Manchester Orchestra: Exclusive songs premiere

A ONE-MAN ORCHESTRA

There’s prolific, and then there’s a whole other level of borderline compulsively prolific in which you’ll find MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA frontman ANDY HULL. In addition to writing two Manchester full-lengths, a slew of EPs and two albums for his solo project, Right Away, Great Captain!, Hull has an extensive catalog of complete recorded albums tucked away. “I’ve written 38 full-length records, but that includes the albums from Manchester and Right Away, Great Captain!,” he says, as if the four official releases somehow diminish the grand total. “I can’t do anything but write songs. And I really like doing it. I have a lot of anxiety in life and writing is the one thing that’s easy.” When we interviewed Hull for the feauture on Manchester Orchestra in AP 251, he mentioned that he was organizing all of his old unreleased albums in his iTunes library. Being the hardcore investigative journalists we are, we asked if he could slide us a few songs on the sly. So here are three previously unreleased Andy Hull songs, complete with commentary from Hull himself. –Tim Karan

PHOTO: Joel Faurote










“REPEAT THE ALPHABET” from THE GARAGE (2006)

This song was on a record that I wrote for Jonathan [Corley, bass] in February 2006. At the time, he was loving some old Mountain Goats album that was recorded on some crazy-old boombox. So I wanted to write him this record that sounded all maxed-out and distorted but still maintained beauty, like the Mountain Goats did. I’m not sure why, but I ended up calling this album The Garage. Other songs on the album include "Right Away, Great Captain" and “’Cause I’m So Scared Of Dying” (both appear on 2007’s The Bitter End, by Right Away, Great Captain!) and “I Can Feel Your Pain" (on Manchester Orchestra’s 2007 full-length I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child).





“THE LORD, THE SHEPARD, THE MAN” from MONEY EP (2006)

I wrote this song for an album called the Money EP. I wrote all seven songs to it the night we got back from Manchester Orchestra’s first profitable tour in September 2006. We had to get back from tour and instantly move all of our shit from our old apartment into the house we were living in and we had about six hours to do it. Luckily, I had moved everything out already, but the other guys spent the entire night filling the garage with boxes. I remember thinking how weird it was that $2,000 was just sitting in our living room–just right outside. So I did what I generally do and had a nervous breakdown imagining all of us becoming bloodthirsty money hogs. [Laughs.] Needless to say, we didn’t and haven’t… yet. Other tracks from this EP include “Badges And Badges” (which appears on Manchester Orchestra’s 2008 EP Let My Pride Be What’s Left Behind) and “Raise Up.”





“WHO IS YOUR HUMBLE?” from WHO IS YOUR HUMBLE? (2007)

In the beginning stages of mental preparation for MOLP #2, I had this concept called, "Who Is Your Humble?” It was essentially a nonstop 26-minute song all in the same key. (Yes, I was listening to a lot of Pink Floyd.) It was all based upon [this character] who had a family that was rapidly destroying him. The songs would talk about each family member–from his dying mother to his manipulative grandmother. I never really imagined what time period this was all taking place during, but they were definitely on some sort of farm. Anyway, I ended up making that record and this is the first song. It’s appropriately titled, "Who Is Your Humble?" It should be noted that this is one of many albums I recorded in my closet when I was sharing a room with Chris [Freeman, keyboard]. It cursed me because every time I listen to these songs, I can smell his dirty thrift- store clothes that have provided excellent acoustics throughout the years. alt