STUDIO: The Sound Factory, Hollywood, California
PRODUCER: Tony Hoffer (Beck, Phoenix)
CONFIRMED TRACKS: ‘Trembling Hands’, ‘I’mGonna Wait’, ‘Never Again’, ‘Happiness’, ‘The Sea
LABEL:Infectious
How is your second album shaping up?
We’re recording in Hollywood so we’re much moreisolated than before. When we did the first one in Melbourne we would go to work or go home whenwe weren’t in the studio but we can’t here. Being away from our loved ones is good; it enables us tofocus on the job at hand. The weather is amazing compared to London; it’s sunny, blue skies. We’re 10 songs in; we want to get 17 done, so we’re over half way. It’s exciting.
How will it differ thematically from the fi rstone?
We’ve used experiences that we’ve had over thepast two years and classic themes like love, loss and heartbreak. One song is about the London riots. We were right in the middle of it in Hackney. Where I live there were gangs of kids every where,even outside my house, so it was intimidating. There were people getting mugged on their bikes. It’s us commenting on what happened fromboth sides, from the rioters’ side and the politicalside.
Has the band’s dynamic changed at all?
We’re a tight-knit group, when we moved toLondon we all lived together and we’re livingtogether in LA too. We stick together, like agang I guess! That has always been the same.The biggest change is that Joseph [Greer] is a permanent member now. He brings a different element. There are definitely more keyboards on this record, we all have different styles and his has contributed massively to the expansionof the sound.
What will the new record sound like?
It’s more of a concise record than the last one. Working out here with an American producer has given it more of an American feel, too. Wehave a clear-cut idea of how we want things to sound. We’ll be here for the mixing stage so we’ll be hands-on throughout. We’re definitely trying to progress as a band and step up a gear.The sound has changed, but there are songs that are – I don’t want to say the word – but “signature” sounding. They’re more in line with the last record. We want to change and move forward, but we’ve kept our sound in mind, wedon’t want to alienate our fans, it’s a very fine line that we have to tread to move forward.
What’s been the hardest thing about theprocess?
Self-doubt! There was a lot of it in the middle of the writing stage; it really got under our skin in the studio. It’s the “dreaded second record”;you’ve got to nail it, it’s so important to comeout with something that eclipses your first. Weweren’t consciously thinking about it but itwas always there in the back of our minds. Youknow people are talking about you from Twitte rand stuff, people say they hope the recordis as good as the first and you ask yourself ‘Will it be a success, will it be as good?’. We alwaystry to better what we’ve done before. You’re unsure where you’re going sometimes. I think we’ve done a good job but only time will tell. TheFly 7Bonus Factoids:Lorenzo sees celebrities “all the time” in Hollywood. He recently saw Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon.The band witnessed a double shooting near the studio.“It was pretty hairy”, Lorenzo admitted.They have found time for partying too, a recent night outwith Florence Welch was “awesome”.
