I always get excited to chat with bands that I am a new fan of. Every so often, I stumble across some talent, or they stumble across me, and I never look back. This time around, I am talking about Rise Records recording artists Palisades, who are straight out of our turf in Iselin, New Jersey! They’ve been an active band for a few years now, and are about to release a new record. Their recordings are amazing from what I have heard thus far, but their live set is even better, as I know firsthand. I had the chance to talk to the guys about this new album, life on the road, and so much more. Check it out below!
Thanks for taking the time to chat with me! Where are you guys right now?
Thanks for having us! We’re currently driving to Houston to play at Scout Bar with Lacey Sturm.
Exciting things are about to happen this week, as you guys are about to release a new record this Friday, Jan. 20, through Rise Records.
Yeah, we’re extremely excited about the album. It came out on January 20th. We put everything we had into making this record and we are really, really proud of it.
Tell us a little bit about this record; the writing process, any inspiration, etc.
This album was a journey of self-discovery for us. We knew that when we went into the studio we wanted to make something that was honest and raw. Not necessarily “sonically” raw, but more raw in terms of throwing out all of the rules and just being an open book. There were many things that we had experienced over the past two years that made us want to reflect internally to find out who we are as a band as well as people. We shut ourselves out from the world, taking a break from social media, so that we could focus solely on this album. We dug deep and pushed ourselves to be uncomfortable and talk about things that we might not have before.
Is there a set pattern for this record? Meaning, what came first, the lyrics or the music, or did it vary throughout the process?
Writing this album was definitely a variation of methods. We wrote a lot of pre-production at home before the recording process started and went into the studio with material. Once we got there we stripped down everything that we had brought in only to build it back up again to make sure it was perfect. Some songs we would start with music and some other times it would just be us working with a metronome humming out melodies to the tempo of the song. It was an incredible process that helped us push the boundaries of our writing potential.
I’ve had the pleasure of hearing some new music, and I won’t give away the farm, but it definitely feels as if you guys are maturing as artists, in style and sound. Please take that as a compliment; this album is next level!
Thank you! The feedback that we’ve gotten from the album has been incredible. We feel like we really grew not only as artists, but as people on this album. Our fans have been so insanely supportive and we couldn’t ask for more. It’s always a really great feeling when you see so many people connecting with music on such a personal level. The fact that we put our hearts and souls into this album and other people are relating to it is such a surreal feeling.
“Through Hell” was a brilliant choice for a single; I feel as if it really woke me up.
“Through Hell” is a very special song to us. It was the last song we wrote for the record and it came together so quickly. We wanted to have a song that would come out the gate swinging with powerful lyrics that you’d want to sing like nobody was watching. We wanted to make it loud, powerful, and, most of all, relatable. Everyone’s felt like they’ve had to go through hell and back but we want to let you know that through hell, we can come together.
Each time you release new music, is there a specific message you want to get out to your fans?
For this album we wanted to just make our fans feel something. The world can just seem so bleak and scary at times. Conversely, it is filled with hope and opportunity. There’s a lot going on outside as well as inside ourselves. We wanted people to be able to pick this album up and listen to it and have them be moved by it. We didn’t hold anything back because we want people to feel as close to this record as we do.
You guys are out on the road a lot, is it hard to balance writing and touring?
When you tour as much as we do you, writing can seem intimidating. We have definitely had to find that balance. We had a bit of off time before we went into the studio to get started on writing this album. In those few months that we had off, we locked ourselves away in our home studio and just started to create these songs. Being at home and starting to write the album definitely gave us time to reflect on what it was that we were hoping to accomplish on this next record.
This may be a hard question to answer, but what would you say you enjoy more, the studio or the road?
The studio and the road are two totally different beings. Each of them has their own vibe. When you’re in the studio your mind is in its most creative mode. That’s always an amazing process. Being able to see an idea start from the youngest form to a living, breathing song is an incredible feeling. Touring on the other hand is performing those songs. Most of the time you’re in the studio you’re itching to just get back on the road to be able to play the songs that you’ve put your all into. That’s also very special because you get to see the fans connect with the very thing you created.
After the record is released, what is next for Palisades?
Palisades has a big year in 2017. There’s going to be a lot of things for us that we’re extremely excited about starting with the release of this album. We can’t wait to get out there and see all of the fans and play these songs live for everyone.
Palisades will be playing at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, NJ on Feb. 4, and The Marlin Room At Webster Hall in New York City on Feb. 6. Their new album, Palisades, is available now through Rise Records. For more information on their music and tours, visit wearepalisades.com.
