Bonus Episode! Black Country, New Road's Charlie Wayne and Lewis Evans

Interactive Transcript

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spk_0 Welcome back to Earwax. My name is Hillary and I am joined as always by Cody.

spk_0 I'm here. What's up? What's up?

spk_0 And remember, we said we were going to take a break. We did.

spk_0 But guess what? We never rest.

spk_0 We never rest.

spk_0 Except for after this week, because we will rest after this week.

spk_0 This is the first, this is the last surprise.

spk_0 Surprise. Surprise bonus episode.

spk_0 So before we go on our summer break, you can follow us on Instagram or TikTok.

spk_0 Maybe both at EarwaxPod. Check us out.

spk_0 And we have sort of a special arrangement for the episode today.

spk_0 Yeah, the reason that we're not taking a break because we never rest is because we never rest is because we have two members of black country

spk_0 in New Road, Lewis Evans and Charlie Wayne. They came on and talked about their new records forever. How long?

spk_0 I am very excited to get this to this conversation shortly.

spk_0 If you haven't heard about this record, it just came out on April 4th this year, 2025.

spk_0 And it's their third studio album. If we're not counting their most recent album, which is live from Bush Hall, March 2023.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 Is when that came out, it's both a concert film and a live album.

spk_0 And that's quite a large gap, especially for how long they toured that album.

spk_0 They've had quite a few lineup changes.

spk_0 So there are some really interesting things to talk to them about in this episode about this album in particular.

spk_0 It's a real change for them.

spk_0 These guys were really gracious with their time. We really enjoyed having them on.

spk_0 And so on the front end of it, we'd like to say thanks to black country new road for for

spk_0 for sharing their time with us. And we hope you guys enjoy our chat with them on the other side of

spk_0 in store events and new releases.

spk_0 Last round, I promise. Last round of in store events before our break.

spk_0 Starting off with Berkeley, all three locations is one we've been creeping up on for a while now.

spk_0 Friday, May 23rd at 5 p.m. we're having a listening party for stereo labs new album.

spk_0 Instant holograms on metal film.

spk_0 Yes, yeah, we'll be good.

spk_0 Yeah, it's going to be awesome.

spk_0 Also at all three locations, Friday, May 30th, 5 p.m.

spk_0 is another listening party for the grateful deads. The music never stopped. That will be long.

spk_0 And at the Berkeley location on Monday, May 26th at 6 p.m.

spk_0 Something pretty unique. Joe Dart of Wolfpeck will host a base masterclass at Amiba Berkeley.

spk_0 That's so crazy. That will be cool. Yeah.

spk_0 San Francisco location Wednesday, May 28th, 5 p.m.

spk_0 Listening party, 10th anniversary release, Sufion Stevens album, Carrie and Lohl.

spk_0 Be there. Be there.

spk_0 And as always, you can find more information about all of our in store events at Amiba.com.

spk_0 I've heard some things have been releasing lately.

spk_0 Some new one, you know, I feel like Spencer since you're here.

spk_0 Do you have any?

spk_0 Invo.

spk_0 Wait, wait, wait, wait. Are you waking up from my break?

spk_0 We're on break, I thought. Are we on break?

spk_0 Oh, yeah, about that.

spk_0 Insert 10 sound effects.

spk_0 All right, all right, all right. Roll time's sake.

spk_0 Why not just one more for the road. One more for the road, y'all.

spk_0 The black country new road. Oh, Cody, Cody, Cody.

spk_0 Honestly, sick reference, Cody. That was rad. Thanks.

spk_0 Nicely done. Well, yeah, I got a quick list for you today,

spk_0 but mostly just because I'm so excited for us to get to our guests that we have.

spk_0 First off, we have a brand new stereo lab album releasing and titled instant holograms on

spk_0 metal film. We all agree is maybe the most stereo lab sounding.

spk_0 I agree. We've ever heard. We're all very excited about that one.

spk_0 We covered them weeks ago now. But since then, it's been nationally ranked as one of the best

spk_0 podcast episodes in history. Please make sure to check that out and make sure to check out.

spk_0 In history, instant holograms on metal film on CD, standard vinyl and clear.

spk_0 When I laughed just now, it wasn't because it was a joke.

spk_0 It was because it was so true. Yeah.

spk_0 I was filled with emotion laughter emotion. Yeah.

spk_0 For the best podcast episode in history. Continue.

spk_0 We are also getting a brand new album from American pop duo Sparks.

spk_0 The new album is simply titled Mad with an exclamation point. I know Cody likes punctuation.

spk_0 I think it hits the nail on the head for these modern times.

spk_0 That name you can pick up mad on CD, standard vinyl and light blue lenticular vinyl.

spk_0 That means I'll spend most of my time doing the little swisher thing with my thumb

spk_0 now on the cover. Smart. Smart. Smart.

spk_0 Also want to shout out this box set releasing that sounds awesome and titled strobes in space.

spk_0 Indie Sleeze, new rave and future disco 2000 through 2009.

spk_0 Coming to you on neon pink purple petrol tri color vinyl. Love.

spk_0 Honestly, they went for it and I'm here. They knew it was our last one.

spk_0 Yeah. They went for it. Thank you.

spk_0 Every color variant in one. Thank you. Various artists.

spk_0 Thank you. Various artists on that one.

spk_0 And of course, last but not least, to come all together now.

spk_0 This wouldn't be an episode of.

spk_0 If I didn't get the mention.

spk_0 Sophie's oil of every pearls on inside, which will be available to you this Friday

spk_0 on Pearl Sunrise vinyl.

spk_0 All right.

spk_0 We got another variant of that record just under the wire.

spk_0 Yes, and other while Pearl Sunrise.

spk_0 Honestly, I can't wait to see what it looks just like.

spk_0 But why?

spk_0 All right, guys.

spk_0 All right, go back to sleep, Spencer.

spk_0 Thank you.

spk_0 Nice.

spk_0 So sweet.

spk_0 All right, and we're back. Do you guys want to introduce yourself real quick?

spk_0 Sure. I am Charlie.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 Excellent.

spk_0 My name is Lewis.

spk_0 And we're both in Black Country New Road.

spk_0 Yes, right.

spk_0 It's the opposite of me.

spk_0 Yes, and Black Country New Road has just come out with a new album, Forever How Long,

spk_0 released on Ninja Tune on April 4th, 2025.

spk_0 You guys are already mid-tour about a month and a half in,

spk_0 started in the UK, just came over to the US recently.

spk_0 We want to start off asking you some questions about how the tour's going so far.

spk_0 Sure.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 You guys have a show tonight at the Wiltern.

spk_0 Yeah. Have you played LA before?

spk_0 Yeah, a couple times.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 You actually played the Wiltern before

spk_0 with Black Midee in 2022.

spk_0 Awesome.

spk_0 Just great.

spk_0 So one of the things I want to ask is that you guys have had a pretty interesting path leading up

spk_0 to this record.

spk_0 And I think Charlie, you mentioned that this album was your first normal album rollout.

spk_0 I saw that and that it made me chuckle.

spk_0 I wanted to ask, what is it like experiencing what is old hat for most bands as new and normal?

spk_0 Yeah, I guess I think that when I said that, it does definitely ring true.

spk_0 This is the first kind of regular album cycle in that we're not releasing an album

spk_0 to be like a pandemic or like without a key member of the band.

spk_0 But yeah, I don't know.

spk_0 I think it is just like, everything is obviously exceptional.

spk_0 Like it's an extremely lucky and weird position to even be in a position where you're like,

spk_0 yeah, this seems like a normal thing to do.

spk_0 There's nothing normal about that.

spk_0 That's right.

spk_0 And that's not lost on any of us.

spk_0 But it is just like, yeah, it's strange, I guess.

spk_0 Like, kind of announcing an album, releasing singles, and then it comes out,

spk_0 and then you play shows around it.

spk_0 I don't know.

spk_0 It's like, it doesn't kind of feel like jeopardized in any necessary way, which is cool.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 Does it sort of feel like you're navigating?

spk_0 Okay, this is what a band, a standard tour is going to look like compared to any other

spk_0 album that you've done before.

spk_0 I suppose in any way, I guess it's like, yeah, I think so.

spk_0 We're just maybe not playing catch-up so much.

spk_0 Sure.

spk_0 I think that the, because we actually didn't ever really do a huge amount of touring

spk_0 for the first two albums, really.

spk_0

spk_0 And then, yeah, the last time we were at the Wilton, and in LA playing,

spk_0 we're just kind of like on this extremely long run of touring that you basically did for

spk_0 sort of, Bush called the live album that we did, where we were just kind of playing and playing

spk_0 and playing and playing shows, kind of make up for lost time, really.

spk_0 And so this time around, it's just kind of like, yeah, this is where we should probably be.

spk_0 Yeah.

spk_0 That's a way.

spk_0 Now that you've been touring for a while, do you feel like there are certain identifiable moments

spk_0 within your set where it sort of feels like everything comes together, everybody's playing,

spk_0 like, at the same time, you're like, I love this part of the set.

spk_0 It works always.

spk_0 Yeah, there's definitely moments.

spk_0 But, you know, there's a feeling that with us as a band, which is, you know, what makes it

spk_0 a really appealing thing to see life, but it's a feeling that it could all fall apart just like that.

spk_0 I get so envious watching bands that just play tunes with four chords,

spk_0 grooving out, thinking like, that must be so chill.

spk_0 But I've got kind of a hyperactive mind, and I get anxious about the whole thing all the time.

spk_0 So I'm always worried that it's going to fall apart when maybe not everyone else is.

spk_0 Yeah, there's definitely moments where like, it's guaranteed to bang, I think, and, you know,

spk_0 at the moment, we've got a couple of those in the set when we haven't had that for a while.

spk_0 You know, we always used to have it in like a couple of the old tunes, like from first and second

spk_0 album that were like guaranteed to just be like quite big moments. But since the Bush Hall stuff,

spk_0 it's all been a lot less like safe, I think, music, just purely on a performance level.

spk_0 It's been less safe, like it's not always guaranteed. But yeah, there's a few more that groove

spk_0 on this album. So yeah. The safety of it, I'm sure when you're writing these songs, you,

spk_0 I would imagine you have moments where you're like, we're really making this difficult on ourselves,

spk_0 just like adding more instrumentation, like making things more complex every time.

spk_0 Sure. And there's so many times where you've been arranging a tune for like three or four days

spk_0 in a row. And you, at the end of it, you kind of listen back to the demos you've made. And you think,

spk_0 we've just made this so much worse in the first place. And then you've just got to strip it back

spk_0 and go back to go back to the first step. We had that with the song Two Horses, where it was originally

spk_0 a lot better than the version that we'd done to it. So yeah, it's, yeah, it can definitely get

spk_0 carried away with it for sure. So how much of that is like the freedom of being in the studio

spk_0 and the restriction of trying to capture it live? Because the last two projects with Bush Hall and

spk_0 Prepper How Long, it's two opposite ends of the spectrum. You got one, you kind of

spk_0 fly in the plane as you're building it. And then this one, you got to stretch your legs in the studio.

spk_0 How much not overindulgence, but how much do you try and like capture a song that can be replicated

spk_0 live versus like not really caring about that? And just like, it's going to be what it's going to be.

spk_0 It's going to be as big as it's going to be. Yeah, I mean, I think that like this, with basically

spk_0 everything that we've done before was kind of the the ethos was like, we're going to go to the studio

spk_0 and just record it. Yeah. And I think that was kind of like, you know, there wasn't any real sort of

spk_0 inspiration in that it was just like, we didn't really know what it was like. It's sort of kind of

spk_0 felt like, you know, made sense to go and just like, do it. Yeah, I guess. And I mean, I think also,

spk_0 like, I mean, particularly with like with the second album, like, we really let into that, like,

spk_0 we didn't have a producer necessarily the guy that like produced Dance from up there was like Sergio

spk_0 who was our loud like live sound engineer at the time. We really want to lean in just like playing

spk_0 together in a room and like not really having any of it up as if we could avoid it and just have

spk_0 it sound like massive as a band playing together. And I think that's kind of because like the

spk_0 the sort of compositions of songs like made sense for that. And that wasn't the case with like

spk_0 forever how long it was just like, we knew when we were like writing and arranging that the songs

spk_0 could be performed live as the sixth of us playing in a room, but they would sound probably better

spk_0 and more interesting if we just like kind of lent into the idea that it didn't necessarily just have

spk_0 to be singing together in studio. And I think they also like functionally, none of the singers

spk_0 Georgia Tyler or May really wanted to kind of do the same thing where we were just like tracking

spk_0 stuff live in a room because I think like fundamentally their vocals wanted to be recording a bit more

spk_0 of a controlled environment. And so that just kind of I guess provided a sort of like an opportunity

spk_0 to be like, well, yeah, we actually don't have to record all together. We can record separately.

spk_0 We can lay our stuff up. We can like have it sound however we actually wanted to think of it as being like,

spk_0 yeah, this has to be like very sort of pure talent. For sure, recording stuff together. And

spk_0 yeah, I don't know. I think it was it was a cool opportunity. I think, you know, and then the

spk_0 bands always have been a live band. And I think there was never any sort of like, there was never

spk_0 any worry that we wouldn't be able to kind of do at least like, you know, justice to the songs.

spk_0 For sure. Live setting. That must have felt really freeing to get out there and like really show

spk_0 people what a new version of yourself looks like. I can only imagine I'm also really curious.

spk_0 The lyricist for each song is also the vocalist assigned to each song on that album. On the new

spk_0 album, it was that was there ever a point where somebody thought about giving their song to another

spk_0 person? Or is it more of the process is so personal, you need to keep it for yourself to really

spk_0 do it justice? Yeah, lyrics wise, yeah, we don't really have a say in other people's lyrics at all.

spk_0 That's always ever since day one of the band. That's always just kind of been a, that's the original

spk_0 songwriter's realm and you don't go near it. And obviously, you know, if people want help or

spk_0 if people want, like for example, Charlie contributed some backing vocal lyric when we really needed to

spk_0 make something make sense, you know, so like, yeah, there's definitely some input, but there's

spk_0 it's not really a done thing. I originally wrote the tune of Salem Sisters and I was singing that

spk_0 live, but then when I decided that I didn't want to sing on the record, I asked Tyler if she wanted

spk_0 to do that song and so she changed the lyrics and yeah, so it's yeah, I would say lyrics wise is,

spk_0 you know, it's got to be personal to the person singing it. And at the end of the day, they're the

spk_0 one that's got to go and sing it live every night, every time we play gigs. So it has to be at least

spk_0 somewhat meaningful to them or hopefully not too meaningful to them because otherwise, you

spk_0 know, so they have to have that control, I think. Totally. I think that's honestly a really respectful

spk_0 choice among the bands. And I was going to ask about Salem Sisters too. I saw that you had a

spk_0 a lyrical credit on there. It's the only lyrical credit I noticed other than one other person

spk_0 on that song that that wasn't one of the three vocalists, you know, how did that come about?

spk_0 Well, yeah, so I think it kind of came about because, as Lewis said, like, he originally wrote

spk_0 the song and then and then had a whole sort of world that kind of been created and then

spk_0 asks Tyler if she would, you know, like sing it and then kind of, I guess, like, adapt it for

spk_0 herself. And then she ended up writing quite a lot of the lyrics and kind of, I guess, like,

spk_0 like creating her own version of it with with Rashid, her boyfriend. And like, and I think,

spk_0 they, yeah, they just kind of did it together. And then, and then, like, you know, me.

spk_0 Well, yeah, I'd written these like nonsense lyrics for the backing vocals when I was really jet lagged

spk_0 at some point. And in my mind at that time, I was like, this sounds fucking sick.

spk_0 And then I like, I think I showed them to Luke and he was like, it's cool, man, but

spk_0 it weird. And and so they kind of stuck because they didn't make any sense to the song.

spk_0 And and so they stuck throughout Tyler's Tyler Rashid's new adaptation of the lyric. And then

spk_0 when we were in the studio, we were like, okay, this has to change because these are a bit random.

spk_0 Yeah. And so Charlie stepped in and managed to make you kind of, you managed to like adapt

spk_0 kind of what I was saying originally to to make a bit of sense with the story.

spk_0 It was a pretty nice. Yeah. Yeah. It just changed a few words here and there. Yeah. Exactly.

spk_0 Well, if there's a willing, it's said like the way that you guys talk about, like lyrics being

spk_0 precious and like, you don't want to fringe upon someone else's work. Yeah. Does that allow for

spk_0 someone stepping in that to be like pretty respectful and be like, hey, like, there's like a

spk_0 trust there that like, because you don't do that very often whenever someone does step in. It's like

spk_0 clearly this person has the best of intentions and like they, oh yeah. No one's really stepping

spk_0 in out of their own choice. I think no people are, you know, we're very, very extremely communicative

spk_0 as a band. Like nothing goes on said when we're arranging and when we're writing together. So if

spk_0 if we need help, we ask each other for help. So it's, yeah, it's never like a you need me right now.

spk_0 So that is something that I wanted to touch on because that that sense of togetherness and like

spk_0 cantonous and vulnerability that translates from the outside looking in your interviews and your

spk_0 music and your performances. I like you to speak to that a little bit more and like how do you

spk_0 continue to build that kind of culture and like what is it that like what is it that drives that?

spk_0 I think I don't know. It's sort of one of those things which just kind of happens actively rather than

spk_0 like thinking about. Sure. Sure. I think we have kind of like we have hopped on about it almost

spk_0 the point of it becoming obnoxious. I think I think it's really. I think it's really.

spk_0 Absolutely wonderful. Yeah. Yeah. We do a lot of research into bands that actively dislike each

spk_0 other. Oh my god. Like even now are constantly at each other's throats. Yeah. So to see like through

spk_0 the interviews and the performances, the sensitive community and like caring that you have for one

spk_0 another is quite refreshing. Yeah. It's helpful to have six of us to hold each other accountable.

spk_0 Yeah. But I think like when you have even if you're really good mates and even if you're

spk_0 mates before your before your band mates, your friends before your colleagues, you know, even if

spk_0 that's the case, if there's less of you, it tension is so easy to build up. Yeah. But tension is

spk_0 really alleviated by the fact that there's so many of us in the band. And you know, if you're like

spk_0 sick or someone you can hang out with someone else and that's fine and then you don't resentments,

spk_0 don't build up in the same way. Whereas if you're in a band like a three or four piece and you're

spk_0 and you're not getting on like can be much harder, much harder touring. And I think also we

spk_0 it's really helpful that all of the creative stuff is very split up. Everyone kind of feels like

spk_0 they have a stake in the game. There's no one that is like there's no one whose opinions aren't

spk_0 listened to. Which is also another thing that causes a lot of tension when you have like principal

spk_0 songwriters and then sure they're the only ones that are having a say and then oh guitarist, you know,

spk_0 Albert Hammond Jr wants to write something. Then you get so much tension and so we're lucky with those

spk_0 because of those things and I think we definitely try and instill this kind of everyone is listen

spk_0 to everyone is creatively as important as the next person because that allows for a lot more

spk_0 longevity in the band I think. Yeah, in other bands it's almost always like jealousy or control

spk_0 issues or just people lashing out not knowing how to communicate with one another and just acting

spk_0 on their emotions in the moment seems like you guys have I can only imagine that that kind of

spk_0 relationship is built through trial and error and like just knowing that like being able to own up

spk_0 to your shit when you know you do something or being able to speak to one another about you know

spk_0 open communication like you said. Yeah, yeah, it's also built up from the fact that you know we like a

spk_0 lot of bands that struggle were very young when they started obviously we were young but we've

spk_0 had like bands before and it's and we've gone through a lot of difficult situations as musicians

spk_0 so we kind of have always felt like a bit back to the back against the wall since we started so it

spk_0 it means that we take it for granted a lot less and we don't we're never made to feel like we're

spk_0 going to be huge big pop stars and everything's going to be sorted for you and then as soon as

spk_0 shit hits the fan you know relationships within bands can go bad but you know I've filled

spk_0 feels a bit like we're well pressed for yeah not hating each other too much. I think it's also just

spk_0 like it has always just been extremely fun to make music together it's never been kind of like

spk_0 if we didn't you know if that wasn't good or if we didn't really get on then we just would have

spk_0 like there has been ample opportunity to stop like that's that opportunity is continue to

spk_0 and present itself so I think if we wanted to we don't believe in omens

spk_0 no it seems like growth through experience yeah nice yeah well it's nice to have five other

spk_0 people that have gone through the same the same thing yeah and it's like it is it's an interesting

spk_0 kind of unusual circumstance that only a handful of people can really relate to so there is an

spk_0 element of like leaning on each other but like you said like it's nice to have enough people that

spk_0 when things start to go sideways you can kind of like all right we're gonna step away and you know

spk_0 talk to this person for for a bit um I want to talk about the the arrangements on on the album because

spk_0 they're they're right up my alley the kind of bro oh my gosh I from from from the jump I was like

spk_0 yes please um there's just such a wealth of sound and like instruments you got like

spk_0 mandolin harpsichord harmonium all that all that stuff were there any instruments that you guys

spk_0 wanted to use but had to learn to use on the fly well the main one was really the the recorder

spk_0 the recorder yeah which I yeah I guess you may have been eluting I saw that but I didn't know

spk_0 if there was anything else no yeah well no there was other stuff and I think that like the other

spk_0 stuff in the studio was kind of like we just didn't like you know we wanted to use like the the

spk_0 onsmasthano in the studio which like you know all which we ended up not using not using it turns out

spk_0 a timpani's timpani's I had to learn how to use the timpani's cool um which was sort of a kind of

spk_0 you know 50 minute YouTube but you can add it to that resume yeah I don't think I'll ever boast

spk_0 about the record but uh no the record is was kind of the main one I think there was yeah for this

spk_0 like the title track of the album um we well yeah I guess I mean it's like again like the ethos of

spk_0 the whole album was kind of just like let's just fuck it like yeah do whatever like if we can we

spk_0 don't have to just like play like the instruments that we kind of always played and um and yeah that

spk_0 was like a really fun thing to kind of lean into particularly because the songs were just like

spk_0 impossible to arrange in a traditional band set up like there is a version of forever how long

spk_0 the the track where the band is kind of playing on it and it's playing on the on you know overlaid

spk_0 on top of the recorders um but the like the songs themselves kind of the heart of them are just

spk_0 kind of really difficult to arrange the traditional band set up so we just didn't do that

spk_0 and yeah so with the record as we were speaking to Mayabout it and she was like okay I can basically

spk_0 see like either you're playing five clarinet of five recorders and the clarinet is expensive and

spk_0 too hard to learn too hard read easy choice but most sort of you know six year olds in you know

spk_0 uh at least a sort of rude inventory grass in recorder yeah recorded yes so we yeah that's kind

spk_0 of what we did and then and I think like between Lewis who's already like a sort of you know

spk_0 very accomplished woodwind player windess a windess of course yeah wind yeah um and in May

spk_0 and Alfred Alfred Gabriel yeah with friend Gabriel Chooley who's like an incredible recorder player

spk_0 he came over to my house and we all sat around the dinner table and learned how to play the recorder

spk_0 with him and he was coming around and just like adjusting people's finger positions or like

spk_0 where the recorder was I like it was great that's so fun yeah rules get it's like going back to school

spk_0 yeah it is yeah yeah um you were talking about the immense like orchestral production of all the songs

spk_0 on this album uh I have a favorite I'm not sure I haven't been reading reviews more than I have

spk_0 been reading facts right but I I'm not sure if it's a popular one two horses I'm sure is a huge

spk_0 it it's great I love the storytelling but specifically I love the storytelling of the instrumentation

spk_0 how did you guys find to put together so many different facets of that song there are so many stages

spk_0 I mean it just I think this is kind of the example of the song that we just made worse

spk_0 like in trying to put together those stages we just I really like it no no it's just original

spk_0 yeah George's original composition so she brought in like this song and kind of actually had like a

spk_0 logic project you know which was sort of like you know much more work than she and that's rare we

spk_0 never we've never really do it like that no normally it's just like you know like like you know someone

spk_0 will come in and like bang out something which would just sort of seems kind of impossible to play

spk_0 and then we'd figure out the next like three weeks or so um but George kind of came in with

spk_0 all of our homework done and like had like basically a more or less complete idea of a song

spk_0 with it you know with like a drum part with like guitar parts and it kind of felt like it had

spk_0 a sort of flow to it and then we basically took it apart and like made it way more busy than it

spk_0 needed to be and put our own sort of spin on it and it's kind of like when we were playing it for

spk_0 a bit and it was just like well that's fine I've not but not not great um and um so then we just

spk_0 kind of like well the original was what we've kind of made things interesting and it was fun to play

spk_0 and so then we went back to the drumble with it kind of and um and uh that yeah I think with with that

spk_0 song particularly like it was a case of just like listening to what was originally brought in and

spk_0 kind of actually honoring it rather than being like this has to kind of feel like everyone's put their

spk_0 own spin on it yeah um which often is the way which you kind of I guess uh make the album like feel

spk_0 like it's you know six people lost like whoever is kind of brought the skeleton of the song in

spk_0 to kind of flesh out um but yeah I don't know I think that with in that case it just just kind of

spk_0 had to like follow it follow what was already laid down it takes a high level of self-awareness to

spk_0 be like too much yeah because I am I want more all of the time yeah you might be the only one

spk_0 there's a yeah arguably yeah arguably you could say we actually have a serious lack of self-awareness

spk_0 and I think I think uh yeah we definitely try and tone it down but for us I feel like that is

spk_0 still quite vibrant so I think it just sort of shows how much you guys love like really really

spk_0 like whole sound just like it feel you make us it's six piece band feel like an orchestra

spk_0 it's really impressive yeah um also I wanted to ask about this double LP collectors edition

spk_0 of forever how long yeah there's some different things on it the second half of the track list is

spk_0 in a different order and then forever how long the title track is split on uh to two sides of the

spk_0 second disc was that an emotional choice was it a technical choice that was a silly idea that

spk_0 James bored came up with when we were doing a pre-production rehearsal there's the line says

spk_0 uh the line that may says is um uh a hesitating silence and when we we were doing this it was the

spk_0 first time he'd heard it when we were doing the silence he was like she had the side switch there

spk_0 hello and and everyone was like oh yeah yeah funny and then we were thinking about that's actually

spk_0 a really and um and so uh and so you kind of create your own silence sounds that

spk_0 it potentially is really but um it's funny it's funny so that was yeah that was James's idea so

spk_0 it's not an emotional thing it's more of a funny thing good and it's a good way to instill your own

spk_0 personality yeah yeah yeah record yeah but the do you want to explain the track list the track list

spk_0 is sort of sort of like you know in it is really good sort of being in a band of sort of six people

spk_0 where everyone has their opinions and gets to voice them all the time um because you know things are

spk_0 kind of constantly musical and you're able to change things except for you know like the track list

spk_0 or not I guess like it was um yeah so we had to we had to come up with the with the track list basically

spk_0 and there was sort of an idea of it um that we kind of were doing in the studio and we were kind of

spk_0 reaching the end of the three weeks and we started speaking about like oh what do you reckon you

spk_0 know it could be and it always felt as though um without really speaking about it um so it's kind

spk_0 of stupid it was you know an assumption that like you know the cold country would kind of be at the

spk_0 end of the album um and it would kind of follow sort of you know um that that kind of form um and it

spk_0 just like I think for for like may particularly she was like really just don't want that

spk_0 which is completely that's her song yeah so yeah so yeah I mean the kind of the way in which

spk_0 it sort of goes is that um everyone gets to sort of like uh we normally kind of vote and whoever

spk_0 gets a majority kind of go to that unless someone really like you know really really gives a

spk_0 ship which is you know I think there's something quite you know like a track list it's like that

spk_0 isn't okay time to be like I'm I'm vetoing this yeah um and it was the only time we've ever had two

spk_0 people sort of vetoing one another because I was you know I was really like this just doesn't make

spk_0 any sense for country should be the out of and they was like what's my fucking song

spk_0 he's not going at the end of the album um you're you're out you're asking yourself here because we had

spk_0 a pit for kids to be the other day and we we didn't name oh did we put the person that uh

spk_0 no I was being a real prick about it I think like it was like three in the morning on like um

spk_0 it was three in the morning we were at a tour bus at a service station in like Manchester or

spk_0 outside of Manchester and I like managers were like begging and begging and begging for us to just

spk_0 like come up with a final track list and we were all just sat in different parts of the tour bus

spk_0 like listening to the album over and over again in different orders um when like finally may sort of

spk_0 came in and was like look I think that the track list this is what I really want um but uh like um

spk_0 ideally in the iDical world I'd quite like for like my track list to be maybe like exist somewhere

spk_0 so maybe it could be on the special edition um which actually then became like quite like a nice

spk_0 neat way of like the majority sort of rule in in favor of goodbye you know the track list was on

spk_0 the album being the the actual track list but the sort of uh the the special edition is the alternate

spk_0 track list which is quite a nice you know nice way it's like he's sort of actually

spk_0 way of kind of you know it's obviously quite confusing but also like but now that you've explained

spk_0 it it's very deep yes there's also a bit of hidden audio at the end there is of the cold country

spk_0 on the on the special edition vinyl which is interesting yeah I don't want you to spoil

spk_0 yeah um dang that is so cool yeah it's really nice that it exists uh and that it's accessible

spk_0 for all of your fans so they can experience the album in different ways like and especially

spk_0 coming from a band where you guys are so vocal about being so fair to one another and wanting to

spk_0 have your opinion on display you know um also going off of that I noticed I watched one of your

spk_0 live sets for this album front uh in the UK and you changed the set list order you moved socks

spk_0 like two songs down is that uh traditional for your whole life set right now and is there a choice

spk_0 behind that um we're trying to mix it up a little bit we did a crazy random set list order last night

spk_0 we just played we only played the album last night in Santa Ana but it was um we just tried to mix it

spk_0 up completely but yeah I think just if when you get to used to songs being in the same place

spk_0 it means that you get really um it takes you really off guard when they move in a set list and you

spk_0 kind of need to keep mixing it up so that you can be a bit prepared for anything to be able to adapt

spk_0 you know yeah um and uh yeah I think socks is is is an interesting one because we have to play that

spk_0 quite tactically because we've now we're now playing it so Tyler's playing piano and May's playing

spk_0 because on the record Tyler plays piano and just sounds just sounds better when the because it's so loose

spk_0 Tyler is like singing in a really uh kind of vibrato way and accompanying herself exactly like

spk_0 it's kind of like Randy Newman style you know yes and so uh it was it kind of felt necessary for

spk_0 Tyler to be playing piano on that one so we swap now and to like save as much awkward silence as

spk_0 possible we try and put that one uh we try and put socks after a tune where Luke's been playing

spk_0 acoustic guitar so me and Luke can kind of um dovetail the previous song into the sock so yeah it

spk_0 it doesn't always work out you know like he was a fresh yeah yeah we just try trying trying to make

spk_0 sure the the set the live set builds a bit more of a performance because I think we're quite guilty

spk_0 of sometimes just like rocking up playing the song playing the song playing the song just like just

spk_0 having big gaps in between the songs not really communicating just like you know playing well but not

spk_0 making it so much of a show and uh so we kind of make it more of a show yeah we kind of fell into

spk_0 that like during Bush Hall we just kind of like because we wrote it like as a set right we just did

spk_0 the set every every night and didn't really change the order or kind of when it felt like we

spk_0 should change the order it felt really random and that was it I mean you were also doing it for

spk_0 what two years yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah it's insane yeah it's just completely fine but you know

spk_0 so it is important yeah to be mixing up yeah yeah keeps you guys present yeah it just keeps you

spk_0 engaged with the material yeah exactly we we wanted to give you guys because you sent us some record

spk_0 selections that we weren't able to to touch on but we wanted to give you guys the opportunity to kind

spk_0 of lay out and and talk a little bit about the albums that you did send us and like what they

spk_0 what they mean like how how you see their fingerprints on on your work and the the albums that we

spk_0 that we received were um peasant by Richard Dawson summer teeth summer yes summer teeth by

spk_0 Wilcoe and insignificance by Jim O'Rourke so yeah I would love to hear you guys takes on those like

spk_0 what those why why you chose those is like these these records are sort of blind spots yeah they're

spk_0 kind of blind spots I know summer teeth a little bit yeah but the other two I had not heard of oh really

spk_0 yeah yeah I know I know I listened to that Richard Dawson it's really beautiful oh my god I can see

spk_0 some of the crossover like orchestral league we're very inspired by him yeah yeah I love Richard Dawson

spk_0 yeah probably the the best musician in England at the moment really I think like and he has been

spk_0 for years as well he's been going out for a long time and kind of always maintaining this cult status

spk_0 that he's got and yeah he's pretty he's a complete genius and peasant is I mean peasant is

spk_0 an older album of his I guess nearly 10 years old now but um that's I think a timeless a completely

spk_0 timeless album yeah I think that actually that album probably is uh one of the few albums that you

spk_0 could sort of like definitively say was an inspiration for for everyone ish for for like this record

spk_0 what I think they're like I mean uh in that in the sense that like everyone in the band kind of

spk_0 comes at the music from a slightly different angle and everyone approaches like songwriting

spk_0 and performance and like like sound like their own personal sound in a different way but I think

spk_0 that peasant was definitely an album that was kind of thrown around a lot in terms of like

spk_0 you know just kind of like I've had like it would be really cool at the sound a bit like peasant

spk_0 like it's cool yeah I think it's just like the way in which it doesn't sound like peasant.

spk_0 It doesn't sound like peasant but there are similar it's yeah sure yeah no musicality for sure

spk_0 I think that just like the the like the sound of the album and like storytelling and like you know

spk_0 I think um they were just the like the way in which like the guitar sound like the kind of the acoustic

spk_0 percussion I think just obviously that album you know up for a round doesn't sound like that but

spk_0 like it just when we were kind of writing it um I know I was like definitely listening to to it like

spk_0 a lot I just think it's like really like strange uh songwriting and like sort of harmony and then

spk_0 they kind of breaks down into these like really beautiful like kind of not necessarily like quiet but

spk_0 just like I don't know like um yeah I don't know just just like just really really like wonderful musical

spk_0 moments and that's not to say he's only got one amazing album like there's so much more yeah

spk_0 he's got like 2020 kind of a pop record um which he released in 2019

spk_0 yeah okay he's prediction was off yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

spk_0 and you know a ruby chord that came out a couple years ago and that is like a really amazing

spk_0 it's kind of a sci-fi album yeah which is cool it's a sci-fi folk album yeah interesting concepts

spk_0 yeah yeah it's amazing yeah really interesting yeah he released an album on Valentine's Day actually

spk_0 same days the horse girl record um and I went see him play at rough trade it was awesome yeah cool

spk_0 we saw him at the end of the road festival a few years ago and he started the set it was just

spk_0 him and and drunken his drummer and they started the set with a 15 minute accapella song with

spk_0 just a kind of repeated like about a medieval quilt maker yeah that's really amazing old

spk_0 really well Renaissance fair that seems on frand yeah I do like like you mentioned he is able to do

spk_0 this thing that I feel like you guys do as well where the it's it starts off very soft and pretty

spk_0 and light and then eventually like grows to this breaking point where it sort of explodes I

spk_0 I definitely see some sort of similarities yeah definitely yeah well I've just very inspired by him

spk_0 it's amazing cool yeah well I'm sold I gotta go yeah his whole his whole discography now yeah

spk_0 yeah yeah yeah we can talk about the other ones yeah yeah yeah yeah will go Jim or Rort well the

spk_0 will co album um I saw on a on a how I met your mother forum is a prediction Ted Mosby's favorite

spk_0 will co album slash the will co CD from that episode is summer teeth even though it was released

spk_0 like five years prior to the episode the and any and he describes it as his new will co CD in the

spk_0 episode the fans believe that head Mosby's favorite will calm would be summer teeth because it's

spk_0 got the most Mosby in qualities I think and do you adhere to that belief yeah I think it's quite

spk_0 it's you know it's for pitch and fey um yeah no it's it's I just I love I love will co so much and for me

spk_0 the the pop sensibilities of this record is just this is the one for me I don't know I obviously

spk_0 Yankee hotel fox truck is incredible and a bit more of a kind of masterpiece but I like the lighter

spk_0 will co stuff and and this is chock full of bangers he's just banger on I'm always in love amazing tune

spk_0 yeah summer teeth amazing tune shot in the arm amazing tune shot in the arm he's a jar amazing tune

spk_0 shot in the arm's kind of reason why the timpani is re even on the arm Lewis Lewis sent

spk_0 sent over shot in the arm um to me like as we were kind of rising it I think he might have been like

spk_0 a bit before we went into studio he was the message was check out the timpani's on this song

spk_0 he's like well I gotta learn championing out and uh yeah then it was just kind of like oh okay it

spk_0 just makes sense it's kind of you know to to learn a new instrument yeah um but yeah that's such

spk_0 good album yeah I love this it's just like amazing I think like will co one of those bands that

spk_0 again we kind of like uh spoke about quite a lot and you can't really hear on the album at all but

spk_0 like it just really viby album yeah it's great yeah yeah and then jimma rock one yeah

spk_0 insignificant yeah well there's obviously a link yes in jimma rock and will co he did the

spk_0 produced Yankee hotel fox truck right Yankee Fox truck hotel Yankee hotel fox truck and uh and uh

spk_0 and also like him and Jeff Tweedie have collaborated as well in loose fur as well you should check

spk_0 out they're really good that's a really good collaboration uh and yeah jimma rock he's like

spk_0 certainly an odd bloke but he some of the some of the like most the most perfect production I've

spk_0 ever heard on alternative rock music ever I think the most dials in tones yeah it's pretty

spk_0 achievable sounds incredible yeah um and I love I love how you know inspired by back rack he is

spk_0 yes and it's so like it's this you know on the song in significance it's just like absolutely

spk_0 rips and then you get this kind of beautiful like uh plinky plonky moments you know yeah I also I hear

spk_0 a lot of him in the new MJ lendemann album I don't know something about about that feels really

spk_0 jimma rocky to me the especially um uh the shape i'm in or is it you don't know the shape i'm in

spk_0 do you know the shape i'm in yeah that one yeah yeah that is um i really feel uh the jimma rock

spk_0 feeling to that i think he's just i mean in significance i think it's brilliant but he's got such

spk_0 like a kind of like broad palette i think um in terms of that kind of like american american

spk_0 rock style that i think uh in significance obviously is like kind of you know an amazing like all

spk_0 rock album but also like the halfway to a three way EP that's so good it's literally like

spk_0 insanely good and i think uh it's it's a bit more kind of like dialed down and softer particularly

spk_0 like particularly in sort of like there's you know it's like acoustic guitar and and like brushed

spk_0 brushed percussion um but the songwriting is just like so strong like the arrangements are so good

spk_0 and like it's so easy to listen to but also just like uh and it's not you know it's not like a

spk_0 challenging yeah isn't too at all it's just like it's yeah his his lyrics don't endear you

spk_0 dim but that's the point yeah exactly but you know it's like i do find sometimes i can't listen to

spk_0 it for too long because it makes me feel a bit like bad yeah negative negative sure you don't

spk_0 sit in that too long no no but it's um that just you know musically it's amazing also eureka that

spk_0 albums incredible as well i'm not so much into the um ambient kind of stuff ambient music's never

spk_0 really done it for me just um there's enough chords middle ground though is is that uh what's the

spk_0 name of the album with the disco ball in the front of it yeah i can't remember the name of that

spk_0 that's that's uh decent that that album is kind of the middle ground between is like ambient stuff

spk_0 and it's like you know like it's very sort of John phased our cards like and um it's the

spk_0 final track on that bad timing that's bad timing yeah the last track on bad timing is like it's

spk_0 sort of 10 minute kind of you know ambient like uh super John phased our guitars and then it's

spk_0 like about like minute sort of you know eight like just uh completely opens up and just like really

spk_0 like awesome um beautiful like you know uh shuffles yeah like fun or rock it rewards patience it does

spk_0 reward patience and you know and he's not singing on it so yeah there you go yeah it's not to say he's

spk_0 he's like you know he's a he's a bad lyricist or no he's going to make him lyrics yeah go like

spk_0 and i actually miss his lyrics on that i'd miss his singing his vocal presence on that album on

spk_0 bad timing his melodies like his vocal melodies are always so good yeah if anything that should be a

spk_0 testament uh how good he is as an artist that he can take his lyrics and vocals completely out

spk_0 and still like show off what he has exactly exactly you know he's amazing he's so good would be great

spk_0 to work with him but you've got to Japan to do it you know not in budget at the moment oh also I saw

spk_0 um you're you guys did a what's in my bag um recently and you chose Rosalía's el malkader

spk_0 love that i love that album love that album honestly very interesting pop music the flamenco

spk_0 influence i feel like came in at a time where it was not happening is frequently especially on

spk_0 american radio stations i love rosalía fantastic i regret um in some ways choosing that album because

spk_0 i don't speak any Spanish i can't even ask me what my favorite song was i was like i don't

spk_0 fucking know what i think i can't say any of these words um so uh but i'd love that album i really

spk_0 love it and it's um you know rosalía is just is probably one of my favorite pop musicians i don't

spk_0 even know she's really a pop musician she's like a pop music she's so operatic honestly her vocals

spk_0 are incredible yeah i think uh yeah i i think she's definitely multi-genre yeah yeah well i saw it

spk_0 pre-revera and it was so good and it's something i was thinking about recently when i saw Sylvan

spk_0 Estrada in mexico um is that one of the biggest privileges of of doing what we do as a band

spk_0 isn't just being able to see loads of amazing places and loads of amazing musicians play

spk_0 but it's being able to see amazing musicians who sing in a different language yeah amongst the people

spk_0 who speak that language and that that and rosalía like obviously i wasn't i didn't listen to motor

spk_0 as much but i was like i knew those songs so well and to hear everyone speaking catalan around me

spk_0 while she was doing it amazing and then Sylvan Estrada like those songs i know like the back of my

spk_0 hand so many of her songs and to hear people singing it in Spanish when i don't know the i don't

spk_0 know the lyrics whatsoever i don't know what they mean at all but i know like every melodic and like

spk_0 inflection and every embellishment she does so it was just amazing to be surrounded by

spk_0 banished speaking people while while you know listening to that music which means a lot to me

spk_0 yeah it means so so such a different thing to me than it was to them yeah that's a massive privilege

spk_0 what what what we what we've got you know oh yeah i have definitely like sang along to a rosalía

spk_0 song that i didn't really know what it meant and then looked up the translation and been like oh

spk_0 i was feeling something very different but not tragic

spk_0 yeah

spk_0 yeah awesome we'd like to thank you guys so much for coming on this was an absolute

spk_0 pleasure the record absolutely grips thank you thank you i really fell in love with it and

spk_0 i hope the tour continues to i hope you continue to crush it on you thank you

spk_0 yeah definitely well thanks i haven't i thank you yes cool awesome great thanks

spk_0 um thank you all again so much for listening thanks so much to charlie and louis for joining us to

spk_0 talk about their new record black country new roads record if you haven't heard already uh

spk_0 forever how long just came out check the record out check them out on tour if they're coming to a

spk_0 city near you it's a good time to do it or travel to go see them too yeah just go see them go see them

spk_0 this is our new email also tick tock an instagram you can follow us there at ear wax pod

spk_0 head over to amyba.com where you can find information when you sign up for our email list

spk_0 about in store updates coupons contests all kinds of good stuff while you're there one more time

spk_0 free shipping music movies pretty cool it is pretty cool it is and while you're still on the internet

spk_0 go over to youtube check out there what's in my bag series i think we may have mentioned it in the

spk_0 episode but black country new road did a what's in my bag a couple of years back they got a ton of

spk_0 pics because there's six people in the band need a Simone Rosalia modest mouse van Dyke park king

spk_0 crimson arthor Russell just uh Joanna Newsom it's just crazy there's so much there they have exquisite

spk_0 Joanna Sternberg there you go we were talking about Lizz Lizz Franz Lizz I could go on about

spk_0 Franzz list but we'll save that for after the break thank you all so much for listening we will

spk_0 see you after the break we promise this time

spk_0 you

Bonus Episode! Black Country, New Road's Charlie Wayne and Lewis Evans

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