Behind ever album there is a story. These stories make the album worth so much more to the artist. For this reason when a bad review is written, it’s hard for the artist to understand why. Because of this we have created an interview format that will take the artist through the each story that brought them to the completion of an album. The goal is to help bring the artist’s fan closer to the artist and hopefully help to make the fan feel the same as the artist when the album succeeds and or fails.
SonicBids/iMoveiLive Contest Winner: The Getaway
Please give us the reason why the band started writing this album? What album are we talking about?
Alex Wheatley:
Set The Night On Fire we knew was coming the minute we put out our debut release Everybody Wants Fame The EP. I say that because as much as we love our first EP, it was rushed. The songs are still good but, like most musicians, budget was tight and we knew we had to get something out quick to start building a fan base. So we put it out and pushed it out, but by the time we put out the first EP we already had Set The Night On Fire in the works. Mainly because we knew how focused we wanted the next album to be and sound. The new album is so much more methodical and well written to us. We actually had time for pre production and all the things that help make a good album. So the main reason we wrote the new album was because we wanted to push ourselves as songwriters to a place where we knew we could take our sound. We feel successful in that.
What was the first song that was written for this album and did it make the final cut? If it did and or did not make the album, please explain why?
It’s actually cool to think how Set The Night On Fire started for us. You hear it in the first three notes of the album with the title track. That’s why we made “Set The Night On Fire” not only the first song on the album, but the title of the album as well. I remember sitting in my car with Phil and showing him the rough demo I did with the riff and it really sent us in a different direction than we had been. It’s funny that in three notes we went from an indie band to a pop band. We emulated and love bands like Jimmy Eat World, the Rocket Summer, and Jack’s Mannequin, but it was at that moment in my car we realized our band was headed in a much different, and better direction. We wanted something a broader audience could hold onto and with the new album we feel like we’ve achieved that.
So how was the first melody for the album was created? What brought the idea? Was it a drum hit, was it a synth? What brought it to your mind?
Personally for me what happened is my musical taste changed. The best explanation I have is you know when you’re a kid and you just hate vegetables even though they’re good for you? And then you grow up and your taste buds change, and turns out you actually love vegetables now! That’s what happened to us, in a musical sense. We simply grew up on this album. It’s a more mature sound for us. That being said the first melody was actually the bass line and rhythm guitar for “Set The Night On Fire”. It really just came pouring out of me one day and I remember thinking “hmm, what did I just find?” Brought it to the fellas at practice and shortly after we had the title track.
how did the overall concept of the album came about?
“Set The Night On Fire” set the tone for the album being that it was the first song written for the new album. It was more mature, so we wanted the rest of the songs to match that energy and taste. “Save My Life” and “Test Our Bodies” soon came after we knew and felt we were on to something really strong. The best way I could describe the concept of the album is what if love could actually save your life? It’s saved ours in many ways. So we wrote about different aspects of that and how it’s affected us.
So, any funny stories while the album was being put together?
Off the top of my head I remember we put out a few acoustic songs on Youtube and one of the songs was “Say Yes”. It wasn’t up that long when we actually got an email from a “representative” of an Amish couple asking us for the recording for their wedding. Sent us a picture of the happy couple and the wedding date, which sadly we’ve lost the picture somehow. First of all we had no idea Amish people had “representatives” and second, how in the world did they hear our song? Is that crazy or what? This was a year before we even thought about recording the album and didn’t even know if “Say Yes” would even make the album. But we put a demo of the song together the best we could quickly and sent it out to them. Their wedding was like a week away from that email. Never heard from them again, but we like to think about a barn full of Amish slow dancing to “Say Yes” from time to time. LOL.
What were some of the hardest parts in creating this album, from writing the lyrics to selecting the studio to record?
We’re strong melody and music writers. Lyrics we want to be personal and meaningful so we usually work on those last for every song we do so we can all sit down and focus on what it is we want to say. The lyrics for “Someone” changed so many times I can’t even tell you the original lyrics anymore. They were finished finally the day before recording vocals for the song! It took us that long to find the perfect words for the melody.
Studio time is always chaotic too because not matter how ahead you think you are, you’re behind. And time is money in the studio. But luckily we had done so much pre production that the songs were pretty much good to go once we got in, but we always wish we simply had more time. I think every artist does. But I’m glad in a way we didn’t because it preserves those songs in time.
What song means to the most and why does it mean the most?
I think personally that “Come Back To Me” and “Save My Life” are probably the two most meaningful to us on the album. They have a bit more of a personal touch on each of them and I think we identify with them a little more because of the things we were all going through at the time.
What was the story behind the artwork?
The album artwork was fun! We worked with a great media production group out of Cincinnati called Moonbeam Studios. They had an idea that would tie in both the album cover and the video that we shot with them as well. The photo shoot was first and was a blast! Being tied up by beautiful girl is never a bad thing! The cover makes you think, “What the heck is going on here?” And that’s what we wanted people to think. It builds curiosity and intrigue.
How was the first single selected and why was it selected? Did you flip a coin, did management tell you to pick it?
First single was easy to decide. We all agreed on it pretty quickly. Being that “Set The Night On Fire” was the staple song for the album and title track it was only natural it should be the first single.
Was there some thought going through your mind when selecting the order each song would play?
For sure. We struggled with order a little bit in that we wanted to put what we felt like to be the best songs first on the album, but we didn’t want the back end to slow down too much either. That’s why a great solution for us was when our producer Mike Brown suggested we do an electric version of “Say Yes”. The electric version fits the album better and keeps the flow of the album going well. We love the acoustic version we did of the song as well too which we are releasing soon!
What was the first though when the album was completed and you listen to it all the way through?
How do we get this in as many peoples’ hands as possible? It just sounded that good to us. There was so much hard work that went into this recording and so much work we’re still doing to push the album that when it was complete it was felt great, but knew the work had just begun really. It takes more than a just a great album these days for a band to make a name for themselves. That’s what we’re out to do with this album.
What were your thoughts when you got the first review?
I think it was self-validation. We knew it was good, but until your peers tell you it’s good, it’s not. That’s the nature of our business. But once we saw the reviews and were named Alternative Press’ “Unsigned Artist of the Month” for it we knew we really had something to build on.
Did you accomplish what you set out to do with this album? And what was the goal of this album?
The best answer is yes, and not yet. Yes because we definitely made an album that we’re really proud of and knew we were capable of. Not yet because we’re not selling out Madison Square Garden, YET. But it’s a step in the right direction for sure.
