Just after the release of their new record Sudden Sky, we had a chat to Crown The Empire about recoridng and writing the album.
Crown the Empire have released their latest album Sudden Sky via Rise Records ealier this month. “Our new album Sudden Sky is a digital representation of who we are at this moment in time,”Crown the Empire stated. “It captures our innermost fears and anxieties while questioning humanity and the chaos of the world we live in today. This urgent search for meaning taught us that the only way to truly be human is to be vulnerable. ‘Sudden chance and destruction will lead to your liberation…'”
We spoke to guitarist Brandon Hoover about recording Sudden Sky and more plans for 2019 for the band.
Congratulations on the release of your new record Sudden Sky! How does it feel to finally have it out for the world to hear?
It doesn’t even feel real. We’ve been creating this album and all of the marketing behind it over the past two years. It’s satisfying but at the same time, the real work begins now. We have to tour non stop and create the world around the music for the live shows. I’m stoked.
What were your main goals with this record? What did you want to achieve with the listeners?
Our goal was to put out the most personal piece of work we’ve ever created. This time around we didn’t want to create stories and concepts. We wanted to explain our personal fears and demons and our thoughts on today’s society. There’s an overlying theme of modern futurism which I think ties everything together perfectly with what’s happening the world today.
How was the writing and recording process this time around?
We wrote the album on and off between tours as well as on the road. This time around we had more time to shape the songs exactly how we wanted to. We started by writing the instrumentals and then took them into the studio to rearrange, add production, and then write melodies/lyrics. It was a very natural process.
Was there any sounds you experimented with that you were most excited and equally anxious about people hearing them?
We basically took everything we’ve done over the past 8-9 years as a band sonically and put it into this record, as well as experimented with sounds that show a glimpse into the future of what CROWN will become. Honestly I wasn’t anxious, I was more excited then anything. It was fun going back in time while also reinventing ourselves.
Are there any tracks you’re most looking forward to playing live now that the album is out?
On this upcoming headlining tour we are doing in the United States we are playing a lot of the new songs. I’m excited to see how MZRY goes over live. That seems to be one of the fan favorites because it’s reminiscent of some of our older music.
A lot of the tracks play with influences from different genres, was that a conscious choice or something that just came naturally?
We’ve always done that since the beginning. We like to throw in the hits, weird songs, experimental songs, pop, metal core, active rock, all mixed into one it’s created a pretty unique sound.
Tell us more about the album artwork – it’s quite intriguing. Is there a story behind it?
We wanted to capture the exact moment in time after the album was done and our emotions we felt while recording the album. So we 3D scanned our bodies and put them into a virtually altered environment which fit into the whole technological theme we were going for. Everything from the clothes to our body positions/facial expressions was thought out. It was also one of the most difficult parts of the album process because we had never done anything like that before.
Finally, what else is to come for Crown The Empire in 2019?
Lots of touring and creating a world around the new album. Can’t wait for you all to see what we’ve been doing behind the scenes…
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