Thief Club - Sound In The Signals Interview
Your new album My Heavy comes out this month and people really seem to be excited about it. Can you tell me a little about the recording process of the album and what went into writing this set of songs?
Many of these songs were originally conceived 2 to 3 years ago while writing for an HTL record. Eventually, after Invicta came out, I had these songs lying around that I felt needed to be released in order for me to move on in my song writing. I booked a few days with my friend and producer Rob Freeman and recorded 2 songs (fragile eyes and weight with you) and released them on a bandcamp. From there our friend Masa, who runs HTL's Japanese label, approached me to use a song and we discussed possibilities of a full length release. It got me to start writing songs again, which is something I hadn't done in at least a year, so it was very therapeutic getting involved in song writing again and having no one but myself to answer to. I felt I could be more honest and say whatever I wanted because I was speaking for myself, which can be very different when you're writing for a band.
The reception to the new tracks and project overall seem to be really good on websites, blogs, and from your fans. Did you expect such on overwhelming positive response when you put together this album and decided to release it under the Thief Club name?
I figured anyone who enjoyed "Skip School, Start Fights" would probably enjoy most of these songs. A lot of them are 2 to 3 years old and written to follow the "Skip School" material. I try not to expect anything anymore, I just set out to finish this album because it was something that I needed to do. That was my goal and if people liked it, I would be that much happier. As it is now, I don't think the reaction is too crazy, but I'm down for things to grow from here and see where it takes the project.
The title track to this album "My Heavy" features Will Pugh and honestly might be one of my favorite songs I've heard you sing on. Can you tell me a little about writing that song specifically and what you wanted to accomplish with it?
"My Heavy" was one of the first songs I've written in two years. You can check out more to it's back story(and others) at ThiefClub.com but basically it originated from a very angry place. I was mad at the industry, at labels, at my band. The song is very much a healing song for me as when I began writing it, I started to call myself out as well. I think I was projecting and blaming a lot of things on other people when I was just as guilty. The song is about accepting your faults and responsibility. Accepting that the world isn't going to bend over backwards for you and realizing that things aren't going to happen unless you really want them to. You've got to want to succeed, and furthermore, you've got to want to succeed MORE than others. That's what separates those who succeed and those who fail. At least that's my thoughts on it.
Along with Will Pugh you also have Shane Henderson on the album. How did you decide who would guest on the album and what tracks they would guest on?
I just wanted friends and people I respected to help me bring these songs to life. The same reason I went in to record with Rob Freeman, because he's a good friend and big part of my history. I wanted this album to be something positive and I loved the fact that they all could do it. If I had more time, I would've tried to fit in a lot more people.
The artwork for My Heavy is really interesting and kind of different than anything we've seen from your projects before. Who designed the artwork for the new album and why did you feel like it best represented the album?
I actually designed the artwork for the album. My father took me to the Dayton Art Institute last year and there was an old renaissance statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, which is a very Catholic rendition of Jesus's mother Mary. She had plunged a blade into her chest and I just took picture because I thought it was so brutal and deep. I knew eventually I would want to use it with something and finally, after I decided to call the album "My Heavy", it made sense to work with that design.
Hit The Lights last album Invicta kind of explored some different sounds and with Thief Club you explore some new sounds as well, but fans of your work with Hit The Lights especially on Skip School seem to really be liking Thief Club. When you were working on songs for My Heavy how did you balance your song writing between what people really enjoy from your music while also trying to incorporate some things they may have not heard from you before?
It really just came from a period where HTL was forced to write for about 2 years. So many ideas came forward but our label had no interest in any of them. I was able to pick and choose some themes and sounds throughout a ton of demos and really just have fun with the ideas. Some are way out there and some are along the style of Skip School, that's just how I write. In the end, it's a therapy for me to get these songs recorded and off my chest. I learn from them, and can better decide where I want my writing to go the next time I record. I've already got some great ideas for the new HTL record, just from this process.
Some people are worried that with all the hype around Thief Club that it might mean the end or an hiatus for Hit The Lights after the acoustic basement tour. What are your future plans with Hit The Lights? Should fans of Hit The Lights be worried at all?
Hit The Lights needed to take some time off. If it didn't happen, I don't think we'd realize how special this band is to us and the fans. HTL will record a new record this year so once I get back from the Acoustic Basement tour, I'll be writing strictly for the new HTL record. That's my top priority and I'm really excited to get started.
I guess that about wraps it up. Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Check out ThiefClub.com and stream My Heavy on the bandcamp! If you like it, pass it on, that's all I can ask. Thanks so much for the interview!
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