I Am The Avalanche will this week release their new album ‘Wolverines‘. You can currently stream it in full [Here]. Digital release is Tuesday with the CD and Vinyl set to follow on Friday. The album is released locally through Rude Records / Rocket Distribution. You can order the CD [Here], vinyl [Here] or grab it digitally [Here]. The band recently took the time to run over our On The Record questions to tell us a little about the release. Expand this post to take a read of their answers.
Tell us about the release title.
A wolverine is an Animal that will be caught in a bear trap and chew its own leg off to survive. It’s a metaphor for perseverance and heart that absolutely describes the band.
Tell us about the artwork.
We commissioned the artist Tom Gilmour in the UK to make an iconic rendition of a wolverine and that’s exactly what he produced.
What format/s will it be released on and how will it be packaged?
Jewel case, digital, cassette, and vinyl.
Who will it be released through, and when?
In Australia through Rude Records, March 17th.
Tell us about the studio and why you chose to record there?
Barber Shop studios was built into an old church on a lake. Kinda haunted, very beautiful and filled with everything we’d ever need, gear-wise, to achieve a great record.
Tell us about the producer / engineer and why you chose to record with them?
We self-produce our music. Our drummer The Ratt is the captain do the ship and I’m his 1st mate. We like it that way.
Did you go into the writing process with a clear direction in mind?
Make a great American punk rock and roll album, one that will be loved forever.
Were you listening to anything in particular during the writing / recording process that influenced the songs at all?
Tom Petty, Jets to Brazil, Seaweed, Descendants and Belle and Sebastian.
Were there any albums you were referencing to aim for a certain type of sound production wise?
Not that I know of.
How long did you spend in the studio recording?
We spent 3 weeks tracking. And I literally sung until 6 in the morning on the day we had to leave. It was just enough time, but on next record we’ll give ourselves a month.
Tell us a little about the recording process the band used?
Drums first, guitars 2nd, bass third, vocals last (our bass player couldn’t make it til the 2nd week). We had beer and whiskey at every session, and tons of snacks laying around.
Was this any different to previous processes you have used?
We used to incorporate tons of weed, but we found we were tracking the songs with too slow of a tempo.
Any guests involved? if so, who.. and what did they do?
No guests at all.
Any particular equipment outside your usual live gear used in the process?
The only thing we used outside of out live gear was the vocal mics. We had 3 different mics in the booth at any given time. We had a closet-full of mics at our disposal. Mostly Neumann mics.
Any memorable studio moments?
It was one big beautiful memory. It was the end of summer. A true Indian summer of boys living out the dream. Music is everything.
Any additional tracks recorded that didn’t make the cut but may see the light of day sometime?
We have 3 songs that didn’t make it. We haven’t decided what to do with them yet. They will def see the light of day,
What track/s are you most looking forward to playing live?
My number one is Anna Lee. It’s been a blast to sing in practice, and I hope it’s one the crowd connects to.
How would you compare the final product to previous releases?
This one is way more well thought-out. Sonically it’s more what we were trying to achieve on the last one. It has all the heart that represents out band.
Anything else you want to say or about the release?
I hope it stays with the listener for the rest of their lives.
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I AM THE AVALANCHE - Wolverine
Order on CD [Here], vinyl [Here] or digitally [Here].
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Absolutepunk