What was the inspiration behind the songs on this record?

The inspiration behind the songs were my experiences hanging around the Westside of Los Angeles, which has been our home since Weezer began. Hanging out with people in Venice and Santa Monica, the beach, the Hare Krishnas, the Sikh on roller blades with the guitar, girls on Tinder within a 4 mile radius, seeing other bands, the kids from La Sera. I would just tweet out "does anybody wanna hang?" and then I'd get together with people who responded and talk about life. I love California. I wanted the album to make you feel like you were there with us SoCal weirdos even if you're in Milwaukee in December.

How do you see this album as a "beach album"?

Obviously my favorite band has always been the Beach Boys, and what I love about them most are the melodies and the chord progressions. I guess the harmonies too. And the orchestration. Can't forget about the lyrics. So basically everything. I wanted to get that kind of vibe: beautiful tunes and sweet lyrics. I also love the dark side of the beach – Venice after dark, hearing at the Del Monte Speakeasy about how the gangsters used to drag the bodies through the catacombs and leave them under the pier.

What are you most excited/proud of with this album?

I'm proud of the demented lyrics that are like, "What? Who says that? Who thinks that? What planet on am I on? I don't know, but I kinda wanna stay!" Welcome to our planet, people! After twenty-four years, we still love being in this band and we wanna keep it going for at least another fourteen years.