‘New Album’ is where a band or artist answers some questions about their latest release. Up next is Nigel from Orangefarm.
When/where was the new album recorded?
All the instruments and vocals were recorded at my house. The drums were recorded by Andrew Downes, at his place and at The Surgery.
Who produced/engineered the album? How did the tracks come together in the studio, or at home?
The album was produced by Rob Mayes in his home studio in Tokyo. I sent all the stems to him and he put it together there. He also did the odd overdub, such as 12 string guitar and tambourine in a couple and a special-guest backing vocal part in Settle.
How did the songwriting happen? Are there any overall themes within the songs/album?
The album contains songs I selected from a bunch I’d written over the years. Some of them touch on family, and some deal with the themes of communicating with and knowing someone well. The idea of ‘inheritance’ seemed to encompass both, as in the traits you get from family, how you are with people, and what you pass on. The album itself is a kind of legacy too, as are each of the songs.
Were you going for a different sound/approach on this album?
We’re known for having quite a lot of variety in our songs. Hopefully this album has that. Working with Rob gave me the chance to make sure each one sounded like I want it to. I don’t have the skill to make sure what sounds right live makes it on record, but he totally gets what we want to sound like and was able to capture it.
Was there any specific gear you used to capture that?
Not really.
Is there a particular single/track that you feel captures the essence of the album?
It would be too obvious to say the title track, and I’m not sure that would be right anyway. I suspect people will have their own view of what the essence is and the track that epitomises it for them. It’s been interesting to see which ones different radio stations have picked up.
Is there a physical copy available? If not which digital platforms is it available on?
There are currently a limited number of hand-made deluxe CDs available from Failsafe Records. You can also access them from our Bandcamp page here along with digital downloads, and also from our Website. We have a small number of the CDs to sell at gigs too.
Are you working on a video/videos for any of the songs? Are you doing any gigs or promotion for its release?
There are videos for three singles at the moment, and one in the pipeline. The three are ‘Inheritance’, ‘Conversation with my Grandmother’ (Which was made by Rob and his 19 year old daughter Lille) & ‘Settle (in your eyes)’. We are playing at the Whanganui Musicians Club on August 26 and Moon on September 9th. Lots of promotion, including a review by Graham Reid in the Listener and on his Elsewhere site, and some airplay, including RNZ.