The Making of 'This Loud Morning' (Transcript by Close Your Eyes)

8/6/2019 The Making of 'This Loud Morning' (Transcript by Close Your Eyes)

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THE MAKING OF 'THIS LOUD MORNING' (TRANSCRIPT BY CLOSEYOUREYES)

David: 10th of June [2011]. Myself and the band we've been holed up on Calabasas working on my

sophomore record. And it is been an experience. I think everything happened so fast since Idols I think

we put the first record out start to finish in 4 months. And so when we finished touring on the first

record, I immediately went into working on the second record. And it became this thing of you know,we didn't want to put a time frame on it. And I said "Ah, that's cool" you know, take some of the

pressure of' and Little did I know that we were going to spend over a year on this record.

[Clip of band in studio, Right Here With You playing in background]

David: And looking back on it now - I don't know that we could have done this record any other way. I

think the end result is one of the most interesting, original records I think I've ever been a part of. I'm

really, really the word is stoked. I'm really stoked for everybody to hear this record.

[Clip of David and Matt S listening to a piece of music on David's mac]

David: There's You know what, there's something at the beginning of the bridge that I actually like

and then it just kinda goes away. And I don't [plays a snip]

David: You know, I think by having more time with this record, it opened us up to trying different things,

and really zoning in on the 'right' moments, and the 'right' parts and the 'right' instruments. You know,

the last record was such a gut call with everything. It was just like 'If it sounds good, we're doing it'.

There are aspects of that that really work for me. Historically I've never The first record was the

longest I'd ever spent on a record at that point.

[Clip of Matt S at soundboard, David in recording booth]

Matt S: We're not getting our tapes on that last ___ It's not coming out clear. I can hardly understand it.

One more time."

David: Okay. [sings chorus from Fade Into Me]

Matt S: Yeah man, that was good. One more for safety and that's it.

David: Okay

David: You know, especially working with someone like Matt Serletic, who has such a mindset that leads

it so you know, everything has to be so thorough and so intricate. And I remember walking into pre-production [and spending three days on kick-drum patterns, and I was like 'Oh God, this is gonna take a

while' [laughs]

Pre-Production Day 1 (June 27, 2010)


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[Clip of Matt S and band in pre-production]

Matt S: to the right cymbal, so eight bars earlier

Kyle: So it's like up the ante right there?

Matt S: Once you probably go to that right cymbal halfway through that first chorus, I mean that third

chorus, sorry

David: You know, working with Matt was a departure for me. Every stage of this record they were all

necessary, but I think, going through it, I got really easy to get bogged down. And I'll be the first to admit

that this process was probably the most difficult record I've ever been a part of.

Various clips showing David's frustration]

Matt S: Dave wanted this to be a more artistic album. And that's always a bit of a search. Like finding an

artistic direction, finding something that strikes the balance between commercial and creative. It took us

a while to find that, because I think there's a lot of influences in Dave's life.

[Clip of Dave & Matt S listening to recording]

Dave: 'Ahhhhh . I hate this song. Fine, it's done." [Dave does shimmy thing while Matt laughs]

David: You know, it gets a little unnerving to have that kind of time to second-, and third-, and fourth-

guess yourself.

Pre-production Day 2 (June 28, 2010)

[Clip of band playing Paper Heart]

David: I always hear these stories about people's sophomore records being like the ones that really test

their patience and their desire and all that. And this record certainly did that for me.

[Clip of David and band gambling]

Monty: I'll push it! [throws]

David: Every time you say that, every single time you say that! 'I'll push it!' And then some [bleeped] goeshaywire and then 'push it'

Monty: I'll try ___

David: You know, when it comes to the band, I am far and away the luckiest person in the world, to work

with who I work with. You know, I've known these guys in some cases well, in most cases, God, we're

talking 8 years. You know, they're some of my best friends, and I couldn't imagine being on the road


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with anybody else. And I think what they each bring to the table, both as musicians, but more

importantly, as people, I think - is as much responsible for the way I carry myself onstage as anything.

They make it fun

[Clip of Andy hitting Kyle in the nuts and vice versa, David cracking up]

David: Andy is actually somebody I played in a band with Andy before, a band called MWK. And he

was the singer, I was the rhythm guitar player. Andy's got such a . Just kind of this immense cachet of

talent. And then Neal is Neal's my secret weapon, you know. Neal is another guy that I played with in

MWK, and his musical aptitude is incredible. Kyle is an amazing drummer. Kyle is somebody we met

when we were putting the band together. And it was funny it was between him and another guy The

first thing he did was crack a joke on me when he sat down. And I thought that was awesome. Monty is

How do I explain Monty? Good God

[Clip of Monty singing 'Meow, meow, meow']

Monty: Andy wanted to hear me sing, so there you go

David: I'm a happier person with Monty around. Monty just he's got an energy, you know? [shrugs]

And I don't know how to explain it, 'cos he's a goof. And things like that I don't know, they're

invaluable.

1st

day of recording (30 June, 2010)

Clip of Dave and band in studio, listening to recordings

David: The first day, you know after all the pre-production that we finally got into the studio. And how

excited I was that we were in the studio and we were tracking this record. [ Circadian playing in

background]. You know, we start off with a song like Circadian. And the story of Circadian is like I just

remember, you know, waking up one day, and feel like 'Man, I just all I want to do is sleep. Like, I

can't how it's the world is just loud. I need I need some silence, you know'.

David Wolter, A&R, RCA Records: I remember when they played Circadian. It was, I think The first

moment, it was 'This is fantastic!'

Matt S: It was really a magic moment. There it is it's a great vocal performance by Dave, has a band

energy that's very unique.

David: I have to say first listen, just kinda 'hair on the back of your neck standing up' kind of thing

that's probably my favorite song on this record.

[Clip of David singing chorus from Circadian, everybody listening back to recording]

Matt S: That has goosebump potential. I think.


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David: Everybody's had those moments. You know, where you just [sighs]. If there was a pause button

on your world, you would hit it. I feel like that's what this record represents. It's like those moments in

your life when you just want to freeze-frame it. Looking back on the last couple of years, you know,

there's obviously things to talk about. You know, and I think for the good of it, for the bad of it, for

everything in between. I feel like that's what this record represents. Those moments in your life when

you just want to freeze-frame it, and have a second to take it in. Or just a second to take a break from it.

And I love kinda the duality of that to just be able to stop, to either avoid or embrace something. And

there's a I don't know, there's a beauty in that to me. I think, you know, specifically, you know what

happened, you know, with my brother To have somebody important in your life pass away like that,

and then to not stop which is exactly what I did I don't know. I don't know that you ever really get

over stuff like that. And I'm not really trying to get over it. I think maybe just trying to process it still. It's

heavy, you know? Taking those experiences and moving forward kind of helped in the healing process

that, you know, I started a little belatedly, I think. [Thinks about it, eyes tear up]

Week 2 of Recording (14 July 2010)

[Clip of band listening to Fade Into Me]

David: The vision that I had for this record, and the ideal the lofty ideals that I have for this record

made it an immense deal to tackle. I tried to attack this record differently, and really tried to create a

semblance of a story arc within the record.

[Clip of David listening to recording.

David: I don't think you need to hit those longer. Just let it go. So that like '[sings note]

Andy: He was always very determined. And he was always writing songs. And he's completely continued

that throughout this whole crazy process.

David: To use the term 'concept album' in relation to this record I'm hesitant to use that term. I think

there is definitely a theme in mind, an idea in mind with the record.

Neal: Definitely made him come to this record with with kinda a new side, a new vision of where he

wants to go. It brings this new this new rawness, this new intimacy to his usually kind of grandiose

writing, it's big, progressions that sound big and hit you. But now it's the combination of that with a

more raw side that I, even knowing David for a long time, haven't seen.

3rd

month of recording [16 Sept 2010]

[Clip of Dave talking to Matt S]


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something I'm not necessarily prone to doing on my own. I need to be. My trainer Marco is great. He's

actually become a really good friend throughout the process and everything. Oddly enough, I think

looking at it now, I dont think I could have made it through this record without having done that.

5th

Month of Recording (4 November 2010)

[Clip of David tracking The Last Goodbye vocals with Matt S commenting]

Matt S: Go for We'll just work hard on this last pass and then punch through all through 'time'.

Matt S: Yeah, just a bit more pocket.

Matt S: Yeah, great last couple of lines. Some of the stuff's still opening up a little bit. So

David: Okay

6th

month of recording [15 December 2010]

[Clip of David singing Paper Heart]

7th

month of recording (January 19, 2011)

[Clip of unknown song playing possibly Sunlight, David listening]

David: Okay. I'm doing it, I'm doing it, I'm doing it well. [goes into recording booth]

David Wolter (A&R guy): This record would never have been this record had we not gone on this

journey.

[Clip of David and Matt S in studio, both smiling]

Matt S: This album has really been a process of ... We've accomplished everything that Dave wanted to

accomplish. Maybe in a more wandering path than he could have possibly imagined, but we eventually

got there.

David: All of the bull[bleeped], all of the all of the things that caused stress and sleepless nights and all

of that I needed to do all of that do be able to have this finished record that I can put in somebody's

hand and say 'Hope you like it'.


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Tour rehearsal (24 March 2011)

[Clip of band playing Circadian]

David: There's a lot of moving parts to this record. This constant state of being that we are all in of the

daily cycle start here with sleep and before you know it, you're right back where you started. And it'sjust this rat-race.

I want this record to have a little bit of a heavy resonance to it. But I also want people to be able to just

sit back and enjoy the record on its musical merits. But I think at the root of it, it's just an honest look at

a point in my life. Umm hope you like it! [laughs]

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The Making of 'This Loud Morning' (Transcript by Close Your Eyes)