Swingin’ Utters recently released their new album ‘Poorly Formed‘ via Fat Wreck / Shock. As you’d know, they’ll be in the country later this month supporting Dropkick Murphys and Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls. Tickets are on sale now. You can order the album on CD [Here] or via iTunes [Here]. To find out more about the album, the band went On The Record. Expand this post to take a read of their answers.
Tell us about the release title.
‘Poorly Formed’ just sounded really good. It was a song title that Jack had, and Johnny wrote lyrics to. I just thought there were so many things you could read into a title like that. I pretty much immediately wanted the record to be called ‘Poorly Formed’.
Tell us about the artwork.
It’s all Johnny’s art, and it’s amazing. He’s done artwork for a few of our releases in the past, but this was the most intensive. There is a panel of art for every song, and I just think it’s really stunning looking. I love his art, and I think it really works well with our aesthetic.
What format/s will it be released on and how will it be packaged?
CD and vinyl, CD’s are digi-pak.
Who will it be released through, and when?
It has just come out on Fat Wreck Chords.
Tell us about the studio and why you chose to record there?
Motor Studio is owned by Fat Mike, who owns Fat Wreck Chords, so it’s kind of “in the family” as it were. It’s easy for us, local, and the price is right.
Tell us about the producer / engineer and why you chose to record with them?
We recorded with the house engineer at Motor. We’ve had some difficulties in the past with that relationship, and chose to mix elsewhere this time. We mixed with Chris Dugan (who works for Green Day), and it was a great experience. We plan to record with him in the future.
Did you go into the writing process with a clear direction in mind?
Not really. We just write, and this is what comes out…
Were you listening to anything in particular during the writing / recording process that influenced the songs at all?
Personally, I wasn’t really listening to anything I wouldn’t have listened to the last time around. I can’t really speak for anybody else, though. Although I know Johnny’s been listening to a lot of Velvet Underground lately, which is never a bad thing.
Were there any albums you were referencing to aim for a certain type of sound production wise?
Not really.
How long did you spend in the studio recording?
About a month.
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Tell us a little about the recording process the band used?
We generally try to lay down the drums live, with the whole band playing. But to be honest there isn’t a whole lot of ‘live’ band stuff going on, nowadays. In the digital age, editing is so easy it becomes a crutch. I want to get away from that, and do it more like the old fashioned way. Our first record was recorded live. I’d like to find some happy medium.
Was this any different to previous processes you have used?
Nope.
Any guests involved? if so, who.. and what did they do?
Max Butler played some pedal steel, banjo, and mandolin. We’ve used him on almost all of our records. He’’s a really great session player.
Any particular equipment outside your usual live gear used in the process?
We’ve always got tonnes of guitars and amps. It’s different every time, and pretty much never our live setup, but close.
Any memorable studio moments?
Miles took apart my accordion at one point, because it was behaving strangely. But he seriously just took the whole thing apart, and there were all these, pieces of accordion everywhere. It was a little bit disconcerting, but he fixed the damn thing.
Any additional tracks recorded that didn’t make the cut but may see the light of day sometime?
Two of them got axed, but they’ll see the light of day soon, maybe on an ep or something.
What track/s are you most looking forward to playing live?
Librarians has been really good live, but I’m looking forward to Stuck in a Circle, because I want to see if I can pull it off, and we haven’t played it live yet, so it’s something to look forward to I guess!
How would you compare the final product to previous releases?
It’s totally different, because of the Jack/Johnny songwriting duo that was born. It’s a totally new thing for us, and very exciting.
Anything else you want to say or about the release?
I think people will be pleasantly surprised!
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SWINGIN’ UTTERS – Poorly Formed
Instores now on Fat Wreck / Shock
Order on CD [Here] or via iTunes [Here].
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Blue Murder, Destroy All Lines + Bombshellzine present…
DROPKICK MURPHYS, FRANK TURNER AND THE SLEEPING SOULS
& SWINGIN’ UTTERS
Sunday 31st March – Panthers, Newcastle [Lic/AA]
www.moshtix.com.au 1300 GET TIX
Monday 1st April – Big Top, Luna Park Sydney [Lic/AA]
www.oztix.com.au 1300 843 443, www.ticketek.com.au 132 849, www.bigtopsydney.com.au
Tueday 2nd April – Festival Hall, Melbourne [Lic/AA]
www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100
Wednesday 3rd April – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide [Lic/AA]
www.venuetix.com.au 08 8225 8888
Tickets on sale now!
For more information, visit www.bluemurder.com.au and www.destroyalllines.com
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