Swan Lake, the group formed earlier this year by Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown principal Spencer Krug, Destroyer's Dan Bejar and Frog Eyes' Carey Mercer, will release its debut album, "Beast Moans," Nov. 21 via Jagjaguwar. The 13-song set was recorded in February and March of this year, in two different studios in Victoria, British Columbia.
The longtime friends have frequently collaborated with each other in a live setting. "Friends always come together, especially when they're afraid to step out in front of the 10 confused (and rightfully so) Dresdenites who had never heard of Destroyer or Frog Eyes but somehow got duped into paying 8 euros to see them play anyway," Bejar tells Billboard.com. "We just kinda felt there was an energy and the potential for a more formal project. We could each attack the other songs," Mercer adds.
Because of their respective touring and recording schedules, Swan Lake had only five weeks to put "Beast Moans" to tape. "The core of the songs (lyrics, chord progressions, main vocal melody) usually came from one person beforehand." Bejar explains. "Because we were building the songs from the ground up, there was way more overdub. It was written in the studio. The other, like Wolf Parade stuff, is usually been done live before we're recording it," Krug says.
"Spencer and I did shifts on it," Mercer says. "We mixed it and remixed it. The problem was never the songs, it was just where to go with it. Sometimes we'd be sitting around twiddling our thumbs, but the energy was so much like a high school project."
Although the group collaborated on the actual recordings, the lyrics for the project were written separate from another. "I've heard Carey say it's about lost women," says Krug. "If there are any themes, they're not intentional because they come from three different brains."
As of now, there are no plans to tour but it hasn't been ruled out. "We have plans to have a discussion about playing these songs live. The more I think about it, the more I like it," Mercer says. "It's hard to do songs that are all overdubbed. It can be really annoying but I think the payoff could be really cool," Mercer says.
Here is the track list for "Beast Moans":
"Widow's Walk"
"Nubile Days"
"City Calls"
"A Venue Called Rubella"
"All Fires"
"The Partisan But He's Got To Know"
"The Freedom"
"Petersburg, Liberty Theater, 1914"
"The Pollenated Girls"
"Bluebird"
"Pleasure Vessels"
"Are You Swimming in Her Pools?"
"Shooting Rockets"
The longtime friends have frequently collaborated with each other in a live setting. "Friends always come together, especially when they're afraid to step out in front of the 10 confused (and rightfully so) Dresdenites who had never heard of Destroyer or Frog Eyes but somehow got duped into paying 8 euros to see them play anyway," Bejar tells Billboard.com. "We just kinda felt there was an energy and the potential for a more formal project. We could each attack the other songs," Mercer adds.
Because of their respective touring and recording schedules, Swan Lake had only five weeks to put "Beast Moans" to tape. "The core of the songs (lyrics, chord progressions, main vocal melody) usually came from one person beforehand." Bejar explains. "Because we were building the songs from the ground up, there was way more overdub. It was written in the studio. The other, like Wolf Parade stuff, is usually been done live before we're recording it," Krug says.
"Spencer and I did shifts on it," Mercer says. "We mixed it and remixed it. The problem was never the songs, it was just where to go with it. Sometimes we'd be sitting around twiddling our thumbs, but the energy was so much like a high school project."
Although the group collaborated on the actual recordings, the lyrics for the project were written separate from another. "I've heard Carey say it's about lost women," says Krug. "If there are any themes, they're not intentional because they come from three different brains."
As of now, there are no plans to tour but it hasn't been ruled out. "We have plans to have a discussion about playing these songs live. The more I think about it, the more I like it," Mercer says. "It's hard to do songs that are all overdubbed. It can be really annoying but I think the payoff could be really cool," Mercer says.
Here is the track list for "Beast Moans":
"Widow's Walk"
"Nubile Days"
"City Calls"
"A Venue Called Rubella"
"All Fires"
"The Partisan But He's Got To Know"
"The Freedom"
"Petersburg, Liberty Theater, 1914"
"The Pollenated Girls"
"Bluebird"
"Pleasure Vessels"
"Are You Swimming in Her Pools?"
"Shooting Rockets"
Up for Discussion