Longboat has never been a project driven by romance. For Igor Keller, love songs were never the point, storytelling was.
Since 2011, Igor Keller has released as many albums as he could afford, following curiosity rather than convention. Along the way, he made a clear creative choice. “Since I don’t write love songs, my music is about everything but love,” he explains. For Keller, songwriting isn’t about repeating familiar emotions. It’s about exploring ideas that still feel untouched.
Over the years, Longboat albums have tackled subjects far outside traditional pop territory. Keller has written records about technology, the Cold War, January 6th, and even the life and opinions of a musician very similar to himself. When asked why love songs never enter the equation, his answer is direct. “Why don’t I write love songs? Because being creative is about trying to express things that haven’t yet been expressed.” To him, endlessly revisiting love and heartbreak feels limiting, when there are thousands of subjects to explore.
That philosophy carries straight into Longboat’s latest album, The Merry Blacksmith’s Song Bucket, released on October 31. The project continues Igor Keller’s interest in narrative-driven music, opening with “Monster Zero,” a new experiment inspired by the Godzilla movies.
“I love Godzilla movies, and I know there’s a film called Godzilla vs. Monster Zero,” Keller says. And instead of heroes and happy endings, the song leans into uncertainty, tension, and imagination.
Moreover, the album pushes Longboat into new sonic territory. Across more than 30 albums, Igor Keller has never stopped evolving, and this release is no exception. The Merry Blacksmith’s Song Bucket blends jazz-inspired pop, electronic textures, and Keller’s signature wit. It also features his first-ever use of a vocoder.
The album was recorded shortly after Igor Keller completed Word Gets Around.
Ultimately, Longboat isn’t about avoiding emotion, but rather about choosing different ones. For Igor Keller, music isn’t a diary of heartbreak. It’s a lens on the world — strange, complex, and endlessly worth exploring.