‘New Album’ is where a band or artist answers some questions about their latest release. Up next is Lake South, whose new album ‘If You’re Born On An Island The Ocean Heals You’ is out today.
When/where was the new album recorded?
‘Good Keen Man’ was recorded in an infamous Moxham Ave flat that has since been demolished. The rest of the songs were made at Thinkt studios in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland.
Who produced/engineered the album?
Joshua Lynn produced/engineered most of the album in his studio. Ben Lemi also recorded some backing vocals in his room in Wellington.
How did the songwriting happen?
I wrote these songs over the past three years as I moved to, and then settled in, ‘the big smoke’. Some were written at my flat and a few at a bach in Whanarua Bay. I write on the guitar first and then shape them on the computer.
Were you going for a different sound/approach on this album?
This album was a lot less concept driven in terms of sound compared to the last couple of Urbantramper releases. I just used whatever instruments I thought were appropriate for the songs.
I did, however, want to capture my experience of the current Auckland/NZ housing situation.
Was there any specific gear you used to capture that?
I initially used a lot of plugins and then painstakingly replaced them all with hardware synths. Everything’s been run through actual compressors, EQs and reverbs. That’s new for me.
Is there a particular single/track that you feel captures the essence of the album?
Cost of living. This was the last song to be added to the album and it came out quick. My mate Chris listened to some demos of the album and suggested there was a ‘cost of living’ theme. It stuck with me.
Is there a physical copy available? If not, which digital platforms is it available on?
Yes I made a few CDs. Chris (mentioned above) said he’s started buying CDs again because they sound better. The CDs are for people like Chris – lucky I only made a few.
It’s also on all digital platforms: Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple, etc…
Are you working on a video/videos for any of the songs?
Videos are available for ‘Good Keen Man’, ‘Renters’ and ‘Binge Drinking & D.H Lawrence’. I’m currently working on one for ‘Cost of Living’; it’s a sequel to the first ‘Good Keen Man’ clip.