SUNMACHINE On the Making Of “Spine”
What was the creative process like for this particular "Spine?"
Creating “Spine” was a very collaborative process for us! We always work together on our music and we each have our own input, but “Spine” particularly showcases our individual strengths as musicians. Ross and Jake recorded ideas for the guitar & bass riffs, often having the two instruments push and pull on each other rather than always playing the same thing and they layered on the synthesizers. Kieran very quickly wrote all the lyrics, pulling from themes of existential dread that everyone can experience during their lives, and from there we arranged the final song.
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of "Spine?"
The initial spark was a basic track Ross sent the other band members, which contained rough ideas for the verse, chorus, and breakdown bass riffs. Once we heard that idea, we very quickly arranged to record a demo to work with!
What has been one of your favorite memories along the path to making "Spine?"
Recording the vocals was the real icing on the cake. We've known each other for a while and we find it easy to work together, so we enjoy pretty much the whole creative process, but recording Kieran's performance on “Spine” was pretty huge. The "Do you wanna have a crisis" lines had us very excited in the studio!
How did your band members initially come together?
Ross and Jake first met in College when they were 16. Jake had started a band called Meet Me At Dawn, and Ross asked if he could join on bass guitar. Soon enough, they were doing gigs at most of the venues in Cambridge. Kieran joined after seeing us at the Junction after the previous singer left. Meet Me At Dawn eventually broke up, and we all went our separate ways. After some time, Jake asked Ross if he could write some drums for a track that would end up being our first single "Who's It Gonna Be", and he ended up laying down some bass tracks too. The rest is history!
What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
Ross (Bass/Producer): I don't remember having any interest in music as a child, but a good friend in secondary school started showing me bands he was into such as Tool and Nine Inch Nails, and I felt immediately drawn to it. I had some guitar and bass lessons and my teacher showed me a lot of different music too. After learning some chops, and joining a band, I came across a lot of studio vlogs by bands such as Periphery and Dorje and realised I had this urge to learn more about how all this music I heard was created. I went on to study audio engineering at university, and I'm still learning today!
Kieran (Vocals): I've always been obsessed with and surrounded by music from a very young age, and for most of my life it's been something I couldn't live without. Because of this, I've always wanted to write and perform my own music to share with others.
Jacob (Guitarist): The simple answer is that my grandad showed me ‘Wonderful Tonight’ by Eric Clapton and from then on guitar became the centre of my life. Later on, I discovered Alter Bridge and I immediately drop-tuned my guitar and turned up the gain. Everyone who knows me knows that I often joke that I have no life, the guitar is all I do and that’s it. I can honestly say that when I play guitar I just feel that I’m doing what I should be, and I’m lucky enough that when I get on to stage with Kieran and Ross I know I’m doing it with the right people.
