What would happen if you penned an entire record between the hours of 12 and 4 in the morning? We’re about to find out, because Melbourne five piece The Paper Kites literally crafted their sophomore album twelvefour when the rest of the world was asleep.
“The album is a concept record, based around a theory that an artist's creative peak is between the hours of midnight and 4am,” says frontman Sam Bentley. The result is a collection of 10 tracks, mixing the introspection of the night with smooth guitar rifts. “If I could sum up the album, it’s about what happens when selfishness and love collide.”
Describing twelvefour as an “open letter,” Bentley spent two months routinely writing in the early hours of the morning to create it. “[It is] words and melodies written very late at night to attempt to understand the heaviest of choices, which is choosing someone else or yourself.” A follow up to their successful debut LP States, the musical progression of the band is obvious throughout their upcoming release. “There has been defining inspiration and theme to the songs for this album,” shares guitarist Dave Powys. “It seems like a natural progression to me from States. We’ve started using some drum sampling and a few more synths as part of the staple sound.” Heading to Seattle earlier this year, the group recorded the album with Grammy award winning producer Phil Ek, who has worked with the likes of Manchester Orchestra and The Shins. “Phil was great to work with and also pushed us when we deliberated on tones and sounds,” says Powys. “He was a good jockey on the horse in a slow race of making a record.” The once in a lifetime opportunity of working with Ek was a learning process for the band. “He was really honest with us, sometimes brutally, but all in the interest of making a better record,” says Bentley. “He made a real point about …show more content…
“[The] song was inspired by some Nicholas Winding Refn films and more of a romantic neon nightlife them than a specific story,” shares Powys. Fans of the clip will also be pleased to know that film maker Matthew Cox filmed the upcoming documentary about the making of twelvefour, which the band have described, saying, “It’s not all sunshine and rainbows.”
The success of the band has occurred rapidly, and since their formation 4 years ago they have performed headlining tours internationally, even being invited to tour across North America with City of Colour (Dallas Green). Of all their time spent touring, Powys says their finale in Vienna stands out as a memorable moment. “We had a great night with our good pals Horsethief. It was the finale evening that you always hope for! The venue really looked after us.”
With the release of twelvefour comes a national headlining tour this August. “It should be a great tour,” says Powys. “We’ll give the album a good run and throw in some of our faves from some of our old records. Should be good times!” So how does the band maintain their bond while on the road?
“We try and be patient with each other and respect one another’s space when needed. Also, we tend to dick around all the time. It’s the only way to survive. We play games to solve any disputes and vote as a democracy on
“The album is a concept record, based around a theory that an artist's creative peak is between the hours of midnight and 4am,” says frontman Sam Bentley. The result is a collection of 10 tracks, mixing the introspection of the night with smooth guitar rifts. “If I could sum up the album, it’s about what happens when selfishness and love collide.”
Describing twelvefour as an “open letter,” Bentley spent two months routinely writing in the early hours of the morning to create it. “[It is] words and melodies written very late at night to attempt to understand the heaviest of choices, which is choosing someone else or yourself.” A follow up to their successful debut LP States, the musical progression of the band is obvious throughout their upcoming release. “There has been defining inspiration and theme to the songs for this album,” shares guitarist Dave Powys. “It seems like a natural progression to me from States. We’ve started using some drum sampling and a few more synths as part of the staple sound.” Heading to Seattle earlier this year, the group recorded the album with Grammy award winning producer Phil Ek, who has worked with the likes of Manchester Orchestra and The Shins. “Phil was great to work with and also pushed us when we deliberated on tones and sounds,” says Powys. “He was a good jockey on the horse in a slow race of making a record.” The once in a lifetime opportunity of working with Ek was a learning process for the band. “He was really honest with us, sometimes brutally, but all in the interest of making a better record,” says Bentley. “He made a real point about …show more content…
“[The] song was inspired by some Nicholas Winding Refn films and more of a romantic neon nightlife them than a specific story,” shares Powys. Fans of the clip will also be pleased to know that film maker Matthew Cox filmed the upcoming documentary about the making of twelvefour, which the band have described, saying, “It’s not all sunshine and rainbows.”
The success of the band has occurred rapidly, and since their formation 4 years ago they have performed headlining tours internationally, even being invited to tour across North America with City of Colour (Dallas Green). Of all their time spent touring, Powys says their finale in Vienna stands out as a memorable moment. “We had a great night with our good pals Horsethief. It was the finale evening that you always hope for! The venue really looked after us.”
With the release of twelvefour comes a national headlining tour this August. “It should be a great tour,” says Powys. “We’ll give the album a good run and throw in some of our faves from some of our old records. Should be good times!” So how does the band maintain their bond while on the road?
“We try and be patient with each other and respect one another’s space when needed. Also, we tend to dick around all the time. It’s the only way to survive. We play games to solve any disputes and vote as a democracy on