Feature: Book/Spirit Decodes “Meant To Be”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your "Meant To Be" and the story it tells?
Mike: When I came up with the riff, I was going for something like Joy Division. Lyrically, it’s about fighting for someone who isn’t right for you, and everyone around you sees it. And yet continuing to rationalize it to yourself because of a desperate lust/attraction, even as they grow more distant and you aren’t even sure you know anything about who this person is anymore.
Were there any challenges or breakthrough moments during the songwriting process for this "Meant To Be?"
Garrett: When we first started writing the song we had the riff and felt like a driving, Krautrock feel underneath it fit perfectly. So we had that going for a few weeks and I can remember one day working on the song we found this place where we hit a crescendo and just organically fell into a half-time feel where we also brought the dynamics way down and then the rest that leads into the outro with the speed-up at the end where the whole band is gradually getting faster was also part of that same songwriting day. They were totally spontaneous choices that just gave a lot of depth to what was a fairly straightforward fun little riff.
What did you enjoy most about making "Meant To Be?"
Pete: Our producer, Colin, really helped us with this one in the studio. He helped us to re-imagine the song in certain ways and distill out the essential elements. We recorded a lot of overdubs on this one to add layers of guitars, which I enjoyed a lot. I even played a baritone guitar for the first time on this song. Having the time to listen to mixes and workshop ideas in the studio was really helpful for getting the song to the final version.
Garrett: I enjoyed nothing about making Meant To Be. That song was a motherfucker to track and capture the right performance of; it was take after take after take of wanting to get it just right. We are really proud of how it turned out and we owe that all to Colin’s vision for the song.
Can you tell us more about you as a band?
Pete: We’re preparing to release our debut full length next March. We have a couple more singles planned before then and will be playing shows in the lead-up to the release. We really see this as just the beginning for us; we’re hoping to get back into the studio to record new material as soon as possible.
Garrett: We just want to write great songs, put on fun shows, and be the best version of ourselves musically that we can be. We just really love playing music with each other. Every day we can just go to our practice space and pick up our instruments and start playing whatever comes to mind and instantly there’s a connection - we don’t even need to say Hi to one another sometimes before we speak.
How would you describe your band's overall stage presence and the energy you bring to your live shows?
Pete: Our goal on stage is to have as much fun as possible and share that feeling with everyone in the room. We want each show to be unique and memorable. We have some sections of songs that we extend live and jam on them a bit. The improvisational elements keep us on our toes and force us to really listen to each other.