the spill canvas
[Photo by: Amiee Blasko]

The Spill Canvas finally found the words to make a love song– listen

Last month, the Spill Canvas dropped their first single off their upcoming album, Conduit. “Firestorm” and its accompanying video gave us a bold taste of a new era that’s been years in the making. Now, the band are dishing out a heaping spoonful of nostalgia with “Molecules.” You can hear it first via Alternative Press.

A touching tribute to vocalist Nick Thomas‘ wife, Sarah, “Molecules” shows off the stunning dynamism of this next iteration. The acoustic, emo-reminiscent track features guest vocals by Eisley‘s Sherri DuPree-Bemis.

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Due out March 5, Conduit will be the Spill Canvas’ first full-length since Gestalt in 2012. The album and associated singles also mark their debut under the Pure Noise Records label.

You can stream the lyric video for “Molecules” below. In an interview alongside the exclusive premiere, Thomas spoke to Alternative Press regarding the single, their new signing and what we can expect from the Spill Canvas going forward.

We’ve got a pretty affecting love ballad here. Can you explain the inspiration behind the lyricism?

The lyrical context on this one is attributed to my wife of five years, Sarah. Since the day we got married, there were countless failed attempts to write a song that truly embodied what I feel for her. When it finally presented itself to me, I was and always will be eternally grateful.

You’ve stated that this is the only acoustic track on your upcoming album, Conduit. What prompted the decision to pare down the instrumentals in this way?

It was always our intent to include at least one primarily acoustic tune on the album to cover the widest dynamic range we possibly could. What makes it even more special is that the entire song was written and tracked remotely in home studio setups during the beginning months of the pandemic.

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Sherri DuPree-Bemis’ voice adds a stunning dynamic to the track. What was the background behind this collaboration?

I’ve always been a fan of Sherri‘s beautiful voice and her band, Eisley. Back in November of 2015, our now-manager and engineer John Rupp was doing sound and tour production for Eisley [while they] supported Copeland. When the tour came through Minneapolis, my wife and I planned on attending the show to visit with him. That resulted in meeting Sherri and some impromptu babysitting of her two daughters on the bus during Eisley’s set. So when the bones of the song were in place, the thought of a female guest vocal feature immediately led me to think of her. I’m truly honored and humbled by her contribution here.

“Molecules” definitely has an element of nostalgia that calls back to your early discography. How were you able to tap back into those 2000s roots while still keeping the sound fresh?

I think any freshness is definitely rooted in what the massively talented brain of our multi-instrumentalist fifth member Geoff Black was able to create on the track. I showed him a bare-bones demo of my vocal, acoustic and lead lines, which he quickly transformed into this dreamy, lush, ear-candy soundscape. We love him dearly, to say the least.

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It’s quite an impressive contrast next to the stark modernity of “Firestorm.” Does this synergy represent at all the sound we can expect from Conduit?

We really pushed ourselves to give every song its own identity within the album as a whole. Hopefully, that effort is heard and felt upon listening through.

You released your last full-length, Gestalt, in 2012. What differences have you observed in writing and releasing an LP on either side of that near-decade?

I think there are too many differences between then and now to adequately note. Personally, the standout for me is the effect of my age on how I approach songwriting now. Since our last album, I’ve gained so much life experience, from my mother’s passing to battling heroin and opiate addiction and nearly dying from a fentanyl-laced overdose. There’s just a much deeper perspective I’m pulling from today, and I can’t help but feel extremely fortunate to even be alive to make and share this music.

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You recently announced your signing to Pure Noise Records. Has this pairing had any influence on your creative direction?

We actually joined the Pure Noise family after Conduit was basically complete. Nonetheless, our experience with them thus far has been nothing but amazing. They truly put the vision of their artists at the forefront, which is extremely refreshing having endured some difficult years on previous labels in regards to the sound of the band. But with this rebirth, we couldn’t be happier to have found the perfect home with Pure Noise.

How do you feel this upcoming chapter is going to demonstrate your progression as a band over your long tenure?

The only thing we can hope for in this new era is to create music that satiates our hunger to push our sound into uncharted terrain while still achieving our main objective. That is, to [foster] authentic universal connection with as many people as possible via this music.

What plans do you have beyond the release of the album? Can we anticipate continued releases from the Spill Canvas beyond 2021?

[For] the sake of not giving too much away, I will answer with this: 100%, yes!