hello everyone.
well, we've been away for quite some time without any word, so i
figured it was long overdue to catch all of you up on a few things, as
your e-mails have been rolling in something to the effect of: "it's
been ages since the last e-mailer, what the hell is going on?!" so
here's some news....

----
***as of MONDAY, MARCH 24th....
the strokes are BACK IN THE RECORDING STUDIO!!
the deal is this:
they're recording just 2 songs here in NYC with producer NIGEL GODRICH
over the next couple weeks. if both parties feel things are going well
after trying two songs, they'll continue on and record the album with
nigel... if they decide that it just isn't working out, it's back to
the drawing board, so it's definitely too soon to say for sure when the
album will be completed and released, but suffice to say that we're
aiming to have it out SOMETIME IN LATE AUGUST or SEPTEMBER
2003......we'll see! (nigel has worked with radiohead and beck, most
recently)

***i can confirm that there will NOT be any touring until this album is
completed....
the band needs to have 100% focus in the recording studio, so don't
look for the strokes to be touring until AFTER completion of the
album...most likely august 2003 will be the earliest time to see the
strokes resurface in the touring world..... no word of what country or
continent the touring will start in, just keep watching
http://www.thestrokes.com and we'll post it there as soon as we have made any
decisions. PLEASE don't keep sending in e-mails asking us to tour here
and there throughout the summer....it just CAN NOT happen if we all
want this 2nd album to come out sooner rather than later....please
understand that! we appreciate that you want to see the band live,
but this 2nd album is the priority right now...THEN we'll tour!

***it is likely (but not definite) that new songs that were played on
the last tour will be included on the 2nd album, including (but not
limited to):
"you talk way too much"
"the way it is"
"meet me in the bathroom"
"i can't win"
and others....
in addition, there are a crop of new songs, never played live, that
will be recorded over the following weeks for the album.
these songs will be recorded, but who knows...if the band isn't happy
with the recorded versions, they may opt not to release them.....so
it's too early to speculate what song titles will make the final
release.

***what else can i tell you?
there really isn't much else going on....
since coming off tour in november....the strokes have spent all their
time rehearsing and writing new material, so that's why you haven't
heard from them....also, catching up with their families and loved
ones, whom they had not seen for the past 2 1/2 years since they
started touring...

***as for juliet, and matt, and myself....we're busy as ever. making
all the preparations for the recording and release of the new album and
the daily odd-jobs....you know, like running nick's laundry to the
cleaner....washing fab's dirty dishes that he leaves in our kitchen
sink, installing albert's stereo in his new apartment, and so forth and
so on.... it's a glamourous life. of course, i'm far too
self-important and proud to do these things...but for the people that
work under me, it must be a bummer.

***matt has the fan club running in semi-full swing now....i hope you
guys are finding the newsletters and "gifts" cool....we're putting more
thought into it every time to try to keep making it better and
better....if you haven't signed up, you can at http://www.thestrokes.com. all
fan club requests should go to matt romano: matt@wizkidmanagement.com


that's it for now.
i know it's not too much information, but as the recording progresses,
i'll give some more info on that.
places that we will be TRYING to tour when the album is done (in no
particular order)

*new zealand * japan * australia * argentina * brazil * chile* mexico *
U.S. * europe (sorry not sure which countries) * canada *

we can't confirm that we will be able to tour ALL of these places,
also, we may be able to tour other places that aren't in that
list....but those are the places that we're looking into now and trying
to aim at touring through after the release of the album.....so
basically, i'm saying nothing at all here. i'd make quite a good
politician. but as things clear up, i'll be more specific! i promise!
------------------

thanks for all your continual support!
hang in there for the 2nd album, it's coming!!

-ryan
the strokes
wiz kid mgmt.