In 2002, Godrich was hired to produce the second album by the Strokes, but was fired when their work, according to the band, proved "soulless". Godrich said of the failed collaboration: "The problem there was that me and Julian Casablancas are just too similar, we're both control freaks. He wanted to do it his way, I wanted to do it my way, and obviously that's the point of me being there. And I'm saying 'Well, why am I here if you're not prepared to try and do it the way I want to do it?' We got on great, it was just one of those laughable things where it just doesn't work. I wanted them to change, and they didn't."