The new record from theAmity Affliction is definitely starting to get a bit of a buzz around it and I bet I’m not just speaking for myself when I say that I can’t wait to hear something from it! Singer Joel Birch caught up with Alternative Press recently and talked about how the new record is going, the different approach they’ve taken to recording and where a lot of his inspiration came from.
Check it out below!
What stage are you at with the new record right now?
Were getting close to finished. The guys are just quad tracking guitars which is something new for us, and it will make for a really nice, thick wall of sound, and there are three songs that need vocals. Its been a little different in that we staggered the recording this time. Instead of just doing drums, bass, guitars andthenvocals we have been getting them down throughout the entire process.
Has that made for a better recording experience?
For me, definitely. The last two records we did in America, and though I was there the whole time with the guys, it got boring sitting around while guitars and everything were tracked, so Id just be hanging out in the area we were staying. This time, were recording at our guitarist Troy [Brady]s studio, Evergreen, which is really close to where I live on Australias Sunshine Coast. Everyones been involved the whole way through, which is something that our producer Will Putney [Winds Of Plague,Upon A Burning Body] really emphasized. We discusseverythingthe guitars, vocal melodies and even the lyrics, which is the first time Ive opened myself up to being told a lines not strong enough. Ive rewritten it right there with everyone around, and we dont settle until were all happy with it.
A lot of bands prefer to get away from home when they record, so there are fewer distractions aroundpresumably this isnt the case for you?
Being at home has been incredible, man. Ive got two kids and my dog and my partner, who Ive been best friends with since we were 13, and its very cool being able to come home and go to bed with her at night. We tour a lot, and being in the States for six weeks to make a record is a long time to be away from home, so its really nice to have this really relaxed recording environment. Theres far less tension because of that.
Lyrically speaking,Chasing Ghostswas your most positive record. Is this building upon that?
I have gotsomesongs that are like that. Ive also got songs Ive written about the sometimes overwhelming burden of being the guy who opened up to kids, because now its almost opened a dialogue between myself and the fans. I do appreciate that, but every now and then it becomes quite the weight to bear. Ive written about that, and hopefully it doesnt offend them, because thats not what I intended. I also had a veryclose call with dying during the U.S. Warped Tour, which has obviously given me a lot of content for songs. We downplayed it while we were there, but it was a lot more serious than we let on. It was years and years of heavy drinking and prescription drug abuse catching up with me. You name it, I put it in, and it all kind of came to a head.
When we talked beforeChasing Ghostscame out, you were in a much more positive mindset. Did you lose that somewhere along the way?
I had a massive panic attack at the end of recordingChasing Ghosts. I was with Ahren and we were in a shopping center somewhere in Orlando, which was packed, and I dont deal well with crowds, which is ironic, I know. [Laughs.] I had a massive meltdown, and instead of taking the time to address it I just pushed it under the rug, and handling things that way started becoming far more frequent. When we go on tour I usually drink quite a lot, and alcohol doesnt help anxiety or depression at all, and it was like I was sinking my own ship for the better part of 12 months.
See the rest of the interview atAlternative Press
