless you’re shooting, you know, Beyoncé or you know, Taylor Swift... They hire fashion photographers to do their shoots.” — Colin Lane (37:50)

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Important Timestamps

• [03:44] – Lane recounts first Strokes shoot and the NYC rooftop adventure
• [08:49] – The story behind the Is This It cover
• [13:13] – Julian Casablancas picks the iconic image from Lane’s portfolio
• [16:04] – How the album’s success kickstarted Lane’s career
• [17:25] – Shooting the White Stripes/Strokes at Radio City & UK tour stories
• [19:27] – Lane on building friendship/social life with The Strokes
• [22:29] – The band’s origins and close bond
• [27:33] – Colin’s work in hip-hop and Diddy story
• [33:52] – Differences between photographing hip-hop artists vs. indie rockers
• [37:03] – Trying to get Chanel interested in the glove photo
• [39:06] – Discussion of The Strokes’ new album art and licensing costs

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Conclusion

Through Lane’s vivid storytelling and Julian’s fan-to-fan curiosity, the episode serves as a passionate tribute to the enduring influence of The Strokes—not just on rock n’ roll, but on the image of 21st-century New York itself. Lane’s journey from fashion hopeful to defining the look of a rock generation is as much a tale of luck, timing, and openness to experience as it is one of artistic talent. For Strokes fans and music photography nerds alike, this conversation is a candid snapshot of an era and its echoes.

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Transcript

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[Colin Lane]

Hey everybody, it's Julian here.

[Julian]

Welcome Back to episode 56 of Something Wrong with the Podcast. I'm really excited for today's episode with the guest that I will bring on shortly here in a second. But but I do want to give you some context about why he's on my show to begin with. Now obviously, if you've been following my content for years, including this show and obviously the previous show and even my career before that show, I'm mostly known for my expertise in hip hop and R and B, which is also where I have most of my connections in my inroads. But a big part of who I am in my identity spans far beyond just that sound of music, those genres of music, and extends more into the rock and alt scene. One of my favorite bands ever, it's a band called the Strokes. They are from New York and they dropped their debut album, Is this it in 2001 and we're coming up on the 25th year anniversary of their album. Coincidentally, they're also performing at Coachella this past weekend and this upcoming weekend. It's really exciting times. They announced a new album which is coming out in June. If you're not familiar with their music, check it out. They're fantastic because the Strokes are a timeless band, especially here in New York or really anywhere if you're familiar with the scene, but certainly here in New York. Their content has been popping up on my timeline a lot. One of the guys who actually had the privilege of traveling with them and shooting them for the first five years of their ascension in their rock stardom. His name is Colin Lane and that's who I'm joined with here today. In a few seconds we'll get to my conversation with him. Colin had a few old Polaroids that he had posted from the original era. From that cover shoot, Colin had the sick story, which you'll hear in his own words of how he landed the COVID of the Strokes first album, which is pretty awesome. And I really, truly once in a lifetime moment, I had a few really interesting back and forth with him and it's kind of just like, do you know you are in the eye of the hurricane, so to speak, in the sense that you are. There's so much of a crowd swell and so much happening around you, but do you really understand like the gravity of what you are? A Part of. And he, you know, opened up to me about that time in his life and how cool it was and how he's really cemented in, like, some of the best rock lore in history. So, yes, this is my dropping my ego and DMing people on Instagram. I saw these photos, I shot him a dm, he responded back, and lo and behold, a day. The following day, he came over to my place and we shot an amazing episode. So I do want to thank Colin for. For coming on here. But enough talking from here. Let's just get right into it. You'll hear from Colin in his own words. Everybody, this is Colin Lane. Thank you, man, for. For joining me. We've known each other for a total of 10 seconds. So this is.

[Colin Lane]

All right.

[Julian]

New friends, the beauty of music, just bringing people together. So, yes, for sure. I'm super excited to have you. We were just talking before we hit record. Background, obviously, is in, like, hip hop, mostly in R B, but my personal tastes extends far beyond that. And it is Coachella week, Week one of Coachella. Well, week two, going into week two, when this comes out. And the Strokes are one of my favorite bands I saw. And I'll put on the screen here this. These photos from your original shoot of the band from. What was this, 2001.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, 2001. I was lucky enough. I did their first ever, like, real photo shoot. According to Fab, he was like, wow, you're the first guy to shoot more than one roll of film on us.

[Julian]

Yeah. So I. Yeah. So you had the awesome experience, I can imagine, of shooting them for about five years over the cycle of the two albums.

[Colin Lane]

2001. 2006 was the last time I shot them, I think, as a band.

[Julian]

Yeah. So I'd love to just hear from your perspective. I mean, I have so many questions, but, like, just how did that relationship even start?

[Colin Lane]

So I had an agent in London.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

For a long time. And in 2001, they called me up and said, we got you a shoot with the Face. That was like the. The bible magazine of pop culture.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

It was like the Face and ID were like the two magazines you wanted to be shooting for. So I'd never heard of the Strokes. They were unsigned. I was just happy to be shooting for the Face. That was what I was.

[Julian]

The magazine was the bigger sell than the band at that point.

[Colin Lane]

Yes. I got my foot in the door. And then. And then I got the little three song ep, the Modern Age that was floating around London, and I listened to it. I was like, holy shit. These guys are amazing. And I got really excited about the shoot. They came over to my apartment, the same tiny little apartment that I'm still in on 16th Street. And we did. We did some pictures inside. The black and white headshots that are in the Is this it? Booklet. CD booklet. Those were, like, the very first things we shot. You know, I just took them into the bedroom that had a plain white wall, and one at a time, and we did that. And then we went into the courtyard of my building. We did some shots. And then I was like. I took a chance. I was like, look, you know, do you guys want to. There's a skyscraper that I. We can go on the roof of. Yeah, that I know about. It's in midtown. Are you guys up for it? And they were like. So little did I know that they were about to be signed. And they knew that they were about to sign a big deal. I didn't know that they. You know, every label in the world was after them at that time. So they knew they hadn't signed yet, I don't think, but they were about to. So they knew they were going to, like, get a lot of money and, you know, have a good deal. And so they were on top of the world. They were like, yeah, let's go. You know, And. And so I took him to the Essex House Hotel on Central park south. Because I'd been going there for years. Sneaking up on the roof, there's, like, big red letters that say the Essex House. You could climb on those letters if you wanted. I just knew that you could go into the lobby, take the elevator to the top floor. You find the door, the stairwell door that goes up to the roof. And I'd been taking out of town people up there for a long time. So I take the strokes there. And wouldn't you know, it's the first time I get busted. There's, like, some dude on a cigarette break up there. He's like, you can't be here. You gotta. You know. And so I felt like an asshole, and I was like, these guys gonna think I'm a jerk. But I knew one other building, the Lincoln Building, which is right across from Grand Central.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

And I knew how to get up on that roof. So I'm like, would you guys. You want to try another building? And they were like, yeah, let's go. You know.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Could not believe it. And that one, we got up on the roof, and it was perfect because it had been sort of an overcast day. But by the time we got to the roof, the sun had just dropped down below the clouds. The Empire State Building was there.

[Julian]

Those are beautiful shots. I've seen those shots. Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

And we got these great shots.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

And I. I'm pretty sure that's why they picked me to do the press shoot for the first album, because we had this like, slightly illegal adventure. You know, you gave them, I think

[Julian]

that's so important in music. Like, you gave them like a memory instead of just like going to your apartment doing these headshots and be like, all right, see you. Maybe never. You're like, let's take a small adventure. And it gives all of them something to be like, Yeah, I remember that guy that, like, took us around on a couple rooftops and then I went

[Colin Lane]

to go see them at Mercury Lounge just after that. Yeah, they'd been doing like the sort of residency at Mercury Lounge and I think I caught the very last Mercury Lounge show. And I brought, I made prints for them and I brought them with me and gave them prints and I. They probably appreciated that as well.

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[Colin Lane]

And so, yeah, and then I don't know how long it was after that, but I got a call from Tracy Boychuk, the art director at RCA Records. She was like, would you be interested in doing the press shoot for the first album? Yeah, of course, you know, and. Yeah, and so then we did the press shoot and. And then I got super lucky and got the COVID But the, yeah, the

[Julian]

story of the COVID had nothing to do with the shoot that you just were referenced earlier. This wasn't the right. What's the story of that actual cover?

[Colin Lane]

So the COVID shot I had done, like, I don't know, a year before I met them. I used to assist a fashion photographer named Enrique Badulescu. And you know, most photographers, we all start out wanting to be fashion photographers, Right. So I worked for him for about three years and it was amazing. You know, we traveled all over the world, always shooting, you know, gorgeous half naked girls on the beach, you know. Yeah, he's a Mexican, so we were always going down to Tulum and places like that. And so at the time I wanted to be a fashion photographer. And I had done this little fashion shooting for one of the English newspaper magazines, like maybe the observer or something like that. They have Sunday magazines just like the New York Times does. And the stylist had left all these clothes at my apartment to be picked up the next morning. And so I just happened to see those black Chanel gloves. And my girlfriend at the time, she was a. She worked on films as a sound recordist, like documentary films and stuff. And so she had been working all day. She got home late. She was exhausted.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

She got in the shower, and when she came out of the shower, I was like, hey, let's. Let's take some sexy pictures, you know?

[Julian]

All right, Colin.

[Colin Lane]

She was like, fuck that. I'm tired. I'm going to bed. And I just kind of had to beg and plead. And I was like, look, just one pack of Polaroid, 10 pictures, then we'll be done.

[Julian]

Yeah. Is this the same Polaroid you shot, the Strokes? This is the same.

[Colin Lane]

So it's a Polaroid. Used to make this great film called 665. It was a positive negative. So you'd take the Polaroid, you'd peel it, you'd have the positive Polaroid in this hand that you had to coat with this gooey stuff to, you know, preserve it. And then you had a negative in this hand.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Put in water, clean it, hang it up to dry, and then you've got this nice big negative to take to the dark room and make an actual print. And so we took. So I gave her the black gloves, you know, and she was just naked. And I was like, okay. You know, we did 10 pictures and we got the. The ass shot.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

And.

[Julian]

But thought nothing more of it beyond. This is just a sexy photo shoot with my girlfriend.

[Colin Lane]

Strokes at this point.

[Julian]

Yeah, yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Before I met them, just purely burning

[Julian]

through a pack of. Of shoot of shots and being like, my girlfriend looks hot.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. Fashion shoot, you know.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

So cut to, you know, a year or whatever it was later. And so I shoot. I shoot the Strokes for the face. Went to go see them at Mercury Lounge. I think I went down to Philadelphia. I shot them at a show in Philly, and then I got the press shoot, which was the big deal for me. And this is 2001. I didn't have a website. This is pre digital for me. And so the Strokes really hadn't seen my work. You know, they didn't know they hadn't

[Julian]

seen the photos you took of them.

[Colin Lane]

Well, other than the prints I made for them.

[Julian]

Okay, yeah, yeah, got it, got it.

[Colin Lane]

But so luckily for me, I just, as a last minute decision, I grabbed my portfolio.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

You know, a book, 11 by 14 book. And so I just wanted them to see what I do, you know, yeah. And so the press shoot was great. We, you know, had a Winnebago and we just, you know, I had done a bunch of location scouting before and we were cruising all over New York doing shots. And then I don't know if it was at lunchtime or maybe even after the shoot was over, I just, I said, hey, you know, you guys want to see my book? You know. And so Julian sat down. I think he was. I have pictures of him, like looking through it, and he's sitting next to Jenny Alescu, who's a writer for Rolling Stone. Jim Merlis was there, who was. He had big hassle PR company. Tracy Boychuck, the art director. And the thing is, when we did the press shoot, they were leaving the very next day for England and Australia. It was kind of like their first big tour and they hadn't picked a cover yet. And RCA was freaking out because they knew that once they went on tour, they weren't going to get anything done and they weren't going to get a cover. And so they really were under pressure to pick a cover. So Julian was flipping through my book and the ass shot was in my portfolio and he's like, that would be

[Julian]

a cool cover, you know, what's up with that one?

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, would you mind if we used it? I was like, are you kidding me? Of course not. So everybody was happy. I was happy, the band was happy, RCA was happy. We found everyone liked it.

[Julian]

Did you feel obligated to tell your. Ask your girlfriend, like, for permit, like, how did that.

[Colin Lane]

She loved it. Yeah, she was like. She was a bit of a rock and roll, you know, she was a Basser girl. She was like into, you know, it was like a feather in her cap, you know, and. And she got like a thousand bucks, you know, for it. And. And now she famous ass for the. For eternity.

[Julian]

For eternity, right. Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

So that was not an issue. Not a problem at all. I knew she'd be happy about it. And. And yeah. So the next day they leave on tour.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

And the story, as I know it, and I've never actually spoken to Julian about this, but the as I've heard it, they got to Australia and you know what the picture is that's on.

[Julian]

Yeah, of course. The star atoms collide. Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

You know, microscopic picture. And you know who Neil DeGrasse Tyson

[Julian]

is, of course, so he's involved.

[Colin Lane]

So he's got a coffee table book. Of course he's involved. And that picture is in that book. So I'm pretty sure it was probably that book that Julian was flipping through when he saw that picture. I could be wrong.

[Julian]

Love how Julian makes artistic decisions. He's just like, oh, a book. Oh, that one. Yeah, let's do that.

[Colin Lane]

So I think they were in Australia and he sees that picture and he likes it better than the ass shot. True. It's more his aesthetic. You know, if you look at all his other, all their other album, it

[Julian]

does match more of the so.

[Colin Lane]

But anyway, so he calls up RCA and he's like, I found something I like even better. Luckily for me, already at the printing presses, they'd already printed thousands of copies. So they said, look, it's too late to have it everywhere. Yeah, you can have it for North America, but you know, we're going to keep the ass shot for the rest of the world. So if he had found that picture like a few days earlier, I would have been shit out of luck.

[Julian]

Well, because there was rumors that wasn't there, like rumors that it was too racy for the U.S. audience. That was bullshit, that's all. That's just purely just like the politics.

[Colin Lane]

Like, oh, they were worried that Walmart wasn't going to, you know, Woolworth wasn't going to carry it in the uk, but. But no, it was purely because he liked it better.

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[Colin Lane]

And that was it. So I just got really lucky.

[Julian]

Wow.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, so.

[Julian]

So you get the COVID and like you said, they signed this deal, the album comes out, they sell an insane amount of copies, they're immediately successful and then.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, I mean that really kick started my career.

[Julian]

Yeah, I was going to say, even if that.

[Colin Lane]

I started to get tons of music work, you know, and I became like the young indie rock band guy.

[Julian]

Yeah. Wasn't it weird? Like, I guess, like it's easier to do this now in hindsight, but at the time you probably aren't thinking of this, just young with a camera, just shooting these local bands and getting great gigs. But like you're also creating the aesthetic and look for what rock was in New York at the time.

[Colin Lane]

Like that photo shoots to me.

[Julian]

Yeah, exactly. But like, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're just, when you're in it, you don't know. But now like, you know, years over, 20 years later, you're like, oh shit. Like these photos of them with Empire, it's like you weren't like, these guys are from New York. Let's put the Empire State behind them. Yeah, but decisions like that kind of like stamp that era, you know, I

[Colin Lane]

mean, that's just my personal aesthetic. I like shooting on the street, you know. You know, these days, ever since the pandemic, I've been doing tons of street photography. New York is a big inspiration for me. I love all those old pictures of the Ramones and, you know, CBGB stuff.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

You know, Godless and all those great photographers were doing.

[Julian]

So I was in my research, I saw that you did a show before we get into the Eurorun and all that stuff with. At Radio City, with the White Stripes.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, Jack White, 2002.

[Julian]

In 2002, 2002 with the Strokes.

[Colin Lane]

August was a really good run for me because I shot them in their rehearsal space for nme and I got a cover for that. Plus I got my own private concert, you know, as they ran through their whole set getting read. And then I shot the Strokes and the White Stripes show at Radio City, which was super cool being in the dressing room and, you know, Beck was there and Ryan Adams was there and, you know, White Stripes, of course. And then week after that, we went on tour in the uk. They were headlining the Carling Festival and Reading and Leeds and then Gig on the Green in Glasgow.

[Julian]

And what was that like?

[Colin Lane]

What was sort of my introduction to the rock and roll lifestyle. Yeah. Sleeping on the bus and I had my own little birth and. And just being, you know, backstage with them and, you know, how much of

[Julian]

this is you interact. I know you're shooting them, so you're obviously with them. But, like, how social were they together and like, with you during that time?

[Colin Lane]

Oh, yeah. I mean, very. They're great guys, you know, all of them. You know, Julian was sort of the hardest for me to, you know, he was a little bit aloof at first, you know, but, you know, we became good friends. We ended up, you know, playing on an indoor soccer team together and we played baseball and softball in Central park. And, you know, and then, you know, in later years, he asked me to, you know, shoot for when he was recording his first solo album. And then I shot the first. On the first Voids album.

[Julian]

Oh, sick.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, yeah. Spent a few. Three nights in the. Three long nights in the studio with those guys. And so, yeah, they're very social, you know. Yeah, they're all intelligent people. You can have a good conversation with any of them. They're all well read and, you know, just, you know, good people.

[Julian]

What I'm just like, when did it feel for you. Because, again, like, at the same time, your career is also taking off and you said you worked with, like, other bands, like, in. You know, who else during that time were you able to. I know we mentioned Kings of Leon briefly.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. I mean, you know, I was also shooting in London a lot. Like, sort of bands that you probably wouldn't have heard of because they didn't make it. And that's like. That's the killer thing as a photographer, when you do, like, a really good shoot with a band.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Like, this is it with all the pictures. They. They look great and then, like, they just don't make it, you know, And.

[Julian]

Yeah. When did you realize, like, the rarity of what that Strokes opportunity.

[Colin Lane]

Oh, I knew right away.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

This was, like, this is amazing opportunity.

[Julian]

And.

[Colin Lane]

And actually, my. My big regret is that I didn't push more to shoot more of the Strokes, like.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Hang out with them more. I mean, I was older than them. I'm 10 years older than those guys. And so I wasn't, like, one of them, you know.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

But they were very welcoming and very, you know, open, you know, to having me around. And I'm sure if I had just been a bit more aggressive, I could have, you know, got even more stuff for the archives.

[Julian]

Yeah. Any, like, going out stories or anything that wasn't maybe, you know, shot on the camera that you could.

[Colin Lane]

No, nothing crazy. I mean, you know, we had some crazy times and, you know, like, I. I mean, I went to Barcelona with them to shoot Ryan Gentle's wedding. And, you know, that was a big party, but, you know, I'm not a big party animal.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Myself, you know, so I wasn't out with Those guys at 2A all the time, you know.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Or Niagara or, you know, wherever they were hanging out.

[Julian]

Is that where they would go? Niagara, the bar, and right over here

[Colin Lane]

in St. Mark's it was 2A or 2. Or was there both a 2A and a 2B?

[Julian]

Yeah, sure.

[Colin Lane]

I can't remember. Yeah, but that was like a big hangout because it was right across from Gordon Raphael's recording studio, Transporter Round. So they would. They would record all night and then go to the bar afterwards, I think.

[Julian]

Do they. I guess, like.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, maybe they'd go to the bar first and then go record. I'm not sure.

[Julian]

I was like. I'm picturing, in my mind, I'm just picturing them moving, like a pack together at all times. Was that your experience? Would you ever.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, that was like. That's, you know, one of the things that made them special, you know, they were all buddies from school.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

You know, so that's very rare that, you know, a band would all go to school together. And even Albert, who was from la, you know, he was at a Swiss boarding school with Julian. Julian were like, you know, young teenagers. And then I think Albert didn't see Julian for six or seven years, came to New York and just bumped into him on the street one day. And I think Julian was just like, you know, oh, I'm, you know, forming this band, you know, And Albert played guitar stuff like.

[Julian]

Guitar man. Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Just kind of like, you know, serendipitous.

[Julian]

That's.

[Colin Lane]

But, yeah, they're. They were all, you know, always hugging and kissing each other and, you know, you know, grabbing each other's butt. They were super close and super tight.

[Julian]

It's just so. Yeah. Fascinating.

[Colin Lane]

I remember at I shot Julian's wedding also, and Nikolai put together, like, a slideshow. I think Nikolai was probably the best man because they'd known each other since they were seven or some, you know, really young. And they were like pictures of Julian and Nikolai. Julian had, like, a microphone. Yeah. Like when he was 7 or 8 years old, you know, and it was just kind of like, whoa.

[Julian]

Yeah, that was cool. So what do you think? Like, fast forward to today. You know, this is. Yeah. Like, what is it, 2000? What's almost 30 years since.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. It's the 25th anniversary of. Is this it?

[Julian]

Yeah, this year. Jesus Christ. 20. Yeah. I mean, to see them now again, like, we're in the middle of them still. Big Bill at Coachella, New album coming in.

[Colin Lane]

The new album this summer, which is exciting.

[Julian]

In June. Like, I can't believe it's been six

[Colin Lane]

years since the last.

[Julian]

No, I know. During the pandemic, which I love, but. And they've been working this album. Album, too, I found out, is executive produced by Rick Rubin as well.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. Which I think I'm last I spoke to. I forget who I was talking to. Albert or Nick, maybe. They were saying that they'd recorded so much for the first album that some of the songs.

[Julian]

Oh, really?

[Colin Lane]

You know, they couldn't fit onto the first album. So maybe some of these songs are already five years old, that they just didn't make it onto the first album, but.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah.

[Julian]

Because this. The music. I mean, the last albums, I mean, I think their music most. It's timeless. Like, they could drop.

[Colin Lane]

The last album won the Grammy.

[Julian]

Right.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. I'm so happy for them.

[Julian]

They. I know we're Working with Rick, they recorded most of the last album at Shangri La. So I'd imagine especially during the pandemic, a lot of songs are recorded. Like you said, a lot of them didn't come out.

[Colin Lane]

I was very jealous of the photographer that is it Jason McDonald that got to do the. Got to do the whole. Yeah, like a whole booklet or something. And I was like, oh man, I would have loved to have done that.

[Julian]

So you said you spoke to a couple of the guys.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, the last time I saw them was they played Forest Hills. Maybe not last summer, the summer before. And it was cool. I got to. I have a 16 year old son who plays guitar and he likes the Strokes and I think he was probably 13 when I took him to the show. And then we went to the after party. It was really nice because the. The after party at Forest Hills is by the. It's like a country club and so it's like.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

By the pool. So you know, people were swimming and it was. Was all outdoors. It was a nice summer night. And so my son Walt got to meet all the. All the guys, which was nice. They were all nice to him.

[Julian]

Any. Yeah, but I mean I love to hear that if some of those songs from I it personally, I love what Rick Rubin's done with. The vocal distortion's great but like I think Julian can sometimes go overboard with it. Whereas I like the. That Rick.

[Colin Lane]

Julian's voice has improved over the years.

[Julian]

It. It had. I. I agree. But I like that Rick lets the voice be more voicey rather than, you know, drowning it in, you know, reverb. But yeah, I'm excited. Anything else?

[Colin Lane]

That as has Julian's stage banter. Yeah, it's gotten really good. Yeah, he's a funny guy. And yeah, you know, he used to be much shyer. Yeah, he'd get very nervous before shows and I'm sure, you know, he still does, but he's. I think he's much more comfortable, you know, interacting with the crowd and he made me laugh a lot when I

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[Julian]

That's. Yeah. Is that the last time you've seen all them together in person? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Any other maybe rumblings or news ahead of this new album that's coming out

[Colin Lane]

from them about the Strokes?

[Julian]

About them.

[Colin Lane]

I'm out of the loop, man.

[Julian]

Yeah, you're a Little.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, you know, I was. I was tight with them from 2001 to 2006, and then, you know, that was when they were having internal issues in the band. And so, you know, you know, I was. I was out. You know, that happens. You know, you run your course and, you know, and then they move on to other people and. But, you know, and I. Like, I say I reconnected with Julian when he did his first solo album, and then with the Voids, I worked on the first album. So, you know, I'm. I'm still. I still love those. Yeah, of course, you know, I'm sure there. There's no, like, ill feelings, but, you know, you know, just naturally.

[Julian]

Life.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, life.

[Julian]

You mentioned the. You had some experience as well in the hip hop space, too. A little bit quite interesting. Want to talk through the.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah.

[Julian]

Diddy one.

[Colin Lane]

Diddy was. I was. He was making a video for a song from, like, bad BO2 maybe.

[Julian]

Okay.

[Colin Lane]

And that was also for the Face. It was actually for the very last issue of the Face. I think the Face has resurfaced again since then, but it's not the same as the old Face. And so I spent about 15 hours in some bombed out warehouse in New Jersey somewhere with Diddy. Diddy. Lenny Kravitz was in the video. Pharrell was in the video. A young rapper named Loon. Do you know Loon?

[Julian]

Yeah, yeah, I know the name. Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Okay. So he was there. So it was those four guys and it was like, you know, your typical, you know, hip hop video with tons of, you know, girls and, yeah, limos and stuff like that. And, Yeah, I spent 15 hours. Lenny, let me do a portrait. Pharrell let me do a quick portrait. Loon let me do a portrait. Did he? Nah.

[Julian]

No.

[Colin Lane]

And I think he.

[Julian]

No. Did he?

[Colin Lane]

He was like, producing the video also. And, like mtv, you know, news was there with a film crew, and they were just. Everywhere he went. There was like, of course, you know, mass of like, you know, 15 people a crowd.

[Julian]

Swell.

[Colin Lane]

And, you know, I. I saw why he was so successful because he was so driven and, you know, involved in everything, you know, Little did I know

[Julian]

it was also on a thousand pills.

[Colin Lane]

Happening behind the. The scene.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

You know, but. But, yeah, he wouldn't let me do a portrait.

[Julian]

So what?

[Colin Lane]

And then I've shot. Let's see, I've shot Raekwon.

[Julian]

Yeah. Magazine. What was that one?

[Colin Lane]

He was cool. He got mad at me because he had. This is when I had a little studio out in Bushwick. So he came out there, and around the corner from my studio was this cement factory.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

And had this, you know, huge pile of, like, sand and pebbles and stuff. And I asked him to go stand there, and he had brand new kicks.

[Julian]

I was gonna say the sho.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. And he was like, I don't know, man. I was like, just go a little bit further. A little bit further. And he was like, man, you mess up my kicks, I'm gonna be mad at you.

[Julian]

What. What year was this when you were shooting?

[Colin Lane]

When did Cuban links 2 come out? Yeah. 2009. 10.

[Julian]

Okay.

[Colin Lane]

I don't know.

[Julian]

But outside of him, outside of the shoes, everything else.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, he was super cool. Super cool. And he had his entourage. Yeah.

[Julian]

2009. You nailed it.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. And then I got to shoot Method man because I was shooting a whole bunch of the actors from the Wire. It was just after the Wire had finished, and I didn't know the Wire really. I hadn't seen it at the time. And everyone's like, oh, man, you're shooting, you know, the guy from the Wire. And it was all the, like, drug dealers and murderers from the Wire, you know?

[Julian]

Nice.

[Colin Lane]

And. And so Method man, of course, was, like, hours, hours late. And we're trying to get a cover shot with, like, all of them, the whole. Well, like, five of them. Jamie, Hector Benga, Michael Williams, Felicia, who played Snoop, and who else?

[Julian]

I was gonna ask if you shot Michael, you shot Michael Williams.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. Yeah. He was really cool.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

But Method man was super late, and it was a bitter cold night. I just remember really cold. And we went out. Out outside on the corner.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Just to do a cover shot. And I just remember, like, him. He ripped off his. His shirt. He had, like, just a tank top on, and he was just, like, so cold that we got literally, like, one frame like that, and then. But we got some really cool shots. I did this, like, long exposure, and a bus came behind them.

[Julian]

So there's, like, this long streak. Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Oh, it was perfect. Perfect. And then we went back inside, and I remember I had. My studio was brand new, and I just painted it all white and everything. And he was leaning up against the wall, and he put his, like, big boot mark on the wall. And at first I was, like, kind of pissed, and then. And then I was like, that's kind of cool.

[Julian]

Yeah, it's sick.

[Colin Lane]

Man's boot mark. I should have had him. Like, I didn't think. I wasn't thinking like, that. I was too busy. Like, there were so many people to shoot. I think I Was supposed to shoot, like, four of them at first, and nine ended up coming by.

[Julian]

Oh, wow.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, wow. And. But. And I also didn't get enough solo shots of Method Man. I've got a few, but, like, you know, he was like, you know, I gotta. I gotta.

[Julian]

I gotta go get out of here.

[Colin Lane]

He, like, came by for, like, half an hour and was like, yeah, that was cool. I spent two days with Ja Rule. Yeah, that was, like, random for Rolling Stone.

[Julian]

When. When was this? At what point in Ja Rules? Because the Ja Rule I feel like, has lived a million lives.

[Colin Lane]

The day that I. The first day that I. That I shot him, he bought a. A Maybach.

[Julian]

Okay. You caught peak job.

[Colin Lane]

$250,000 Maybach or something like that. And then the next. The next day, we. We. We all went on the bus down to Philly for a show and. And I got to shoot him with, like, Busta Rhymes and Eve. And I think Naz was there, but I didn't get. I didn't get to shoot Naz. What year was this again? Like, it's all a fog.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, 2000. Eight. Nine.

[Julian]

Okay.

[Colin Lane]

I'm not sure, but I've never seen so much weed smoked in my life. Is on that bus. And I remember, like, the bus. What was his label? It was. Was it who?

[Julian]

Ja Rules.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. I'm not even sure, but I remember we sat out the bus, sat outside the. The label for, like, three hours, and it was just like, weed dealer after, weed dealer after.

[Julian]

Is this when he was at Def Jam?

[Colin Lane]

Maybe? Yeah, Or Murder.

[Julian]

I mean, murder. I don't know. Yeah, probably Def Jam.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. You know, all these weed dealers kept coming on the bus, and, you know, him and his whole crew would be like, yo, give me 50 of that, 100 of that. It was. It was fun.

[Julian]

Do you ever feel like, like, in that situation, I mean, it sounds like a little bit like, out of your element, but, like, did that ever affect your work or anything or.

[Colin Lane]

Well, the thing. The difference with hip hop guys versus, like, the indie rock guys. Yeah, hip hop guys love it. If you're in their face with a flash, you know, they could care less.

[Julian]

Yeah, they like the. The attention of the camera, whereas the indie guys are more like, try to be, like, invisible.

[Colin Lane]

I'm so. I'm art, you know? Yeah, well, not. Not so much. Yeah, like that. But, you know, I try to be more discreet, you know, with the. With the indie rock guys.

[Julian]

Yeah, that's. Yeah. I find similarly, like, when I. For my career of, like, working with rappers, it's like, they all want to be. The focus is so much more about them being seen and being, like, the face of things. Whereas I knew other guys that were more in. More interested in, like, the behind the scenes and other aspects of their career, other than, like, I guess, in my era, seeing their face on an Instagram page. Yeah. You know.

[Colin Lane]

Do you know a track? Yeah. Yeah. So I shot a track on that same trip. It was. It was. It was amazing.

[Julian]

Great.

[Colin Lane]

I shot Rufus Wainwright in Montreal, but a track was also living in Montreal.

[Julian]

He's Canadian.

[Colin Lane]

And so this other magazine found. It was for interviews, and they found out I was going to Montreal for id, and they said, oh, while you're up there, do you have time to shoot this kid a track? He was 16. Yeah.

[Julian]

I was gonna say he was a prodigy. How old?

[Colin Lane]

And the crazy thing was he lived, I think, on the same street as Rufus.

[Julian]

Just went further down the street.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. Rufus and I spent like five hours together. The magazine published literally the first frame. I shot. Shot.

[Julian]

Wow.

[Colin Lane]

I shot like a. Just like a test. Just to test the light. He was at his piano, in his. In his. In his apartment. And that's what they ended up publishing. So we spent five hours cruised around Montreal. And then it was getting dark and I was like, look, I gotta go shoot this other kid, you know, a track. And, you know, he didn't know him at the time. No one really knew him unless you were in the.

[Julian]

You know, he was a high school kid, like.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. And so. And then I found out that he was on just down the street. So I was like, oh, cool. Great. And I got there and I just remember, like, his parents were like, he just won the scratch DJ championship in Paris.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

So it was like a big deal.

[Julian]

I think there's that video I'm thinking of. It's one of the coolest.

[Colin Lane]

So his parents were, like, super proud of him.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

And he was like, yeah, I can only shoot for a little while because I've got home. And then. And now. I just saw a picture of him the other night with some supermodel girlfriend.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

His arm, you know, and he's like, well, got his own label now and world.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

He launched schools. DJ for a while.

[Julian]

Yeah. Love a track. He's a legend.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah.

[Julian]

Yeah, he's great.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. So, yeah, I shot a track back when he was 16.

[Julian]

That's so funny.

[Colin Lane]

So, yeah, I had done a little music work before the Strokes, but not much. And I still was like. Wanted to be a fashion photographer.

[Julian]

Yeah. It's funny how like the fashion, the fashion, like the part of your photography world kind of allowed for this to have like that glove, like had that not been in your apartment, like, you know what I mean? It's just like that. Even though, you know, with dreams of doing fashion and then the music thing really taking off, it's like the fashion is also such a key element to this whole shot.

[Colin Lane]

I tried to get Chanel to buy a print. I wrote to them, like, look, this should really be in your archive. I don't know if you know this, but this is a Chanel glove. And like honestly, a famous album cover. I didn't hear back from them.

[Julian]

I find that so hard to believe. It's such a good,

[Colin Lane]

it's funny. Yeah. You know, I wanted to be a fashion photographer and you know, suddenly and then all of a sudden I'm shooting like, you know, pimply 19 year olds in a dirty alleyway. I'm like, wait a minute, I should be on a beach in the Caribbean. The hot women in Tulum girls like, what happened? But I'm much more suited for rock and roll than I am. I'm not, you know, suited for the fashion world.

[Julian]

Yeah, that's awesome.

[Colin Lane]

I'm happy. Even though, you know, it doesn't pay as well as fashion.

[Julian]

Really? Fashion photography pays better than that.

[Colin Lane]

I mean, I mean if you do well in fashion. Yeah, you're right. You know, especially like beauty if you do those, those guys make tons of money. Yeah, music doesn't pay unless you're shooting, you know, Beyonce or you know, Taylor Swift. Yeah, yeah. They use all the fashion photographers. They don't. That is true. They do just get fashion photographers. They hire fashion photographers to do their shoots.

[Julian]

That is very true.

[Colin Lane]

I'm sure Danny Clinch makes good money, you know, and you know, there's not too many, you know, people on his level, you know. Yeah, I, I, he's like the number one music photographer working today.

[Julian]

He's shot everybody life. Yeah, yeah. I started, I signed with State Management. So I signed like I've been modeling for like three years now and I've met some great photographers and you like look at their books and it's like these guys are making killing but they this shoot, I mean it's like commercial but also fashion. Like they just eat so much like they do so well. Yeah. Crazy world. Cool man. Well, thank you so much.

[Colin Lane]

Thank you for having me.

[Julian]

Yeah, thank you for coming in, man. This is, this is great. This is a little slice of history. Yeah. Super excited to.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah, I'M excited for the Strokes new album. See what Happens.

[Julian]

Yeah.

[Colin Lane]

What's it called? Reality.

[Julian]

Reality Awaits.

[Colin Lane]

All right.

[Julian]

It's a great name considering everything that's

[Colin Lane]

happening, but they've used another very expensive piece of art on the COVID Yeah, what is that one?

[Julian]

I did. I wasn't. I never do my research yet.

[Colin Lane]

Richard Prince is an artist who basically, he'll take, like, that picture is probably a Marlboro ad from the 70s or 80s, and he'll just take that and make it his own. There's been a lot of, you know, he's been sued and.

[Julian]

Is it a collage, then? Is he just slapping it on some.

[Colin Lane]

It's literally a photograph that some other photographer took in the 70s for, probably from Marboro, because he. I know he's.

[Julian]

His 1989 painting called Cowboy. It's Untitled Cowboy.

[Colin Lane]

I don't know if it's. He calls it a painting, but usually he just reappropriates other people's art and, you know, and then in that way, he makes it art instead of a commercial photograph. Huh.

[Julian]

Interesting. I'll have to check that out.

[Colin Lane]

Oh, there's your photo. And then the last album was, you know, Basquiat.

[Julian]

Yeah, the Basquiat painting, which they got permission for. Like, I get that. It's like, they got, you know, I guess they obviously got permission from this artist as well, but, like, at least Basquiat did that painting.

[Colin Lane]

Well, I'm sure they had to also pay a. Oh, I asked Ryan, what do you think?

[Julian]

That's.

[Colin Lane]

Ryan, how much they paid? And he said he can't say.

[Julian]

What do you. If you were to guess, what do you think that fee was to commercially license a Basquiat piece?

[Colin Lane]

I don't know. Fifty thousand? A hundred thousand? I have no idea.

[Julian]

I'd say more than 50.

[Colin Lane]

Yeah. I mean, really, I have no idea. A lot more than any photographer would get paid, you know?

[Julian]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Colin Lane]

That's for sure. Interesting.

[Julian]

Well, anyway, man, thank you so much for. For joining me. Yeah, man.

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