When Death Bells jumped from an Australian sextet to a Los Angelan duo prior to their last album, their sound took a shift into brighter passages and greener pastures. Collecting themselves over the course of the brunt of the pandemic and beginning to familiarize themselves with the new terrain, the group got to explore all corners of that city on their new album Between Here & Everywhere out July 29 via Dais Records. That new and creatively stimulating environment had finally given them a place to flourish. We got to speak to vocalist Will Canning about all that went into their new album.
What has life been like in Los Angeles over the past few years since moving? How do you think the difference from Australia has helped you with making music?
Life in L.A. has been great. Obviously COVID threw a huge spanner in the works, but it allowed us a very deliberate period where we could get acquainted with the city itself. We spent a lot of lockdown crafting this new record.
The main difference coming from Australia is just how many more people there are doing the same as us. Lots of like-minded people makes for an environment with less friction. Pursuing music feels more natural here.
I love the story behind “Lifespring” and rediscovering a song. What was it like revisiting that song after a few years thinking you’d lost it?
It was nice to approach “Lifespring “with fresh ears; we didn’t change much—apart from cutting things from the first arrangement of the song. The initial demo had a lot going on, so we just simplified everything and I added lyrics to it. Collin Knight (who engineered the record) redid the drums completely, adding his own flair to the tune.
On New Signs of Life the songs had a bit of a poppier structure and felt a little brighter, but Between Here & Everywhere has a bit more of a range of emotion. Obviously the years writing most of it were heavy and strange in many ways, but was this gradient of emotion a conscious decision for you or something that happened organically?
It was certainly more of an organic process than a conscious decision. I always look at lyrics last, that frees up the mental space to jump in on songwriting with Remy and make sure that the skeletons of everything we’re writing have decent potential. With this record, we had a lot of time to experiment in a really insular environment, joined by a few trusted friends. I think that took us somewhere more psychedelic.
You’ve said that this album takes on a more narrative structure that is looking outward a bit more. Are there any particular stories you took inspiration from that you’d like to share? Did you find yourselves resonating with those stories you referenced?
Last year, my friend Luke lent me a book that he had really enjoyed, called Everything Now by Rosecrans Baldwin. I can’t recommend it enough. It does a really fantastic job of weaving together different vignettes that reflect life in L.A. I drew a lot of inspiration from that, as well as a book of conspiracy theories called Weird Scenes Inside The Canyon by David McGowan, and John Lurie’s autobiography.
Jordan Madge is the photographer behind the artwork, is there any inspiration of yours behind it? What do you feel it represents for the album?
I wanted to use this photo maybe five years ago, when we were putting out the Echoes / Move Through Me seven-inch. I think at the time, we were unable to afford licensing. It’s a really incredible image and I had to hunt down an old email thread with Jordan to get it figured out for this album. I have no idea if Jordan took the image or sourced it from archival material, which ties nicely to the anachronism and ambiguity that exists on the record itself.
On the album, you’ve got some more elements added in, including stunning bits of violin and piano, and you’ve brought in some awesome talent for them. Members of STRFKR, Feels, Object of Affection, and Froth, what got you connected with these people and what was it like working with them?
Jeff, Ari, Colin & Laena are all people we’ve worked alongside in the past, whether that be helping out in each others’ bands or collaborating on music together. We wanted to have a little more range and dynamism on this record that wasn’t achievable between the two of us, so it made sense to bring friends into the fold to lend their strength on different instruments.
Is there a song from Between Here & Everywhere that you’re most excited for everyone to hear? What makes it special to you?
I’m personally very excited for everyone to hear the closing tune on the record. It’s probably the furthest departure from what we’ve done in the past, which is selfishly very special to me.
Between Here & Everywhere is out on July 15 via Dais Records and you can preorder it here.
Photo courtesy of Kristopher Kirk
