Julian Casablancas their last album under the contract with long-time label RCA, for which they did no promotion. The band released an EP, "Future Present Past", on Casablancas' own label Cult Records in 2016. As a solo artist, Casablancas set out with an intention to say what was on his mind, both musically and lyrically. Speaking on his experience as a solo artist versus releasing music with The Strokes, the singer has put it simply, “it’s like touring with me or with five of me,” meaning that each member has their own opinionated state of mind. While such statements raised much concern
Julian Casablancas society today, Casablancas is most concerned with the idea that institutions have become more powerful than democratic government. He proposes that there is a perpetual conflict between those who understand that the democratic nature of the U.S. is lost and those who seek to keep it that way. It is in this way that the music industry reflects the nature of politics- quality and integrity is compromised under the control of capitalist greed. Casablancas cites some of his most politically influential figures as Oliver Stone, Chris Hedges, Jesse Ventura, and Howard Zinn. He notes Martin Luther King Jr. as his