You are releasing the album as a free download. What made the band decide to go this route?
It was a really simple and unanimous decision to give it away, as we have put so much of our energies into this album that we want as many people to be able to hear it as possible. Our first two EPs we printed and handed out for free at a time when some people thought we were crazy to do so, so it’s also a bit of a throwback to those days.
Was there anything special or different about the album’s recording process?
It was the longest we’ve taken to make an album by far. We spent many hours in the studio sculpting it, producing it ourselves. It was also recorded in five different studios over three cities in two countries. We didn’t set ourselves a strict time limit to finishing it and I think that allowed us to be more particular this time in getting exactly what we wanted.
You recently completed your weekend-long Mystery Machine tour. What was the experience like?
As always, it was a pleasure to be up north. All three gigs were very different from each other – the Arcade Empire Halloween party was insane – just one of those messy Pretoria parties, only with people going all out with their Halloween costumes. Park Acoustics was an early afternoon, awesome mellow vibe, as it always is, and BalconyTV was almost the perfect way to cap it, with a view of the Jozi skyline from the event.
Are there any specific themes you have in mind regarding the new album?
Lyrically, the main themes are those of exploration, reflection and coming-of-age, alongside the ever-present references [to] love and hate and the nature of infatuation.
Photo: Jason Paul Hermann
