Frontman TOBY MORRELL tells the stories behind each song on EMERY’s new album, We Do What We Want.
"This album took longer to complete than any other record we have done. We started back in April of 2010 and didn't finish until December. When we started writing, we thought we would make an acoustic record—or at least half-heavy and half-acoustic. But during the recording, one of our founding members and other lead singer, Devin Shelton, decided that it was time to quit the band and move on to the next stage of his life. There was and is no drama; he just simply was ready to try new things and start his family. So at that point, we were left with two writers as opposed to three. Matt [Carter, guitar] and I talked for a while and decided we should maybe go in a different direction and try something we hadn't in the past. We also wanted to capture the band we are now instead of putting out songs we had already done with Devin and then never even playing those songs live. So we decided to write the heaviest Emery record we had ever done. Honestly, it was a little scary working without Devin since that was all we had ever done, but it also was a fun challenge to stretch ourselves and see how far we could go with our ideas. In the end, we feel like we were able to create one of the most unique and best Emery albums to date—even if that sounds a little cocky. We worked really hard and love every song."
"The Cheval Glass"
This song is about who we see in the mirror, and more specifically, whoI think I am versus the person I actually became. It’s easy to see yourself as good, noble, selfless or even truly honest, but it’s a lot harder to see the negative things in our lives that need to be looked at more deeply. I feel like the world is always teaching us to stay away from the big, bad things, but never helps us to see those little things that plague us all: small lies, gossip, second looks and most of all pride are many times never addressed and end up making us callous and focused on ourselves rather than living an open life where we can learn about our true selves from honest interaction with others. On a side note, this song is the heaviest Emery song ever. I screamed my head off over some killer breakdowns.
“Scissors"
This song has it all. It starts so heavy and then comes in with a really catchy melody that I feel our band are known for. The story here is basically a guy finding out he’s going to die and somewhat questions his beliefs. So many people struggle with death and God. That’s natural and a way to actually come to a conclusion about what you really believe. Is your God big enough to help you when all seems lost? What or who do you trust and what actually happens in the end? It's a tough subject that can't be answered in one song, but I wrote this in order to call myself out, face my own insecurities and find where my strength lies.
"The Anchors"
This was a tough song for me to write lyrically. It's a very personal story from my past. When I was in elementary school, a girl who liked me and her friend were making fun of me because that's what you do when you like someone. But I didn't see it that way and said something pretty terrible to the girl—something I couldn't take back—and those words have haunted me for years. I felt like I changed that day and saw the world differently. I feel like this song was a little cathartic, and it helped me face some things about myself and realize I was a kid and never intended to hurt someone the way that I did.
"The Curse Of Perfect Days"
This song is one of my favorites. I love the way it starts so simply and then turns into a great rock song. It contains one of my favorite screaming parts on the album—the middle screaming part that is basically a second verse. It really reminds me of Stretch Arm Strong, and I like how tough but scared it sounds. This song is based on dream I had about my wife having cancer and dying.
"You Wanted It"
This song is just tough all the way around. There are some really cool breakdowns, an awesome hook for the chorus and it even has horns in the bridge that help create a classic Mexican-music feel. This song is about my struggle with trying to be in control and to be the god of my own life. It is hard to trust anyone else when you fell like you've got it all under control.
"I'm Not Here For Rage, I'm Here For Revenge"
This song is really fun. I love the chugging guitars in the verses and the chorus is one of the best on the album. It’s a classic Emery broken-heart song laced with anger. I have so many of these stories from my past and it always seems to come up in at least a song or two on every album. I like writing about this subject because I feel everyone can relate, but also many times I can get some things off my chest that have bothered me from non-romantic relationships. This way I don't have to be so personal or hurt someone I wouldn't want to. It's a little sneaky, but it works for me. The other cool thing about this song is our good friend J.B. [Brubaker] from August Burns Red wrote the guitar part at the end which sounds so cool.
"Daddy's Little Peach"
This is my favorite song on the record. It was one of the first songs we wrote and completed, so usually I get tired of those because you hear them for a longer amount of time. But this song just never gets old. The swaying keyboards set the tone, and I love the way the lyrics seem creepy and dirty. This song also has an awesome bridge that ultimately ties everything back together. For some reason, the chorus has an almost-AC/DC feel at times, which is so tough.
"Addicted To Bad Decisions"
I changed the opening verse of this song several times to get it right. It took a while, but I wanted to get out what I was hearing in my head. Finally, I got it and then it was on to what I think is an awesome chorus. This song almost has a pop-punk feel, and I love the way it transitions the album to a softer ending.
"I Never Got To See The West Coast"
This is one of the darker songs I’ve ever written. We have talked to so many fans that told us our music got them through wanting to kill themselves. That is a stunning thing to hear. It’s astounding to me that God would use our music to help someone in such a serious situation. I wanted to tell a story in this song to let people know they are not alone and that this world would be worse with out them.
"Fix Me"
Devin actually wrote this song and I sang it for the record. We felt like this song and “West Coast” just fit so well with the themes of this album that they earned spots on the record. The song is basically like a personal prayer from when we have felt broken and in need. Our band never want to be preachy, but we owe it to our fans to be honest. So we thought this song really tells a story of where we all have been at different points in our lives and how we dealt with some tough times. alt