Out Of Service - Sound In The Signals Interview & Video Premiere
First, thanks for the interview.
Thank you for having us and for premiering the Sleep video!
The recording process for your new album, ‘Burden’, was really interesting. Can you tell me about writing it, the recording process, and using different studios?
For our first full length, Morning, which came out in early 2018, our writing process was pretty isolated. Each person wrote their parts separately with little to no input from anyone else. There were parts we didn’t hear for the first time until we were in the middle of recording them, including vocal melodies. While we were ultimately really proud of the final product, that process was pretty stressful at times. For Burden, we decided from day one that we would write the songs together, in person. Scheduling the writing sessions was not always easy and there were times when it didn’t feel efficient, but being able to bounce ideas off of each other, try new ideas together as we thought of them, and make major changes in real time is a big part of why we feel that this record expanded and improved on our sound in every way. For the first time we also recorded complete demos of every song before going to any studios to lay down the final tracks.
Once it was time to record, we started with drums and percussion at SRG Studio in New Jersey. After that, Brian laid down the bass tracks at home himself (which saved a lot of money). Then Teebs spent a few days recording guitars at Medley Range Studios in Pennsylvania. Next, Brian and Teebs recorded some synthesizer sections and Billy Conn played sax and flute on a few tracks at Brian’s house. Finally, Mike and Teebs went down to Alabama to record vocals and begin some preliminary mixing with Nathan Hussy of All Get Out. Nathan mixed and co-produced the entire album. You pretty much see all of that play out in the video.
We’re premiering the new video for “Sleep” today. What was the writing process like for that song in particular? Why did you decide to release it as a single?
Sleep is the second song on the album and immediate draws a heavy contrast with the opening track. We wanted people to get a sense of the range of sound on this record early on. This song was written at one of our group writing sessions, and we were pretty divided about it at first. There were arguments about the tempo and the structure initially, but as the song continued to evolve we all ended up loving it.
Arriving at Sleep as a second single from this record was a long process. We knew back in August that Stories (which is available now on all streaming services) was going to be the first single. That song was a departure from what people typically consider to be our sound, plus it had Madeline Finn’s amazing guest vocals. We needed the second single to be able to stand out and also let people know that our trademark sound is still very much a part of this record. Sleep is one of the more dynamic tracks on the album with its tempered verses and explosive choruses. It showcases the heavier side of our sound, but is still accessible. We bounced around between 3 or 4 options for a few weeks, but ultimately we all agreed that Sleep was the right choice, hopefully listeners agree!
Tell us a bit about filming the video and how you put it together.
We decided from the beginning to get as much footage as possible during the recording process for this album. We spent time in different studios this time around so it allowed us to have footage in a few different spaces. All of the footage was given to our singer Mike and he edited all the footage until he came out with something we liked. He decided to do a sequence showing the separate studios and the recording that went on there. We thought it would be interesting to show people some of the recording process.
The album is a concept album that deals with different stages of suffering through anxiety and depression, deciding to get help, and then learning to live with depression and anxiety. How did the idea of the concept come about? Do you any tips for someone who may be struggling right now?
The concept for this album was brought to us by our singer Mike. A year and a half ago he went through an ordeal due to anxiety that sent him into a deep depression, which then turned into severe suicidal ideation. He eventually confided in his family and entered an intensive therapy program which helped him greatly. It was around the time that he was in therapy that we were writing the music for the new album. Mike wrote up a proposal which chronicled his experiences and we all agreed that it would make for a powerful album with an important message.
For Mike, he started on the road forward when he confided in his sister. Everyone has different situations, but we truly believe that if you are in a crisis that you shouldn’t do it alone. There are services and groups out there that will help. Sometimes asking for help can be the hardest thing in the world to do. Admitting to the world that there is something wrong is scary, but it can also be one of the bravest things that you can do.
This struggle is relatable to a lot of people. How does writing an album like this help you as a band when dealing with anxiety and depression? What do you hope listeners take away from this album?
Being honest and open about these experiences really helped us to find importance in the music we write. It also helped us to be more honest with each other about our fears and thoughts. By acknowledging these feelings, we’re able to find ways to walk beside them rather than trying to run away from them.
We truly hope that listeners are able to better understand some of the fears and thoughts that someone with depression and anxiety may be feeling. And to the listeners that are able to relate, we hope that they can find strength knowing that they are not alone. Music is one of those mediums that can leave the greatest impression on another human being. If our music is able to help anyone or give them any sort of comfort then it was all worth it.
What song from the album was the most challenging to write and why?
The most challenging song to write on the album is a song called Trauma, which almost no one has heard yet. We always have working titles for our songs while we write, and Trauma started out being called “Stitches,” which was a joke because the song literally was formed by stitching different song section ideas together that otherwise had no real relation. That method ended up creating some real tension in the song, and it took a lot of work, and many arguments amongst ourselves, to develop into something we loved. There were times when we considered scrapping the song because it just was not working, but it all came together in the end because we never gave up on it.
You can hear Trauma when Burden is released on November 22, 2019.
I guess that wraps it up. Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Do you have anything else that you would like to add?
We’re just really excited for everyone to hear this record in November, and hope people are able to connect to it in a meaningful way. Thank you for taking the time to interview us, and can’t wait until next time!
Follow Out Of Service:
Bandcamp
YouTube
No comments: