Today’s Sound Off is an interview with Shuteye Unison guitarist/vocalist Daniel Mckenzie (git/vox) conducted by Parks And Records‘ Mimi Fee. The band is currently recording the follow-up to their amazing debut.
Describe your song writing process?
It’s a little different from most bands in that almost everything is created by playing together in practice. We rarely bring in parts as individuals and have never written a song completely outside the studio. Dare I say, “Jamming” definitely produces the best results for us. Once we have momentum on a part that we all like, everything seems to some together very quickly. One thing that is key for us (and that I think we learned from a Van Halen interview at some point) is that you need to always have a way to get a quick recording of what is happening in practice. How easily great parts just kinda slip away sometimes.
Do you have any influences when it comes to writing?
I think we just kinda go on feeling these days and never try to plan where a song is headed. This feeling is guided by all of the music we love and the need to create something new and different I supposed. I know Jon gets many of his ideas from Phil Collins records, but the rest of us are normal.
What can fans expect to hear on the next album? Has the sound changed?
It’s probably pretty rare to find a musician who says that their sound hasn’t changed since their last record. I think only AC/DC has admitted publically that they are just writing the same album again and again. Ultimately the listener decides. But I think the sound has definitely changed, the biggest factors being that we have a new member (Remco, Guitar, Moog, Drums, Vocals) and that we have learned to play to everyone’s strengths in the band. For example, the new songs have a much more up-tempo feel because Jake, the drummer, writes such great fast rock parts. Also, I think these songs are more focused on what is fun to play live so there is a great organic energy at shows and in practice.
What were you most happy with on the first album?
I think the song writing is really strong on the first album. Jon and I have been in bands forever, and we are slowly learning to cut out the material that we aren’t 100% on. In our old band, The Rum Diary, we filled up albums with everything, good songs, mediocre songs, noise, blank space. I am not ashamed of that in any way, but our dream has always been to create the perfect album from start to finish. I think Shuteye Unison is getting closer to that because we are now super picky when it comes to what material makes the final cut, but also because Jake and Remco are both really solid and creative musicians.
Describe the recording process?
We record everything ourselves because Jake, Remco and I went to school for audio engineering. We have been renting out Closer Recording in the Soma district of San Francisco run by our friend Tim Mooney (of American Music Club). They have this enormous natural light room filled with instruments and great vintage equipment. We go in with 5-6 solid songs, spend 4-5 hours getting sounds and record until we finish basic tracks. Then we leave the tape rolling a bit to experiment and hope to catch something spontaneous. We try and make the experience as close to how The Band does it in The Last Waltz as possible without the pink house. We then take the songs to my studio in Oakland and overdub guitars, vocals, percussion and all of the other sonic treats.
Do you have any influences when it comes to recording?
We all read Tape Op pretty regularly, so our influence comes from the contributing writers there. Also, I have watched great engineers work and have been influenced by that experience. To name a few Pall Jenkins, Tim Mooney. Other than that there are some online articles that profile some of my favorite engineers and their process, like Mark Trombino, Jay Robbins.
Any regrets from the first album that you hope to correct this time around?
We all want to improve on the final mix a little bit. Because of our budget, our last album was mixed in a whirlwind. Jake and I flew to San Diego and mixed with Pall Jenkins in one and a half days. He was awesome and did a great job with the time he had. There are no regrets there, but ideally the whole band will be present this time and we will have time to reflect on the mixes and go back to make some changes. We are attempting to mix this album ourselves so it will either be disastrous or the best thing in the world. We will see.
What are your most favorite sounding albums? Why?
Oh geez, let’s limit this to five shall we.
3 Mile Pilot, Chief Assassin to the Sinister – this album has such a cohesive and warm sound throughout. My favorite thing is in the dynamics of volume, when the big parts hit it doesn’t get that much louder but the sounds grows into this creature of its own. Also, it has these really creepy sounds weaved into the songs, including several minutes of what sounds like water boiling. I love it.
Drive Like Jehu, Self Titled – if you are an engineer and haven’t listened to this album you are missing out. The drums are huge, the vocals are screeching (in a good way) and the guitars sound like a pack of wolves or something. The first listen changed my musical life forever.
Ganger Hammock Style – it sounds like a big ol’ drums set wrapped in bass and washes of guitar reverb. I love the vocals on this album the most, they just kinda of sneak in and out from time to time, and sound like they are coming from a sun-dress wearing Scottish Goddess, which they are I later found out.
Melvins, Stoner Witch or Stag – both of these Melvins albums are still a mystery to me. You can tell that they started from scratch mixing every song because they all sound so different. I love to see people’s reactions when I put these albums on, they go from 80’s Metallica metal, to 70’s Brian Eno ambience, to something that sounds like the Max Rebo band in the Bar at Mos Isley.
This is cheating but every Fugazi album I have loved. To me, this is one of the few bands that can capture all of the energy and emotion of seeing a live show on record. None of the instruments sound particularly awesome, but as a whole it is just so damn powerful.
What do you hope listeners get from your next album?
In the big scheme of things I hope artists get inspiration, sad people get cheered up, up tight people get relaxed etc… I would love for it to serve as a soundtrack for driving through the woods or love making also. But who am I kidding, we are making this because it feels good to make.
