We thought it would be fun (and educational) if each of us took some time to talk about the process of making these songs into the album from our own perspectives. We'll give you some of the background as to where the songs came from and what each of us considered while making the record.
Track 1- "Boundary Blurring"
Dan: This was one of the first of our songs that I set out to write a permanent guitar solo to. It came about over the course of a few weeks in rehearsal for when we were touring for The Sobriquets Are Out Of Style. I found the main idea and solidified the whole thing throughout the tour. By the time we got back from the road, the solo was locked.
I remember during the tracking of the solo section, I was so worried about making it "correct". I wanted it to be a rigid, composed part of the song. After a handful of takes that just sounded stiff and lifeless, Matt Teacher (one of the engineers) told me to just play it like I play it live, to not worry about playing it "right" but to play it so it felt right. It was great advice, and the take that ended up on the album feels a lot more vibrant than any of the other passes at it. The best thing to do sometimes when a solo doesn't seem to kick in the studio like it does live is to forget you're in the studio and play it from the gut.
James: This song was actually written early enough to have been on ...Out Of Style, but it just didn't seem to fit along with those tunes; too raucous and angsty, maybe. Paradoxically, I wrote it on a summer afternoon, sitting beside a quiet lake in Vermont while on vacation with my family, which, if I had my choice, would be where I write all of my songs. It built from the opening guitar hook, which had been knocking around my head for months, as guitar hooks tend to; I finalized the changes on that trip, and finally began to put words into the rhythms.
While I've never fully subscribed to Mike Doughty's "Pretty Word, Tasty Word" theory of songwriting, I am a firm believer that the hook will tell you how the words need to flow, what vowel sounds to build around; the trick is to find lyrics that fit those requirements but still actually mean something I can relate to emotionally. If I can't find a meaningful core in the words, then singing the song hundreds of times is almost painful, and certainly numbing. I don't want to be embarrassed by lyrics onstage or on record, or feel like I can't put my heart behind singing them. These lyrics fought me every step of the way, but eventually I found a way in...
This track has probably my best keyboard playing. Which says a lot about how poor my keyboard playing really is. Your ears will thank Henry for joining us.
From day one in the studio, Matt's statement was "That tune is your Track One, Side One." By day three, the Stockholm Syndrome had set in, and so, in fact, this tune is the Track One, Side One.
Nick: "Boundary Blurring" is a tightrope act for me.
Since it's often our opening song, the first big drum fill is important to land. I challenged myself by making it bigger and more complex than my standard fills. I often have a moment of fear right before I bring down the sticks onto the snare head. Luckily, in the studio, we are allowed multiple takes. Sometimes I would like to have a second take at a live show!
After the "Big Fill," the second tightrope act is keeping the tempo in check. I play quarter notes on an open hi-hat for all the verses, and sometimes it can be hard to keep the song moving forward. The snare and the kick have a kind of swing to them that is always a challenge. It's nice to have a well-recorded version to refer back to and say "Ah! That's what it should feel like!"
My favorite part of the song is the chorus, where I lay into the ride cymbal and sing high notes with the rest of the band. It's a great feeling when all the pieces come together and the band gels into a singular entity.
There's a pun in there somewhere about the song title, but I don't want to be fired from the band again.
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