Since first announcing that their next album would be a fully realized rock opera called David Comes to Life, Toronto hardcore weirdos Fucked Up have had us on the edge of our seats as we await details on the release. Earlier this fall, we reported that the band were holed up with engineer/producer Shane Stoneback (Sleigh Bells, Vampire Weekend) at his New York-based Treefort Recording Studio. Now, drummer Jonah Falco has shed more light on the album's progress.
"The album was kind of anybody's guess towards how it would come out of the oven, but having its far better-formed shape in front of us now, I'm happy to say that it is coming together really nicely," Falco tells Exclaim! "Now we've got our songs divided into sides, lyrics are being written, and pre-mixes are probably happening right now so [vocalist] Damian [Abraham] can smear his voice into the milieu ASAP."
Jonah goes on to explain what we can expect from this record's sound, which he says is much less abrasive than previous releases. "The whole feeling of this record revolves around things that are somewhat familiar and relatable, but with our difficult take on it," Falco says. "Difficult in the sense that any other band who decided to write a poppier, shorter, less complex record wouldn't have had to endure much frustration or conflict. When we listened back to the rough mixes and heard, in fact, a poppier, slightly more brief, relatable and happily attainable punk record that still sounded like Fucked Up, you can imagine how pleased we were."
As for recording with a new producer, Falco says, "Working with Shane was a pleasure. We spent just under a week tracking drums and bed guitars with Shane in NYC. He brings new definition to the word 'efficient' and most likely never to be equaled levels of dedication and work ethic when it came to his craft... I had the relentless uphill journey of tracking 27 songs on drums in just three days as I was flying home to get married! Somehow, the most taxing and exhausting of possible work at a recording studio ended up being the most productive and easygoing 72 hours."
In summation, Falco describes David Comes to Life as "a completely relatable rock opera rife with meta-plot, meta-parts, meta-leads and self-referential quirks. Actual stage production and possible embarrassment to follow."
David Comes to Life is still without a firm release date, but it is expected to drop in early 2011 via Matador Records.
"The album was kind of anybody's guess towards how it would come out of the oven, but having its far better-formed shape in front of us now, I'm happy to say that it is coming together really nicely," Falco tells Exclaim! "Now we've got our songs divided into sides, lyrics are being written, and pre-mixes are probably happening right now so [vocalist] Damian [Abraham] can smear his voice into the milieu ASAP."
Jonah goes on to explain what we can expect from this record's sound, which he says is much less abrasive than previous releases. "The whole feeling of this record revolves around things that are somewhat familiar and relatable, but with our difficult take on it," Falco says. "Difficult in the sense that any other band who decided to write a poppier, shorter, less complex record wouldn't have had to endure much frustration or conflict. When we listened back to the rough mixes and heard, in fact, a poppier, slightly more brief, relatable and happily attainable punk record that still sounded like Fucked Up, you can imagine how pleased we were."
As for recording with a new producer, Falco says, "Working with Shane was a pleasure. We spent just under a week tracking drums and bed guitars with Shane in NYC. He brings new definition to the word 'efficient' and most likely never to be equaled levels of dedication and work ethic when it came to his craft... I had the relentless uphill journey of tracking 27 songs on drums in just three days as I was flying home to get married! Somehow, the most taxing and exhausting of possible work at a recording studio ended up being the most productive and easygoing 72 hours."
In summation, Falco describes David Comes to Life as "a completely relatable rock opera rife with meta-plot, meta-parts, meta-leads and self-referential quirks. Actual stage production and possible embarrassment to follow."
David Comes to Life is still without a firm release date, but it is expected to drop in early 2011 via Matador Records.
