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Interview with
ABROAD

(7th July 2022)

Interview by Dave Bruce

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Where did you write this album, record this album, and who produced it?
Some of the tracks have been around since the very beginning of Abroad, going through re-writes and upskilling our production until we felt they fulfilled their potential. The bulk of the album was written in Will’s home studio in Wollongong. Once we pieced together the tracklist, we set about recording, using a few choice synths the give a sense of cohesion between the older tracks and the brand new additions. The whole album was mixed and produced by Will. 

Your last two singles “Coffee” and “Air” have been very well received, now your album “Departure”, do I sense a travel theme??
Absolutely you do! Even the very naming of our band was inspired by Jack and I living abroad in London, so travelling has always been at the heart of Abroad. ‘Departure’ does have another meaning to us. It’s the beginning of a new chapter in our journey as Abroad, we’ve released a couple of EPs in the past, but in taking the step and making an album, Jack and I really feel like we’ve been able to create what we’ve always wanted our band to be.

How did you go about writing the different tracks??
We generally follow a similar process for our songs. We start with a simple synth patch, with the aim to make the chord progressions captivating and have a sense of movement. Then we add in some subtle processing, delay and reverbs to create atmosphere. From there, we build on the groove, percussion and bass lines. Once the track feels right, we top it off with vocals.

Any tracks that were hard to finish off?
I think like any artist that produces/mixes for themselves, there is a point where you have to let go, that can be really difficult. I can definitely get lost in the details, fixating on something that probably I will really notice. But, that’s the beauty of working on music with Jack, when the vibe is right, we both feel it and know that it’s ready to go.

Do you have plans to tour this album? Where?
We sure do! We’re heading down the east coast throughout July/August (Dates below)

How did the lockdowns affect the writing/recording of this record?
When it comes to writing and recording, Jack and I have already spent so much time living apart from each other, so working remotely in the early days of Covid came relatively easily to us. Nowadays, we’re both living in Wollongong and have our own studio, so the later lockdowns really didn’t get in our way.
When we first started talking about putting the album together, I was intending on outsourcing the producer and mixing engineer. The main issue we ran into was the level of involvement we could have with lockdowns and border closure. Ultimately, I’m grateful for how it all panned out, it forced me to grow as a producer, refine my mixing skills and deliver something that I’m really proud of.

Can you name any influences that you drew from while putting this record together?
I could name 100 artists that inspire us, Jack and I listen to such a broad range of music. For instance, on my playlist this week I have: Indie (The xx, Beck) Rock (Foals, Bloc Party) Electronic (Hayden James, Flight Facilities, Bob Moses)

Anything else you would like to add?
Thank you so much for having us and taking the time!

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AIR
SHOW DATES

Fri 15 Jul | Park House, Mona Vale | 18+
Tickets: FREE ENTRY

Sun 17 Jul | North Gong Hotel, Wollongong | 18+
Tickets: FREE ENTRY

Fri 22 Jul | Oxford Art Factory Gallery Bar, Sydney | 18+
Tickets

Thur 4 Aug | Mo’s Desert Club House, Gold Coast 18+
Tickets

Fri 5 Aug | Newcastle Hotel, Newcastle | 18+
Tickets

Wed 10 Aug | Retreat Bar, Melbourne | 18+
Tickets: FREE ENTRY

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Follow ABROAD
Instagram – Facebook – YouTube – Spotify

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AMNPLIFY – DB