March 9, 2020
CHAPTER FOUR - Q&A
Touring, writer’s block, MxPx, the future. Josh and Jerad answer your questions.
February 23, 2020
CHAPTER FOUR - A WAY BACK HOME
"It's a letter to my wife, promising that we will get through this."
The final song on the album was the first song recorded after the hospital. While it was a time of new beginning for Josh’s displaced family, it was also a fresh start musically for CHPTRS. Josh tells the story of his family leaving their home and never returning…which began on an airplane…
“Mr. Auer, your daughter’s in heart failure. We need to act quickly. Follow me.”
An ambulance from the hospital to CHOC (Children’s Hospital of Orange County) led to an emergency helicopter ride to the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital where they lived for the next 3 months. “…This song is very literal in a sense and also metaphorical.” After the darkest season of their life, it was time to find a way back home.
“This story is not over, it’s not just a drone of quiet defeat- it’s actually a miracle. It’s an incredible miracle and there’s an element of celebration as well.”
There’s a lot covered in this episode, including: "the sound of thinking", children's choirs, Radiohead, recording layers of prayers into the track, and how a simple Elliott Smith style acoustic guitar arrangement gave way to an epic song with a full story arc.
February 16, 2020
CHAPTER FOUR - IF I COULD
Josh talks about hearing his daughter’s new heart beat for the first time. Speechless, he later wrote the song with all the things he couldn’t say.
Hearing Rowen’s New Heartbeat for the First Time
The guys share their process of composition featuring cello performed by LA composer/artist, Chris Coleman. Jerad’s sideways early demo, Jon Brion, Dan Bailey, and a glimpse into other hidden elements that make the track.
February 10, 2020
CHAPTER FOUR - BETTER THAN THIS
Every song has a story. This one involves a homeless friend, an inspiring guitar, and a brave blanket. Josh’s daughter had a blanket that stayed by her side through everything at the hospital. She found comfort in it and would keep her fingers tightly wrapped throughout. Hold it all together was inspired by and written from the perspective of this blanket.
Living at the ICU in downtown Los Angeles, Josh got to know a homeless man named Adolfo that made money playing music on the street. He got in a fight and his guitar was smashed over his head. So, Josh rallied support on social media and bought him a new guitar. He immediately etched her name on the headstock with a knife.
It wasn’t that expensive but actually sounded pretty cool so Josh ended up buying one for himself and wrote a lot on it while in the hospital.
Better Than This was written in a waiting room on this Yamaha (yah-mu-haa) guitar.
Jerad added a loop he created from an old Optigan recording. Made in the 60s and 70s by the toy manufacturer, Mattel, these home organs had plastic discs that could be inserted and played as accompaniment. Very lo-fi, crackly, and cool.
Dan Bailey (Father John Misty, One Republic, Jon Foreman) played drums and baritone on this tune. If you haven’t checked out his stuff, you should. He’s an incredible player, creative engineer, and producer. He also loves sports… a little too much if you ask me.
February 10, 2020
CHAPTER FOUR - SHADOWS
Shadows wrestles with the question, “Can we handle this?”. Episode 2 is a discussion about song meanings, Jerad’s overreactions to good musical ideas, Jimmy Eat World, and the importance of an engaging opening lyric.
We used a felted upright piano for the soft percussive rhythm that holds through most of the song.
The strings were designed with the imagery of water flowing and waves breaking. Many of the artists coming out of Iceland (such as Hildur Gudnadottir, Johann Johannson, Olafur Arnolds, and Sigur Ros) tend to capture this icy water-like feeling with their string arrangements…and it rules.
Additional Links: Aaron Sorkin, Screenwriting.
February 10, 2020
CHAPTER FOUR - STAY WITH ME
In September of 2018, Josh’s 3-year old daughter got very sick and his family found themselves living in the ICU for months. This song was written from that very bipolar place that unfolded some of the scariest nights of their lives.
In this episode, the guys discuss the development of the track, programming drums, smashing hi-hats, exploiting glitches in guitar pedals, plugins, and a few other things.
