Rolling Stones

Zane Lowe met with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones to celebrate the release of their forthcoming album, “Foreign Tongues”. In a candid, wide-ranging conversation, the legendary English band reveals the secrets of their creative process, shares behind-the-scenes stories from their collaborations with Paul McCartney and Andrew Watt, reflects on more than six decades of music together, and offers a taste of what's to come. Below is the transcript of the interview along with the full video.

The Rolling Stones tell Apple Music about the making of “Foreign Tongues”

Zane Lowe: What was so much fun about making this album?

Ronnie Wood: I think it's the element of interaction and spontaneity. “Spontaneity” is the key word here, because we start from the basic idea of a song. Maybe Mick had an idea or something like that and he'd say: “Come into the other room, let's try it out,” right? And so I'd pick up on the basic structure. Then everyone else would add their own idea on top of that structure. As long as we came back to that starting point, it was fine. From there you could do whatever you wanted.

Keith Richards: The only thing you're fighting with is the room and the song; as long as you're not fighting with the other members of the band, you're good. It was fun to make, we all threw ourselves into recording it and everyone was on it. Steve Jordan and Darryl Jones, I mean, working with the new rhythm section… you know, I'm sure Charlie Watts is smiling down on us from up there, so I feel good about it.

The Rolling Stones tell Apple Music about working with the new generation of Stones

Zane Lowe: I've wondered what it must be like for those guys, and you certainly have a better view of it than anyone else, having been in there with them. They're members of your family who've toured with you, travelled the world with you, and helped keep this music alive in front of audiences. But seeing them now on the record after all this time, actively contributing to the process, must have been really special for you.

Keith Richards: It felt fantastic bringing this generation of Stones onto the record, you know, it was something special. And like I said, they were playing so well that I could have carried on for another month, if you know what I mean. It was actually Charlie Watts who suggested to me that, if I ever had to work with another drummer, it should be Steve Jordan; and Steve is a huge admirer of the way Charlie played. In a way, he grew up listening to Charlie too. So, despite the differences, there's an automatic appreciation for each other and for what they can do. Working with Steve, I felt like I was working with family.

The Rolling Stones tell Apple Music how the band came together to collaborate

Zane Lowe: Is it Mick who kicks off the process of making an album? Is he the one who says: “Let's get the Stones back together, I've got something to say, we should make a record”? And what's that process like? How hard is it to get everyone on the same page to meet up at Metropolis Studios or wherever it is?

Ronnie Wood: Well, it's already an achievement getting everyone in the same country, let alone in a studio. But once the machine gets going and running, we feed off each other. Mick is the main driving force: if you can get his engines fired up, you know, he interacts really closely with the drums, the guitar, the bass, everything… the pianos and keyboards.

Keith Richards tells Apple Music about working with Andrew Watt

Keith Richards: I'm really glad I met Andrew when we did, because he knows so much about the Stones that I've forgotten. And his enthusiasm is unbeatable, it's a lot of fun working with him. Actually, the only reason “Foreign Tongues” came out is that we did so much work on “Hackney Diamonds” that Andrew and I looked at each other and realised that, essentially, this was a double album, only we preferred to take a year or two's break. Before that, I think there were eighteen years between studio records, which was a bit much. But he's probably already got ideas for a third album…

Ronnie Wood tells Apple Music about joining the Rolling Stones

Zane Lowe: You brought such a unique new element to the Stones when you joined the band, because everything you've just described so beautifully – your style, your way of playing – created a new atmosphere for the group. How long did it take before you felt that what you were bringing to the Stones had really hit home? Because I know you did some recording sessions before officially joining the band in… when was it, '76 I believe officially, or '75.

Ronnie Wood: Yeah, when I made my first album in '73, Mick and Keith were there the whole time, and Mick Taylor was there too. Mick [Taylor] and I knew each other from way back, from our very first bands, when he was in The Gods and I was in a group called The Birds. And he was always too nervous to even get up on stage; I'd have to go up and play his parts for him. And when I found out he was joining the Stones I thought: "Oh well, you know, that guy plays so melodically and beautifully, I'm really glad he's got that spot." And I still miss Mick Taylor right now. But I grew up knowing what the Stones played because I was a fan of theirs since I was a schoolboy. I knew what Brian [Jones] gave to Keith and the way they played, and I was able to keep that alive when I joined, while also taking into account what Mick Taylor had put into it. So I was a fan of each of them, and I can pay tribute to them while still going my own way.

Zane Lowe: I've heard that from quite a few musicians who join bands they're fans of, and specifically fans of the musician whose place they're taking. I mean, you have to find a way to lovingly develop your own era, but you also have to be a fan of theirs when you join the band. You have to pay tribute for a while.

Ronnie Wood: It's not hard to do, it's a natural flow. Because if you're a fan, you learn to the best of your ability the favourite riffs played, say, by Mick Taylor. Or you try to capture the essence of a particular phrase, and then I could build whatever I wanted around it. What mattered was coming back to that phrase, to the identity of that song, whatever it was.

The Rolling Stones tell Apple Music about the new songs on "Foreign Tongues"

Zane Lowe: There's some self-deprecation in there, in the sense that it feels like you're poking fun at yourselves a bit, but you're definitely also taking a good swing at capitalism. There's a really strong run of three songs in a row that I think does exactly that. You know, I want to talk specifically about "Mr. Charm", "Divine Intervention" and "Ringing Hollow", because that last one is an incredible song. But this idea of being at this point in your lives and looking outward… the Stones have always reflected the world. You've always been a completely open band when it comes to socio-political systems.

Mick Jagger: The thing is, tackling social issues… well, first of all it's hard to do because the social issue you're talking about might completely vanish from everyone's mind within three months, and nobody cares about it anymore. And so you end up writing songs about irrelevant things. People don't really want sermons, but you can slip those elements in. So I throw them in there: even in "Rough and Twisted" you think, "Well, it's about a woman." Well, is it really? And then you slip in these lines of social commentary. But obviously "Ringing Hollow", which you mentioned, and "Divine Intervention" are clearly dystopian-style songs.

The Rolling Stones tell Apple Music about their new song "Ringing Hollow"

Zane Lowe: It's a dystopian song and I think you really close out that little mini-chapter of the album with "Ringing Hollow". I mean, it starts and it's almost like you're talking about past loves. "Is it about Marianne? Is it about Jerry? Who's it about? What's it about? Oh no, it's about America."

Mick Jagger: It's about America. It's a love song to America, it's a bit like tricking the audience into thinking it's about a woman, and then you realise by the fourth line, or maybe later, that it's not about women at all. In a way it is, because you use the Statue of Liberty, or liberty as a concept, you also use it as a metaphor in the song. So it's a kind of freedom represented as a woman in America.

Zane Lowe: It must be so gratifying to reach a point in your life – and I don't mean age or maturity, I mean success and achievements – and still feel that there's a "ringing hollow" just waiting to be found. You're making a pretty big statement about a country that promises a lot and has given you a lot.

Mick Jagger: It's given me a lot and it's a source of admiration, but it also means seeing the flaws and problems we're going through in this country. So that's what I was getting at; I had several songs dealing with this theme and I chose this one because it wasn't as blunt as the others and had more subtlety, in my opinion, so I set the others aside.

Zane Lowe: Are there moments when you finish these songs, play them for the guys, and they tell you: "Yeah, Mick, that's the one"?

Mick Jagger: Yeah, I played it for Keith and Keith liked it straight away. He could see it, and also it was a different musical style. Moving from rock and the straight-kick groove pieces to something more country… using country styles to convey this song about America is probably the best choice, because it could have been a rock song.

Keith Richards: Oh, "Ringing Hollow" is in a way a very tender love song to America. And about what the f*** went wrong. But I remember what it was like in the Fifties, I remember the jukeboxes and the cigarettes. We admired America so much, and the idea of having radio stations everywhere instead of just the BBC was like "I could die and go to heaven just to have this." And there was so much we admired about America. And then, of course, looking closely there's a crack or two in the bell, and you might as well write about that too. He did a great job on this one.

Keith Richards tells Apple Music about writing "Start Me Up"

Keith Richards: I remember it took ten years from writing “Start Me Up” to when it actually came out. I know it's like wine, like good wine. Some things get better with age, you know? I remember the first hundred demos had a reggae beat. So it went through a lot of styles before we said: “Hey, why don't we just play some rock and roll?”. And that was the version that made it.

The Rolling Stones tell Apple Music about working with Paul McCartney

Zane Lowe: Paul McCartney, now a repeat offender on Rolling Stones records for the second time. You know, this is such a beautiful time to be a music fan and to know that the doors are open in so many directions for everyone to come together and work with each other. What has that meant to you personally, from “Hackney Diamonds” to now? Knowing that you have this immediate chemistry with Paul on Stones records obviously means a lot to him, he made that very clear to me.

Keith Richards: You know, I've realised that Paul really misses being in a band. And his sheer joy at just being in that setting is fantastic. So if there are more songs to be done, I'll let you know, Paul. I've known Paul basically since the Beatles were born, since we started out, but I mean, only on the surface; and John and Paul did a couple of backing vocals for us a long time ago on “We Love You” and “Dandelion”, back in, I think, sixty-seven or so. But apart from that, it's also great to have someone from your own era, from way back then. He's a lovely musician and I'd love to do more with him.

Zane Lowe: When you're in the studio and he plays... I mean, you're so used to playing with your mates and everyone has such a distinctive style. What does it feel like when he comes in and it's his style? It's pure McCartney. Only McCartney could play like that.

Mick Jagger: Yeah, I don't know. On “Covered in You” he sounds like a funky bass player. Honestly, I wouldn't recognise his style on that track. And I didn't know he could play in a punk style, really simple stuff, which is what we wanted from him. He just got the style, you know? So he's clearly got a great ability to switch gears.

The Rolling Stones tell Apple Music about AI and the music video for “In The Stars”

Zane Lowe: I want to talk about the video for “In The Stars”. It doesn't surprise me that the Rolling Stones find themselves at the cutting edge of this new, unknown entity, this whole idea of AI technology, even at this point in your career. Here's a Stones song with the biggest deepfake in the history of music videos. What did you think when you saw it? Because what you think really matters.

Keith Richards: I thought I was quite a fine-looking man, considering it's a new video. And then of course I realised AI was involved. I honestly don't know enough about it to talk about it properly. I mean, like with anything else, like social media, it has its uses, but blimey, it can have its downsides too, and I'm sure we'll find out more as we go along. But you know, it's an adventure in progress and we'll see what happens.

The Rolling Stones tell Apple Music about a possible tour for “Foreign Tongues”

Zane Lowe: Speaking just for yourself, not on behalf of the band, how keen are you to go out and play these songs live, on tour or whatever?

Ronnie Wood: Oh yeah, no need to twist my arm, mate. I'll be out there as soon as I get my call-up letter. Got it?

Zane Lowe: Would you go on tour if you could?

Mick Jagger: Yeah, oh I'd love that so much.

Keith Richards: Next year is completely free, so I mean, it's all still up in the air, really.

The Rolling Stones tell Apple Music about being one of the longest-running bands

Zane Lowe: For you, what's been the secret to keeping this band together longer than any other contemporary rock and roll band? It's the longest-running relationship in the history of rock and roll.

Ronnie Wood: Well, we don't overdo it by seeing each other too much. You know, everyone lives their own life, and when we get back together, it's like no time has passed at all. So we go back to the schoolyard, like a bunch of naughty kids, we go back into the studio. That's what we do. We like winding each other up and feeding off each other, as you can hear in the music. Mick is still an incredible driving force, even now.

Zane Lowe: And at the heart of it all is the friendship between you and Mick; and focusing on the musical side of things, if you think about it, marriages don't even last half as long. So when you think about you and Mick and what's really held you together through all the good times and the hard times, does it all come down to the music?

Keith Richards: Oh, it's a kind of marriage. Who's the wife and who's the husband is another matter. But maybe that's exactly what keeps it going. But when you meet the guy who shares your musical taste and your sensibility, the pleasure is more than doubled. You can't quite explain it, but at the same time it's a mystery, and I think: may it remain a mystery for a long time yet. I mean, I've tried to think about it and figure it out, but I've found it's pointless.

Mick Jagger: I think if the Rolling Stones had racked up a load of failures, we wouldn't have stayed together. We've been very lucky and had a lot of success, you know, even if not everything we've put out on record has been brilliant.

The Rolling Stones tell Apple Music what the future holds

Zane Lowe: When you go into the studio to record "Foreign Tongues", do you think this could be your last recording?

Mick Jagger: You might think that. I think you always think this could be the last record. I'm not saying it is, but I mean, I thought "Hackney Diamonds" was probably going to be our last record, and then we hadn't planned on making this album. We were supposed to go on tour, then we didn't go, and so we said: "Okay, let's make a record", and here we are.

Zane Lowe: How do you feel about the future of the Stones after making a record like this, with the experience still fresh?

Ronnie Wood: We've still got that momentum left over from "Hackney Diamonds" and "Foreign Tongues". The albums keep getting more energetic, more impactful, and we're still raising the bar. That's the evolution of the band. It's got that new youthfulness and that new drive. Maybe Charlie's looking down on us and giving us even more inspiration.

Zane Lowe: With this album still fresh in your mind, how do you feel about the idea of spending time making another Stones record?

Keith Richards: Oh, I've got no problem with that. Whenever the whistle blows to start, I'm there, I'm ready. I've always got a song or two in the bag, and I'm sure Mick does too, he never stops; and I mean, doing this is what I do, so you automatically start thinking about what you'll do next, and it's already in the works.

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14/07/2026