50 Fun Facts About The Strokes

Where were The Strokes formed in 1998?

They formed in 1998 and became a leading act of the garage rock revival.

Who is The Strokes' lead singer and primary songwriter?

He wrote most of the first three albums before the band turned collaborative on Angles.

Who plays drums for The Strokes?

His relationship with Drew Barrymore brought the band extra tabloid coverage until 2007.

Who plays bass in The Strokes?

He met Casablancas at age six at the Lycée Français de New York.

What is the title of The Strokes' 2001 debut album?

Australia got it first, in July 2001, with the US release delayed to October.

Which EP sparked a label bidding war in early 2001?

It was the largest bidding war for a rock band in years; RCA won.

Which label signed The Strokes after the bidding war?

Rough Trade had released the EP in the UK; RCA later delayed the US album over its cover and lyrics.

At which Manhattan school did Casablancas, Valensi and Moretti start playing together?

They formed an informal band there in 1997.

At which Swiss boarding school had Casablancas and Albert Hammond Jr. first met?

Hammond was the last to join, at the end of 1998; two weeks later they were flatmates.

Where did The Strokes play their first show, on September 14, 1999?

They soon became regulars at HiFi Bar, the Luna Lounge and the Mercury Lounge.

Which Mercury Lounge booker quit to become the band's manager?

He later sent the email confirming the band's 'much needed break' in 2006.

Who produced both Is This It and Room on Fire?

He recorded the debut in a poorly lit basement studio called Transporterraum in the East Village.

Which British magazine gave away Last Nite as a free MP3 a week before the EP?

NME later named Is This It the greatest album of the 2000s.

What does the international cover of Is This It show?

Photographer Colin Lane shot his then-girlfriend; RCA used particle collisions for the US cover instead.

Which song was dropped from the US edition of Is This It after September 11?

It was replaced with When It Started; the US vinyl, released on September 11 itself, kept it.

Which director made all the Is This It music videos?

He also directed the Tron-inspired clip for 12:51.

Critics heard which CBGB band in the debut, one the Strokes said they'd never heard?

Casablancas cited the Velvet Underground and the Doors instead.

Which legendary band did The Strokes open for in North America after the debut?

They opened for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers later, on the Highway Companion tour in 2006.

Who joined the band at Radio City Music Hall in 2002 to play a guitar solo?

The White Stripes shared the bill that night.

Which magazine ranked Is This It the second-best album of the 2000s?

NME went one better and named it the greatest album of the decade.

Which Radiohead producer began Room on Fire before the band went back to Raphael?

The Godrich recordings have never been released.

What was the first single from Room on Fire?

Valensi's guitar produced its distinctive keyboard-like tones; the video echoed Tron.

Which actress did drummer Moretti date until January 2007?

The relationship brought the band a wave of extra media coverage around Room on Fire.

Which singer recorded the Reptilia B-side duet with the band while on tour?

She and Kings of Leon were the tour's support acts; the song became the Reptilia B-side.

Which Clash song did the band cover as the B-side of The End Has No End?

A planned Live in London album from Alexandra Palace was scrapped over recording quality.

What was the first single from First Impressions of Earth?

It leaked in September 2005, forcing the release date forward.

First Impressions of Earth was the band's first album to reach number one where?

It debuted at four in the US and went gold in Japan within a week.

Who produced First Impressions of Earth?

The switch from Raphael gave the album a different, more polished sound.

Which Strokes song was used in a Ford Sync commercial?

It appeared during the long break after the First Impressions tour.

Under what name did the band play a secret 2010 show at Dingwalls in London?

Just 487 people saw their first live gig since October 2006.

What was the lead single from Angles?

It came out on February 9, 2011; the album followed on March 18.

Which producer began the fourth album's sessions before the band grew frustrated?

Only Life Is Simple in the Moonlight survived from his sessions; the rest was cut at Hammond's home studio.

Where was most of Angles recorded after the original producer was dropped?

Engineer Gus Oberg worked with them in upstate New York.

Which Strokes album got a full media blackout: no interviews, shows or tours?

All the Time was its lead single; One Way Trigger had divided fans weeks earlier.

The Future Present Past EP was released through which label?

Casablancas founded Cult Records in 2009; it signed the band after the RCA deal ended.

Who produced The New Abnormal?

Critics called it a return to form; Rubin also recorded the follow-up with them in Costa Rica.

Which Grammy did The New Abnormal win?

It was the band's first Grammy nomination or win.

At whose presidential rally did Casablancas announce The New Abnormal in 2020?

The University of New Hampshire show came a day before the single At the Door.

Who hosted the 2020 SNL episode where The Strokes played The Adults Are Talking?

It was the band's fourth appearance as musical guest.

Which band did The Strokes open for on a 2022 global stadium tour?

They continued with the Peppers into 2023 and played the first Indian Lollapalooza in Mumbai.

What is the title of The Strokes' seventh album, released in July 2026?

Going Shopping and Falling Out of Love were the first two singles.

Which actor starred in the Going Shopping video, a homage to You Can Call Me Al?

Valensi did not appear in the clip.

Which Longwave frontman stood in for Nick Valensi on the 2026 tour?

The band announced Valensi's absence on May 15, 2026.

Which Pearl Jam song did Casablancas say made him start making music?

He also names the Doors and Lou Reed as key influences.

Which Killers song survived after Brandon Flowers heard Is This It?

He said the record sounded so perfect that the band threw out everything else.

Lizzy Goodman's book on 2000s New York is named after which Strokes song?

Nearly every artist she interviewed said The Strokes opened the door for them.

Which Arctic Monkeys song references The Strokes in its lyrics?

It opens their 2018 album Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino.

In which basement studio was Is This It recorded?

Gordon Raphael's East Village room had poor lighting but modern Pro Tools gear.

Which Pixies producer's early Is This It sessions were scrapped as 'too clean'?

Three songs were recorded with him before the band returned to Raphael.

Casablancas's father John founded which modelling agency?

His mother, Jeanette Christiansen, was Miss Denmark 1965.