In The Studio with Memphis May Fire

In the last year-and-a-half Dallas’ Memphis May Fire have been busy. They played two summer-long Warped Tours, released their most popular album yet [which debuted at #16 on the Billboard 200], and have toured extensively­–and it would appear they don't plan on slowing down any time soon. Immediately after their appearance on the main stage at the Van’s Warped Tour this past summer, they headed to Arizona and hit the studio to record their fourth album.

The highly anticipated follow up to 2012’s Challenger is nearly completed and anticipated for release in February or March next year. Frontman, Matty Mullins, and guitarist, Kellen McGregor, recently spoke with AP about the upcoming album.

Interview: Nick Major

You guys are currently in Arizona, recording your latest album at Chango Studios, and it sounds like you’re getting pretty close to wrapping it up. How much is left?
MATTY MULLINS: Instrumentally, everything is pretty much done. I’m about halfway done with the record, vocally. We’ve only got a few more days here, and we’re going to go back to Dallas to start a tour with Sleeping With Sirens. Then right after that we go to Europe for U.K. Warped. We’re also doing a run with Parkway Drive, and then right when we get home from Europe I’m going to come right back to the studio and finish up the record.

How long have you guys been in the studio as of now?
KELLEN McGREGOR: We’ve been here for almost three weeks.
MULLINS: Kellen did a good amount of tracking at home before we came down here, and the vocal portion has been about three weeks so far.

The new album has more of a theatrical feel, as well as an orchestral presence. What inspired or motivated this new direction in music for you guys?
McGREGOR: I wouldn’t say it’s a new direction. Our music over the last few records has definitely been including a lot more string elements, different background aspects and stuff like that. Over the last two or three years, each record has just kind of progressed to the next version of our sound.

Did anything inspire or influence that, or is this just something you have been bringing more into your music?
McGREGOR: It’s just what felt right when I was writing it.
MULLINS: Kellen is a movie enthusiast. He really enjoys all the new movies and stuff and is a huge Transformers fan and stuff like that. I think the record kind of has a soundtrack feel; it’s really epic.
McGREGOR: Like an action movie.
MULLINS: Yeah, it’s almost like an action movie, and I think that comes from his love for the theater.

Kellen, any good movies you’ve seen lately or anything you’re excited for?
McGREGOR: I can’t really think of anything that’s jumping out that’s coming up, but this summer had a lot of awesome movies. I was stoked on Man Of Steel and Pacific Rim and all that. I love any big blockbuster movie, no matter how cheesy it is.

What inspired the lyrics on the upcoming album?
MULLINS: So far it has just been a combination of two things. One, some of the things I’ve been going through the past couple of years, since we released Challenger. On top of that, there are some things I want to bring to the table that I feel not a lot of bands in our genre are talking about. I’m writing songs everywhere from, things like anxiety and depression and how they can affect your life and just ultimately how there is an answer, there is an outcome, that there are multiple people who are dealing with those things, and just for people who are experiencing things like that to know they’re not going through it alone. I think it’s a big deal, and that’s one thing I wanted to capture. But also, on the opposite end of the spectrum, I’m writing a song about the needs of third-world countries: children that have no choice but to be trafficked as sex slaves or to starve to death, mothers who don’t know what to do with their children and are throwing their babies in dumpsters. My sister is working with the Hands And Feet organization in Haiti right now with a bunch of kids over there. It just really inspired me, so I’m writing about that, as well. It’s going to touch on a wide variety of things but not a single concept will be something that’s not completely from the heart and something I feel really needs to be talked about. >>>

This is the third album, you’ve recorded at Chango Studios with Cameron Mizell. What keeps you going back there and working with him?
MULLINS: We’ve done different things with Cameron on every record. On this record, we’re basically just doing drums and vocals with him. We’re tracking guitars and bass at home and then sending them off to a bunch of other people to do test mixes, and then we’ll decide who’s going to do the record: that’s all still up in the air, too. Just vocally, I don’t think I’ll ever track with anyone but Cameron because he’s absolutely the best for me and my personality and the way I like to track. He’s always there to make sure that I’m comfortable and that I can really let my creative side show. There’s not a judgmental atmosphere at all. It’s really just a creative atmosphere, and that’s what I really need as a vocalist.

What was the writing process like for this album?
MULLINS: Kellen was writing all year.
McGREGOR: Yeah. Pretty much every time we end a record, I start writing for the next one immediately. So, I’ve been writing over the last year-and-a-half. Other than that, Matt’s real good at writing under pressure. He likes to do it when he’s in the moment.
MULLINS: I really feel inspired when it comes time to do a new record. That’s one thing that really pushes me to do my best. Being in the studio and writing in the studio is something that has become more and more present with each record and with this record, I have been doing a majority of the writing here in Arizona.

Instrumentally and vocally, how does the heaviness of the new record compare to prior releases from you guys? Will there be a similar ratio of screams and clean vocals as we heard in Challenger?
MULLINS: I think when it comes to the breakdown, they continue to be even more thought out–not just something the average brain would think of when you think of a breakdown. There’s a lot that goes into it that makes it really special. I’d say there’s less of that and that this record is even riffier than the past two records. I guess it feels like it’s just as heavy but it has more of a rock aspect to it. There are a few songs on it where I’m not screaming at all and it’s just straight rock tracks, which is something Kellen and I both came up with. We’re really excited about those songs and just showing people a different side of Memphis May Fire.

Your last album featured guest vocalists. Can we expect some familiar voices to pop up in this one?
MULLINS: You know, I think it’s all whether time permits or not. I have four different vocalists in mind who I would love to have guest. I don’t want to say any names in case they don’t happen, but we’re definitely interested in it. The guest vocals I have in mind are not to make the songs relevant with the scene today. The singers I have in mind are singers I grew up listening to or singers I really respect, and it won’t be something where I’m trying to gain more attention to the song and more so just like a reward for me. Personally, having a singer who influenced and inspired me while I was growing up to sing on a track with me would be an honor. And that’s where the guest vocals would come into play on this record.

How many songs are on the record?
MULLINS: That’s kind of up in the air right now too. Um, between…
McGREGOR: Ten and 13.

Do you have a name for the album yet?
MULLINS: Nope.
McGREGOR: Always the last thing we do. [Laughs.]
MULLINS: Yeah, I don’t like to name a record and then write around it, you know? The reason why we always do that last is, once a record’s done, even the way a record is mixed can really affect the way you feel about it. Once the record comes closer to being done I think we’ll really get the vibe for what the overall record is saying. Even though it’s not a concept record, I think the record will have a vibe, and that’s when the name really starts to come to life. There’s nothing we don’t put a lot of thought into.

At any of your upcoming shows or tours, like the Feel This tour and the U.K. Warped Tour, are you going to be debuting any new tracks?
MULLINS: Probably not. I remember seeing bands that were really forceful about putting their new music out there. You’re so proud of it that you want to get it out, you want people to be able to hear it, you know it’s your best work. When you’re sitting on new material like that, sometimes it’s hard to just play a set with older songs. But at the same time, these kids buy tickets to come out and hear the music they love or listen to that they have a connection with, and I feel like it’s unfair to unleash a bunch of new stuff on kids before they’ve had a chance to really get a connection with it. When we put out singles and new tracks from the record, that’s when we’re going to start playing it live. >>>