The last time we heard a new record from the Russian Futurists, Facebook was in beta testing, Twitter didn't exist and all of us were five years younger. For Matthew Adam Hart, the time between his third and fourth albums was longer than he expected, but on Tuesday (November 16), he will finally have something to show for his time away.
The Weight's on the Wheels marks the first Russian Futurists album since 2005's Our Thickness, but according to Hart the delay was necessary to get things right.
"I did a version of the record, just in my bedroom, and I was kinda happy with it, but we got offered this chance to go down to New York and work with [Michael Musmanno] a producer who's recorded albums by one of my favourite bands, the Lilys," explains Hart. "He also did Outkast and some other groups I like, so he was interested and we thought, 'Why not just try and make a proper studio record.'"
Having been holed up in his bedroom for his first three albums, Hart decided to work against the latest trend of bedroom production experiments.
"There are all these acts like Washed Out, Neon Indian and Million Young, these great bands that are doing bedroom-y kind of stuff, which I did for my first three records," he says. "So I thought why not do something different. I basically made the whole record twice. I went down to New York, tore the whole record down, and redid it all on an MPC.
"I kind of took my time with this one. We were on the road a lot after Our Thickness, a couple of long tours, like with Caribou and Junior Boys, and we were overseas a bunch. I'm not one of those guys who can write on the road, so that made it take a little longer. So the five years was half and half: two and a half years making the first version, two and a half making the second version."
As for touring, Hart says the wheels are in motion (no pun intended) to set up a bunch of Canadian shows in support of The Weight's on the Wheels, which is being released via Upper Class Recordings, but it's too early to announce anything yet.
Stay tuned for Exclaim.ca's full-album stream of The Weight's on the Wheels here, where it will begin streaming Tuesday.
The Weight's on the Wheels marks the first Russian Futurists album since 2005's Our Thickness, but according to Hart the delay was necessary to get things right.
"I did a version of the record, just in my bedroom, and I was kinda happy with it, but we got offered this chance to go down to New York and work with [Michael Musmanno] a producer who's recorded albums by one of my favourite bands, the Lilys," explains Hart. "He also did Outkast and some other groups I like, so he was interested and we thought, 'Why not just try and make a proper studio record.'"
Having been holed up in his bedroom for his first three albums, Hart decided to work against the latest trend of bedroom production experiments.
"There are all these acts like Washed Out, Neon Indian and Million Young, these great bands that are doing bedroom-y kind of stuff, which I did for my first three records," he says. "So I thought why not do something different. I basically made the whole record twice. I went down to New York, tore the whole record down, and redid it all on an MPC.
"I kind of took my time with this one. We were on the road a lot after Our Thickness, a couple of long tours, like with Caribou and Junior Boys, and we were overseas a bunch. I'm not one of those guys who can write on the road, so that made it take a little longer. So the five years was half and half: two and a half years making the first version, two and a half making the second version."
As for touring, Hart says the wheels are in motion (no pun intended) to set up a bunch of Canadian shows in support of The Weight's on the Wheels, which is being released via Upper Class Recordings, but it's too early to announce anything yet.
Stay tuned for Exclaim.ca's full-album stream of The Weight's on the Wheels here, where it will begin streaming Tuesday.
