Feature: Chapel of Roses Decodes ‘Cast out to Sea’
Photo Credit: Maeve Graham
What was the creative process like for this particular EP?
I'll address the lyrical aspect in this question, and then the band’s part in the next.
This song is about rebirth. After the band jammed on an early version of this song, I was thinking about the journey through time and place the band's separate lives have taken us to come together once again. It's been forty years! Some of us have had children, divorces, heartbreak, and loss. All of us have lived through time, a relentless beast, a waterfall that can crush us. At times we may have felt cast out to sea, but we've somehow managed to reach the lifeboat of friends, family, and some reckoning with fate.
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for 'Cast out to Sea' to life?
I produced this song. It went through a ton of iterations. Initially, it was just a cool jam we cut while rehearsing in my basement. I loved the interplay between our lap stell player, Jim T Graham, and our guitarist, Houston Greer. It had a cool shoegaze feel. I thought it had potential as a song. I sliced and diced the parts, added more guitar, some scratch vocals, and it started to gel. The original backing tracks are there, which is why the timing is a tad…well…fluid. And that makes the song feel live!
I'm a big fan of Sharon Van Etten and was super excited that Daniel Knowles, who co-produced her most recent record, was up for mixing this track. He did an amazing job. Also check out the second "further" version of the song - he did some really cool stuff towards the end.
What did you enjoy most about making 'Cast out to Sea?'
That moment after making my first edit of the jam session, when it transitioned into becoming a real song.
Are there any specific themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music?
A lot of my songs deal with the thin membrane between living or dying, the spiritual world - or other worlds - that we walk through. My Lost American song "Let's Stay Outside" is a good example of that.
What are your future goals or aspirations as a band?
To build a community of folks who enjoy our music!