We’re pleased to share another new track from Brooklyn-based duo, Tanlines, who bring a new song, “Invisible Ways” from their forthcoming sophomore LP, Highlights.
The song comes with an elaborate introspect into their recording process with Highlights, specifically the portion of recording that took place at vocalist Eric Emm’s childhood home in Pittsburgh. “Invisible Ways” is the only track from the group’s “Pittsburgh Sessions” that will make it on to Highlights, mainly due to that when the group was recording in Western Pennsylvania, their computer literally started on fire.
“Without the computer,” Tanlines member, Jesse Cohen, says via an article he wrote for Medium, “we didn’t just lose our basic ability to record our work, but also all of the instruments, effects, samples, and sounds that we were used to having at our disposal. While we were *kinda* hoping to get away from those things on this trip, in reality we didn’t have any kind of back-up plan for working without them. We considered calling the trip a total failure, packing up, and just going back to New York.”
The duo took their computer to the local Apple Genius Bar, where they found out that the power supply blew out, and that the data on the computer could be salvaged.
“‘Invisible Ways’ emerged almost completely fully-formed that week. Without any conversation, all the music, in it’s entirety, just came out. We quickly figured out a structure and played through the song once or twice recording the basic guitar and drum tracks. Eric recorded a bass line (on guitar) and I overdubbed a simple melody on the keyboard for the chorus. When we got back to New York, Eric sang the vocal. It was the first song that we had written for our new album. And although we had a lot of conversations about whether it “sounded enough like Tanlines,” we knew that it came from a really special place, and that it would always be part of this album. It was the only thing that happened that week that felt really good.”
You can listen to the new track from Tanlines above, but I suggest you read the full story from Cohen and Medium first. It’s a fantastic look at the processes behind the song, and although it surely doesn’t sound like the Tanlines we’ve known and loved for years, the track’s back story really provides meaning and purpose behind the new sound.
Highlights will be released on May 19th via True Panther, and is available for pre-order here. The group will be performing two special album release shows, one on May 14 at Bowery Ballroom in NYC, and another at The Echoplex in LA on May 18.
Editor’s Note: All quotes from Jesse Cohen for Medium, available in full here
