“One of the executives at Warner Records said, ‘David, you are your own Yoko Ono’”: David Byrne on alienating his audience, Talking Heads and a sideline in stand up comedy

David Byrne in a red suit and shirt on a blue background.

David Byrne has a new album out in September, with the perplexing title of Who Is The Sky, and he’s given a very candid interview with Rolling Stone about what he’s been working on, his solo career and, of course, Talking Heads.

The 73-year-old artist spoke about his immediate post-Talking Heads career, when he introduced Latin influences into his music, much to the chagrin of his record company. “It was pretty well-received in Latin America, which was a relief. But in the United States … As one of the executives at Warner Records said, ‘David, you are your own Yoko Ono’. Which is unfair to Yoko, but I knew what he meant. He meant more like, ‘You have purposely alienated your audience.’”