In case you hadn’t noticed, the Gorillaz are up to something. As in, up to a new album. After re-joining social media, the fab-foursome of 2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel revealed to the world just what the hell they have been up to in the years since their last album, 2010’s excellent Plastic Beach. In so many words, they have been up to a truly bizarre set of solo adventures.

And as strange as each of their individual journeys have been, none are quite as strange as the one embarked upon by lead singer and keyboardist, 2D. His visual story revealed a tale of woe and loss that involved a giant whale, starvation and going on his first-ever gap year.

We were given the incredibly fortunate opportunity to talk with 2D ahead of the launch of his new album to get the lowdown on what it was like to live off of whale for so long, and he was even good enough to make us a playlist of what his gap year sounded like, which you can listen to below our interview:

What do you think is the most important thing you learned on your gap year?

Being stranded on a tropical island taught me lots of survival skills. Like how to run away from crabs (sideways), and how to stay alive by eating your own clothes. Actually, when I was down to just my underpants, I learned my most important lesson – we don’t need all the things we think we do, like massage chairs, Capri Sun and 2 Broke Girls. We just need fresh air, sunshine and 2 Broke Girls. (I really love that show.)

Should everyone be required to take a gap year before university?

I don’t think people should be forced to do anything. Murdoc used to force me to dress up as a fox and run around the woods while he hunted me with his crossbow, which was really scary. Then again, he only did it because he’s an animal lover and would never hurt a real fox. That’s one of the things I admire about Murdoc.

After your extensive experience in eating whale meat, what is the best way one should prepare and eat it?

I wouldn’t normally eat whale because I understand their plight – I’ve seen Free Willy. But when I’d eaten my last sock, it was do or die. I didn’t have a microwave so I developed a pioneering new slow-cooking method: put a big piece of whale blubber in tropical sunlight and wait for it to turn green. Normally takes about three weeks. Finally, season with a sprinkling of coarse yellow sand.

What’s one of the strangest things to ever happen to you while on tour?

One time after a show Murdoc got very drunk. He pointed at me then one of the security guards escorted me to his trailer. When I got inside, Murdoc gave me strawberries and told me about all the tragedies in his life, stopping only to cry or smoke a joint. Afterwards he said I was a good listener, and not like all the other girls. We hugged, exchanged numbers, and I left. He never called.

If Gorillaz could score any film of their choice, what would it be and why?

Gorillaz music often sounds happy, but it is actually quite dark and speaks about our greatest fears. So I would have to say Sharknado 4. There are lots of things to worry about in the world, but a sharknado has to be in my top three (behind global warming and Gok Wan). If you don’t know, a sharknado is a phenomenon where a tornado sucks up a shoal of killer sharks, then spins across the land eating and destroying everything in its path. Luckily, they’re quite rare.

What’s something in the world that you’d like to see fixed and why?

There is a lot of pain in the world. I think part of the problem is that there are too many hard, sharp edges. If the world was softer, like if everything was covered in foam, there would be fewer accidents because when people fell over or walked into things they would bounce. I did have a slot on Dragons’ Den to present my idea, but on the way there my foam suit caught fire on a cigarette butt and I suffered quite severe burns. Which was a shame – I really wanted to meet Deborah Meaden and cheer her up. She always looks so sad.

Stay tuned for release information on the new Gorillaz album.

For more of our exclusive interviews, check out our chat with Desiigner from Issue 13 of our print magazine.

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Words by Jake Indiana Senior Features Editor