On The Record: There For Tomorrow – The Verge
on June 18th, 2011There For Tomorrow will release their new album ‘The Verge‘ via Hopeless Records here in Australia on July 1st. It follows up 2009′s full length ‘A Little Faster‘, also released via Hopeless. The new album was produced by Michael Elvis Baskette (Incubus, Chevelle, Alter Bridge). “The road has narrowed down so much for us from traveling the world and gaining experiences. We want our new album to really represent us and our passion- our mentality of where we’re going as a group and how we’ve changed,” says lead singer Maika Maile. The band has taken the time to answer our ‘On The Record‘ questions this week. Click below to expand this post and find out more about the album, straight from the horses mouth.
Tell us about the title…
The phrase initially sparked up in lyrics for the track we knew we wanted to be the opener for the album. The whole writing process was far different from what we’ve ever done. The painstaking head scratching & endless thinking that sometimes blocks a writer from being his or her absolute self was erased by us just letting go. The feeling of trusting ourselves put us in motion, but we really had no idea of a destination. “The Verge” explains this sensation of fully accepting & believing in what you are doing as something great.
Tell us about the artwork…
Our friends James Lano & Gage Young have helped us form a visual representation of this band since 2007. Since the nature of this record is so personal & special to the four of us, Elvis (Producer), and Dave (Engineer/Mixer), we wanted to put the artwork into familiar hands. From the start, the honest sound of the record and the lyrics’ fiery edge lead us to the colour red. We were all envisioning a timeless & classic portrayal of the album’s sound. They approached us with the idea of hiking a mountain in Georgia called Stone Mountain. We were totally coaxed by the idea of jumping into the unknown by putting ourselves through an experience to capture the images that the sound gave us. With 35 mm film, Gage was able to find a way to make the ethereal landscape of the mountain look like an aged piece of art. This gave James the grounds to be able to tie a futuristic décor with these images that gave us a look of the past. We’re glad there was a journey and effort that makes the art even more memorable and important to us.
Tell us about the studio and why you chose to record there…
We got connected with Elvis Baskette as he was mid-move to our hometown in Orlando, FL. It’s as though our stars aligned in the most perfect way. He told us his plans of moving his operations and re-opening a studio just a few exits away where he found a few partners to help with maintaining the place. It just so happens the studio, Paint It Black Studios, includes a world-class live room that was built & wired by legendary engineers in the 80’s. This room is where the energy of the writing process became so vibrant.
How long did it take to record?
We wrote the record in a week & recorded the album within the remaining weeks of that same month.
Tell us a little about the recording process the band used…
The pace of the writing was set by the intense creative flow the amazing sonics gave us in this room. Elvis was in there with us navigating the ideas & supplying the chemistry we naturally have. He was such a huge help in inspiring the four of us & defining us artistically by pointing out our strengths. The sound that we were creating right there together in the same room was so moving that we decided to keep the whole thing honest & genuine.
Any guests involved? if so, who.. and what did they do?
No guests allowed on The Verge!
Anything particular stuff outside your usual live gear used in the process?
I was very careful about adding other musical composition to the rawness of the songs. We wanted to have somewhat of a minimalistic approach with the production, but we love giving our music an ambience with pads, arpeggiators, & other sounds of the future.
Any additional tracks recorded that didn’t make the cut but may see the light of day sometime?
There is a really ambitious & elusive 13th track that was written in that week as well called “The Conquistador”. I’m sure it will surface some day & throw the world for a loop.
Now that it’s ready for release, what can fans expect of the album?
Our fans have become our reasoning. There is such a tight-knit culture that surrounds our band now more than ever before. They can expect something empowering. A soundtrack to the best times of their lives and a helping hand through the issues they face.
How would you compare the album to previous releases?
Our teenage selves wrote our older works. The Verge was written by our newly adult selves as we search for a way to perfect expressing ourselves.
Any stand out track/s to you personally?
Our first ever piano ballad entitled “BLU”. The chord changes stripped production creates such an emotional ride. It’s as vulnerable as I get lyrically & as timid as we get musically.
Anything else of note you want to say about the album?
I’ve said a lot lol.
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