Mastodon’s Troy Sandersrecently had a chat withStereogum in the band’s rehearsal space in Atlanta to discuss their new record! If you’re heading toSoundwave this weekend, Mastodon are a must to check out if they aren’t on your list of bands to see already!
STEREOGUM:Where do things stand with the record?
TROY SANDERS:Its in the mixing process. We wrapped up recording early in February at Rock Falcon Studios. I think its going to be great but you dont approach it as a whole until all the mixes come in. In the studio youre just working on one song for hours and hours, then moving on to the next one. You get your appetizer, entre and soup and salad but you cant digest it all until the meal is over. Thats where we are now. I like food analogies.
STEREOGUM:What was it like working with Nick? Hes done a lot recently, including his work with Ghost B.C.
SANDERS:Nick is a kickass dude, and when it comes to engineering and producing, he is the rock and roll guy. We bonded with him before on a personal level, which you need because you will work with [producers] for days on end. Hes a very hands-on kind of guy, there every moment. I think he truly brought out the best of our ability. We feel like something is good enough, but he is always saying we can do things better. He wanted to capture us at the best of our ability. He also helped Brent [Hinds, guitar], Brann [Dailor] and I get good vocal performances. We know our instruments well but when it comes to vocals he was a trusted and respected fifth member. He helped us explore ideas.
So Nick was wonderful. Hes a friend and a fabulous rock and roll record producer. Were also fans of the stuff he has done with Queens Of The Stone Age, Alice In Chains, the past two Deftones, the recent Rush and the recent Ghost record. It was great to pair us up.
STEREOGUM:Were there any suggestions about tweaking your sound?
SANDERS:We brought up all our gear. Here and there he would say something like: I hear this particular amp. Were always open to trying something musically and vocally. There was a lot of open communication, a lot of trust and respect. He honed in on certain sounds, especially on vocals, and let us know when something was a good take. Or hed say, You have something better in you, keep going and push us for the greater good. Its easy to get burned out on a song youve been doing for months. Hed keep working until things got better.
STEREOGUM:Crack The Skyewas a more ambitious effort and people threw around the word prog.The Hunterwas leaner and tighter. Where does this record fit in?
SANDERS:Good question. Ive been asked if its taking over whereThe Hunterleft off. We dont have any preconceived thoughts and notions when we write. We dont think that we need to have some long, epic songs or we need to have short, upbeat songs. Everything comes off natural through our minds, bodies and fingers. I believe its the next honest step in the Mastodon evolution. Were continuing to carve our own niche. Its another platter weve come up with and it seems to be piecing itself together as a badass rock and roll record.
via Stereogum
