Spring Break
Unique recording process pays off for Break As We Fall
Break As We Fall masters do-it-yourself recording process that brings excellence in sound
Craig Bidiman
Issue date: 5/22/09 Section: Diversions
By Craig Bidiman
The Daily Barometer
Local favorite Break As We Fall has returned with their first full-length album, "If You're Lonely."
Coming off the success of their first self-produced and self-titled EP, this smooth rock outfit proves they are well prepared to be around for a while.
Although "If You're Lonely" is similar to the initial EP, the members of the band made sure to challenge themselves musically throughout the recording process to explore venues they hadn't sought out before.
"We took a lot of time on this one and made sure things were perfect," Evan Churchill, vocalist/guitarist, said. "Just the way we did the recordings in general was a challenge in itself."
Churchill explained that the band approached the album differently from the EP because they recorded a demo of each song, analyzed what each song needed to improve, then discussed and made the necessary alterations.
"There are definitely a lot of songs on the album that ended up very different from the original demo," Churchill said.
The album has 11 tracks, each of which was recorded in the bedroom or basement studio of guitarist Dan Grossen. Churchill said this made the process much more comfortable and allowed the group to produce a very "do-it-yourself" album.
During the recording process, the group sent tracks to Burt Stone to be mixed in Nashville, Tenn. The two locales became quite familiar with one another as songs were constantly in transit.
The intricacies of the production paid off though.
Each song seems to complement its predecessor as it flows without a hitch. The album is jump-started by the exuberant "Come Down Hard," which sets the pace for an album that doesn't cease its energy but at times merely trades it for the beauty in simplicity. This power runs throughout the album, winding down to the woeful, yet hopeful story of "Prize Fighter," an acoustic success.
This is not to say the album is simple, as Churchill explained that a number of the songs contain experimental pieces the group discovered during the stages of recording the tracks. Some such example is the ending of "One Chance," the beginning drum solo by Alex Moffat of "One of Many." It's also worth mentioning the epic solo work by Dan Grossen and trumpet experimentation on the title track.
The Daily Barometer
Local favorite Break As We Fall has returned with their first full-length album, "If You're Lonely."
Coming off the success of their first self-produced and self-titled EP, this smooth rock outfit proves they are well prepared to be around for a while.
Although "If You're Lonely" is similar to the initial EP, the members of the band made sure to challenge themselves musically throughout the recording process to explore venues they hadn't sought out before.
"We took a lot of time on this one and made sure things were perfect," Evan Churchill, vocalist/guitarist, said. "Just the way we did the recordings in general was a challenge in itself."
Churchill explained that the band approached the album differently from the EP because they recorded a demo of each song, analyzed what each song needed to improve, then discussed and made the necessary alterations.
"There are definitely a lot of songs on the album that ended up very different from the original demo," Churchill said.
The album has 11 tracks, each of which was recorded in the bedroom or basement studio of guitarist Dan Grossen. Churchill said this made the process much more comfortable and allowed the group to produce a very "do-it-yourself" album.
During the recording process, the group sent tracks to Burt Stone to be mixed in Nashville, Tenn. The two locales became quite familiar with one another as songs were constantly in transit.
The intricacies of the production paid off though.
Each song seems to complement its predecessor as it flows without a hitch. The album is jump-started by the exuberant "Come Down Hard," which sets the pace for an album that doesn't cease its energy but at times merely trades it for the beauty in simplicity. This power runs throughout the album, winding down to the woeful, yet hopeful story of "Prize Fighter," an acoustic success.
This is not to say the album is simple, as Churchill explained that a number of the songs contain experimental pieces the group discovered during the stages of recording the tracks. Some such example is the ending of "One Chance," the beginning drum solo by Alex Moffat of "One of Many." It's also worth mentioning the epic solo work by Dan Grossen and trumpet experimentation on the title track.
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