Upset rudely interrupts an afternoon of FIFA 17 (“We’re all tied up at 1 and it’s halftime.”) so You Blew It!’s Tanner Jones can spill the beans on the band’s new album.
Hey Tanner, how has 2016 been so far for you guys? Are you in a good place?
2016’s been pretty slow up until now, which I think has been good. We’ve all had time to decompress and really get our heads back on. Now that we’re getting back into the swing of things, we’re really excited to see the new record getting so much preliminary attention. Couldn’t imagine a better scenario.
You’re soon to release ‘Abendrot’ – in what ways do you see this as a transitionary record for the band?
I think it holds that distinction for a lot of reasons, but the biggest one has got to be the sound. We took this opportunity to really explore other soundscapes and writing styles, and we’re very happy with the outcome — dare I say, proud.
Which of the songs featured means the most to you?
The whole record really, really cuts into me. It was written in a very volatile time, and I used writing as some kind of purge-based therapy. Although the song that I think means the most to me is the one I wrote to be fictional. It’s called Arrowhead. I wrote it from the perspective of an absent father to his daughter, but I didn’t realise until later that there are absolutely pieces of me that snuck in there. ‘Epaulette’ is a very close second though. That one’s about my grandfather.
What was the most important thing you learnt – about yourself, being a musician or life in general – during the creation process?
I’m not as strong as I thought I was, and that’s okay. Under the assumption that I could handle it, I allowed work, art, and perfectionism blend into one, all while touring incessantly. I ended up letting it overtake me and I dealt with it in very unhealthy ways. I realised there comes a point where you need to ask for help, and that there’s strength and solace in that.
Do you think this record will allow you to connect with fans in a different way to you have previously?
I’d really love that. Ultimately my high hope is that this record reaches out to someone in need.
Which lyric on the record are you most proud of?
I think it’s got to be the whole of ‘Kerning’. I’m really proud of the general and personal metaphors in that song. It exists in layers. The lyrics were written before the music too, which is very atypical of how I write.
Where did you look for inspiration when you first started to work on the record? Did that change as the album progressed?
I’m always inspired by different artists and bands, but I found myself being inspired by cinema in more complete ways. Whereas I’ll be inspired by a certain guitar tone or chord progression in a song and then work upwards from there, cinema provides inspiration based on mood, and mood seems much easier to creatively work with.
Would you say ‘Abendrot’ is the album you set out to make?
You’re always going to want more out of a record, especially when collaborating with other musicians. There are always compromises to be made to keep everyone’s (slightly different) visions intact. But with that being said, this record absolutely accomplishes what we all hoped it would. We’re all very proud of it.
Taken from the November issue of Upset, out now – order your copy here. You Blew It!’s album ‘Abendrot’ is out now.
