- DISCOVER THE CALIFORNIA CREATIVE HOT GIRL SAVANNA LOWE - February 23, 2024
- Healthy Glow Up Tips with Ally Renee! - February 21, 2024
- ALLY RENEE DA MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL - January 21, 2024
Following the release of their Mercury Prize nominated album ‘Given To The Wild,’ London based band The Maccabees are finally breaking their three-year silence with the highly anticipated self-produced fourth album ‘Marks To Prove It.’ GroundSounds recently caught up with the band to talk about their latest record, musical inspirations and more.
‘Marks To Prove It,’ is available now to order on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon and Spotify. Check out their exclusive GroundSounds interview below.
We are stoked for the release of your forthcoming album Marks To Prove It, can you tell us about working on this project, what all did it take to bring the record to fruition?
Great. You and me too! We wrote and recorded the whole thing in our studio in South London, it took almost 2 years in all.
We spent a long time writing and it was almost a year into that when we first started to see some shape that resembles that record. We knew we wanted to move on from the previous record but the only way to really reach a new place was by writing music until it started to feel right. At one point we had maybe 100 demos of ideas, almost all the songs on the record existed in some form within those 100. The task was pulling them through. We took an old school approach, deciding to no longer use computers to write/record just focus on being a band in the room at the same time. By doing that it forced us to really live amongst the songs and form them very naturally.
What made you guys ultimately decide on the album name Marks To Prove It?
It was so strong as a phrase, I always think a title is great when it can be read to mean a number of things. ‘Marks To Prove It’ just stuck.
You guys will soon be performing some stripped back sets at your first run of instores in years, what do you guys enjoy most about these type of gigs?
They are always tricky for us, we’ve never really been able to pull off the acoustic type sets. So much of our music is based on sound and intricacies so stripping it back can be tricky. This time round it’s come a little easier and the songs off the new record seem to lend themselves to it. It’s fun to play right up close to peolpe in record stores etc..
Can you tell us about the writing and creative process involved with the track “Something Like Happiness?”
That was a piece of music I had written initially, in the first bunch of songs. I had visioned it being a really heavy track in 3/4, when i played it to Orlando his initial reaction was to counteract that as much as possible with the vocals and lyrics! It got pulled around a lot and was actually one of the last tracks that we finished. It fell into place when we got to grips with the natural almost Van Morrison style approach. Lyricly for me it’s one of the best tracks we have.
What do you guys enjoy most about being on the road?
When you hit a stride it’s great, just existing in a bubble. Good times.
What is one of the most memorable on tour moments that you guys could share?
We’ve had many over the 10 years or so we’ve been touring. The dressing room after a good show is a great place to be.
What do you guys enjoy most about South London? What is one thing every visitor should see or do?
We’ve all grown up South of the river, it’s just home to us. A walk along the south bank you cant’t really go wrong.
Can you tell us about working with director John Connor and shooting the music video for “Marks To Prove It?”
He’s been great to work with. It’s been a good colaboration of him being able to take the bands initial ideas and flesh them out. It’s part of a 3 video series that will all link up into one film once the third single is released.
What bands/musicians are you guys currently listening to?
Jon Hopkins – Immunity
Bill Fay- War Machine
After the album release, what’s next for The Maccabees, what can fans look forward to?
Our diary is already full up through to next year. There will be a lot of touring! We also have a film coming out soon, it’s not yet been anounced but is worth keeping an eye out for!
