Rock ’n’ Raw
Join us on our journey to Silversun Pickups’ Neck of the Woods.
So much of music’s power comes from its authenticity. Musicians pour their souls into their art, expose layers of emotion and meaning and self that would otherwise be hidden from public view. Photography does the same, and combining these mediums offers new insight into the hearts of our favorite creators. Our latest inside look comes from Silversun Pickups, the band that’s reinvigorated the alternative rock scene and wowed crowds with their latest album Neck of the Woods. The Los Angeles quartet documented the creation of their third LP with Hipstamatic, and we were stoked to help tell their story.
We’re all about capturing moments and telling stories through art. How does NECK OF THE WOODS FIT INTO YOUR STORY? How is it A SNAPSHOT FOR WHERE THE BAND IS NOW? Hipstamatic was a big part of the post-production of Neck Of The Woods. Between the four of us, we took over 500 Hipstamatic pictures during the build-up to the release of the record. We incorporated each individual picture in our deluxe edition package: each package came with a unique Hipstamatic photo that one of us took. We were able to give our fans a glimpse of our lives leading up to the release, through our very own eyes—from photo shoots to video shoots to band meetings to rehearsals, Hipstamatic helped us capture these behind-the-scenes moments and share them with the world.
How do you feel photography helped tell your story in A NEW WAY? Photography is like no other artistic medium. It can tell a whole story or paint a perfect picture, and yet you don’t have to be a storyteller or a painter, you just need to have a point of view. Hipstamatic is the perfect weapon for those who have points of view. Hipstamatic doesn’t create a mood for my pictures, it just lets the mood shine a little brighter—adding adjectives to my story, or colors to my painting.
Tell US about the creative and recording processes for neck of the woods. Did YOU APPROACH THIS ALBUM ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN YOUR PREVIOUS WORKS? With producer Jacknife Lee at the helm, we approached the making of this record entirely differently from our previous albums. Normally when we get into the studio, we’ve rehearsed songs and arranged them to a point where we’re happy and know how to play the song in its entirety. The train tracks were in place, and we just had to build the train. But with Jacknife, it was more like building the train and the tracks at the same time. We were very free to explore different sounds and ideas, and recorded many things quickly so as not to think too much about it—relying a lot on our instincts to lead the way. Yet Mr. Lee was always there to make sure we didn’t stray too far from our destination. It was a very freeing and creative process, but also a lot of hard work.
Where did you draw inspiration for neck of the woods? How do YOU KEEP THINGS FRESH AND REMAIN INSPIRED AFTER WORKING TOGETHER SO MANY YEARS? Inspiration for Neck Of The Woods is right in the title: it’s about where you grew up and what’s made you who you are today. It helped a lot that we recorded the album in the mountains of Topanga Canyon, very close to where Brian grew up. There was a lot of inspiration in those hills and winding roads. Ultimately all of us enjoy each other’s company, so it makes it easy to keep things fresh and fun and inspiring.
What would you like people to take away from the new album? I want people to take whatever they want from it. We made it, now it’s their turn to interpret it and make it their own by using it as a soundtrack to their lives. If they’re able to do that, then we’ve done our job.
Bonus question: do you have any favorite combos for shooting with hipstamatic? I’m currently down with the Mission HipstaPak. The Bettie XL lens and Ina’s 1935 film are my fave at the moment, but it changes daily, as it should, in the Hipstamatic world we live in.
