Biography
The Record may refer to one of two bands:
1. Indie/rock band from Carrboro, NC whose two releases include Party Monster EP (2012) and The Things You Can't Forget (2011). www.thisistherecord.com
2. Band with releases Untitled Album and The Record.
Additional information on The Record as described in (1):
The Record began in 2011 as a recording project in the rented North Carolina house of long-time band mates Sean Spollen and Tyler Drake. Mostly tracked in a converted bedroom, what started as an exercise in songwriting and home studio recording has grown into a full-fledged five-piece rock band — and the release of The Record’s sophomore effort, Party Monster.
“When our last band called it quits we decided to take a step back,” says Spollen, the band’s lead singer and songwriter. “We didn’t want to rush to throw together another lineup and get wrapped up in booking shows and worrying about promotion and all the other things that go along with being in a band.”
“I had a catalog of demo songs from our previous projects that never really fit, so we decided to start backwards, and record an album first,” he explains. “We didn’t even want to think about a band name or searching for other musicians until that was done.”
After a few months of work and a bit of a learning curve, Spollen and Drake self-recorded, mixed, mastered, and released The Things You Can’t Forget in May 2011 as The Record. They then added vocalist and keyboardist Will Hendrick, played local shows in NC, and completed a short east coast tour.
In the fall of 2011, the group began working on songs for their sophomore effort, Party Monster, taking what they learned on their first album and expanding on it. “So much time with The Things You Can’t Forget was spent figuring out the process of recording and engineering an album,” said Drake. “With Party Monster, we were able to focus on the songs themselves and the story we wanted to tell.”
“When we were writing songs for Party Monster, we spent a lot more time editing and rewriting lyrics than we had in the past,” explains Spollen. “Instead of just focusing on one viewpoint, we tried to look at the situations the songs deal with from different perspectives, and tell all sides of the story.”
While taking a new lyrical approach, the band also experimented with instruments and arrangements. Acoustic guitar, which served as the foundation for The Record’s songs in the past, is used sparsely on this album — traded in for overdriven electric guitar riffs. Hendrick’s vocal harmonies and keys add a more complex dimension to the sound. While working on the album, The Record also added bassist Forrest Leker and drummer Robbie Duncan to complete the line-up, and contribute their own ideas and styles to influence the new recordings.
“We’re excited that the album is coming out soon, but we’re not going to use that as a reason to slow down,” adds Drake, who said the band is thinking about going into the studio to record a few more songs this summer.
“Party Monster really evolved since we were kicking around the songs on acoustic guitar last fall,” said Spollen. “Although at times our DIY method is insanely time-consuming, we really want keep that trend going and keep pushing things forward.”
“We’ve written and arranged a few songs already with our new lineup, and everyone’s added a ton of fresh energy and ideas,” adds Drake. “I feel like we’re just getting started.”
To listen to The Record, view tour dates, or get more information, visit www.thisistherecord.com.
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