Arab Strap's Aidan Moffat on Mortality, Fatherhood, and the Manosphere

In an interview with Kulturnews, Aidan Moffat of the Scottish indie rock band Arab Strap discusses the themes of mortality and fatherhood that permeate their new album 'Half-Told Tales'. Moffat, now in his fifties, reflects on the inevitability of death, noting that the album's focus on transience was not planned but emerged organically. He mentions that 'Fragments', the last song written, was heavily influenced by this motif. Moffat also addresses the current cultural climate, expressing cautious optimism that social media's influence may be waning, and counters the notion that the world is worse today than in the 1980s, attributing such perceptions to a 24-hour news cycle and social media's relentless nature. The interview delves into the song 'Be a Man', which tackles modern masculinity and the manosphere, drawing parallels to the Netflix series 'Adolescence'. Moffat praises the series but notes it came late, as he had already been discussing figures like Andrew Tate with his son. He reflects on the limits of parental influence and the importance of love, respect, and trust in raising children. The song 'Boys need love' references his own lack of a close relationship with his father, and he calls for more open discussions about father-son love. Looking ahead, Moffat does not envision performing at 83 but plans to release an EP next year and play festivals and concerts for the next year and a half. He has no strong desire to headline Glastonbury, having never attended.