Every band has a dream but they don’t always get to achieve it. For Florida’s You Blew It! it seems they are already there. “We’re living the dream, baby!” says an enthusiastic Tanner Jones, when asked what theirs is. “We recognise that this profession is characterised by how fleeting it is. We're just trying to live it while we can, and in ways that will make us proud after we hang it up.”
You Blew It! are not ready to call it quits just yet. The indie rock band are about to release their third album, ‘Abendrot’, and the vocalist/guitarist couldn’t be more thrilled to unveil it to the world. “I’m buzzing with excitement over it,” beams Jones. “We’re all very, very proud of this record. There’s a tinge of anxiety about it, but I think that’s just a symptom of overactive imaginations.”
It follows on from a series of well received EP’s from the band, and comes three years after the excellent, ‘Keep Doing What You’re Doing.’ Jones explains that, in simple terms, it “just felt right” to release a new album now. “We were very lucky to have had the opportunity to write and record those EPs though,” he says. “We went through a pretty significant member turnover after the recording of [‘Keep Doing What You’re Doing], so to us those EPs served as a really great way to get comfortable with each other as new creative partners.”
The album title itself relates to the German translation for sunset. Jones laughs and says that he always feels “hesitant to really dig into the word’s translation for the fear that I’m totally and completely wrong,” but has it on good authority from German-speaking friends that ‘Abendrot’ refers to the reddish hue that comes from a sunset. “For us, that seemed like a really wonderful metaphor for transition, which very much characterizes this record,” he says.
One of the most endearing, and indeed charming, things about You Blew It! has always been the very honest approach to the lyrics. ‘Abendrot’ is no different. “I feel a bit guilty about it, but the lyrical output of You Blew It! has always been my diary,” admits Jones. “During the writing of the record, I found myself – along with the other guys – in a very confusing, hazy post-college flail. I watched our friend’s blossom into adulthood, and I felt touring and music had left us stuck in the grey between adolescence and adulthood. As a bad perfectionist, I allowed myself to succumb to some unhealthy habits that uncovered mental issues. This record is mostly about coming to terms with those demons.”
When it came to recording ‘Abendrot’, Jones says that the approach was much the same as the past but that “the main difference was time,” helping to alleviate the pressure. “Whereas we would only allow ourselves little more than a week to record, we took an entire month to really figure things out,” he continues. “All the extra time allowed us to take a step off the gas and really let the songs develop on their own.”
If you go back and listen to the bands debut album, ‘Grow Up, Dude’, you can see how the band have progressed to where they are now. While that album is just as special as any bands first record, the band has indeed matured. “I think ‘maturity’ is a good word for it! You nailed it,” says Jones. “We wrote that by stitching parts together that we thought sounded good. I still love that record – and there’s absolutely merit in bands that prefer to write that way – but ‘Abendrot’ focuses more on the intricacies of songwriting. It’s also an acknowledgement of space and dynamics. At times on ‘Grow Up, Dude’, it seemed that we refused to let certain songs breathe.
“I’m really proud to say that I think a chronological look at our catalog shows progression,” he continues, when asked how he feels ‘Abendrot’ relates to the back catalogue of You Blew It! “I really hope that other people feel the same way, but the beautiful thing about music and art is that it’s subjective.”
Throughout that progression, You Blew It! have had the pleasure of working with some of the most respected independent labels in the industry. From Topshelf Records to Jade Tree, and now with Triple Crown and Big Scary Monsters, You Blew It! join the ranks of many of their peers. Jones expresses his gratitude of the chances they have been given as we ask if he ever thought the band would get this opportunity. “This is a very easy answer. No,” he says. “To be able to consider ourselves current and/or past label mates with some of the bands those labels have put out feels incredible to say the least. When we’ve all hung this up, I think we’ll use that as a litmus test about whether or not this was all worth it, and the answer will probably be a resounding yes.”
The final point Jones discusses is the organic growth of You Blew It! He is very humble by the slow build of the band, and appreciates the very loyal fan base that they have accrued. “I once read an interview My Morning Jacket did right around the rollout of ‘Z’ and they talk about that,” he says, reflecting on the past seven years. “A lot of the interview focuses on how a slow build allows an artist to truly and naturally grow. Integrity is a big part of it, too. That’s something we’re very proud of.”
‘Abendrot’ is released on November 11th via Triple Crown Records and Big Scary Monsters.