Til Willis is back in the barn. We mean that literally, not as a figure of speech. His latest album, Glass Cactus, found Willis and the band recording another album in drummer Austin Sinkler’s barn, adding to the band’s “live” feel both on and off the stage. In addition to experimenting with the raw textures recording in the barn adds to the record, Willis also collaborated with local artists (Chance Dibben) to experiment with ambient textures. We talked with him ahead of his upcoming album release show at Lucia on April 12.
IHLM: Because Glass Cactus was recorded in a barn using the old dairy side as an echo chamber, how did that space shape the overall sound of the record?
TW: Recording live in a room captures the performance energy, and cements the instrumentation together. So you have to accept certain things about the recording, such as leakage between instruments. Maybe the kick drum can’t come up anymore because of bass leakage, for instance. Well, once the echo chamber is used, it cements things together further. So you start to view the echo as another character in the movie you’re making, not just an effect.
IHLM: What was the biggest challenge of recording in a barn, and what was the biggest surprise?
TW: Well, back to using the dairy side as an echo chamber; there are two concrete rooms, one longer and one smaller. Time had to be taken in physically moving the speaker sending the sound out into the room, and mic receiving the signal. For the full band songs, the longer room with the mic capturing the reflection off the wall mid way down the room worked best. But, for the more acoustic songs, the smaller room was better with the speaker and mic catty-corner from one another. So, I suppose one of the biggest assets to recording in the barn would be having the space to experiment with different rooms.
IHLM: Why the decision to record the guitar solos on “Cross Creek” in a live manner face-to-face?
TW: The most fun part of being in a band is playing with other people, so why not record that way? Especially if you’re trying to have two parts weave together. Again, it’s about capturing energy.
IHLM: Can you please talk about the themes that guided the song writing on Glass Cactus?
TW: There’s no shortage of material to write about these days, is there? I could go through each song, but that might take a while. There are songs that deal with personal struggles, like “I Had An Army.” Political songs like “Strange Sense of Justice,” and then there’re songs like “Horizon Before Us To Love” that find solace in tending relationships. Side note: the title “Ten Miles of Days” came from my daughter after a long car trip.
IHLM: Were there any songs on this album that evolved in a way you didn’t expect?
TW: Maybe “Recovering Sunday.” Originally I thought of it as much more folky song. But then the bass line takes on an R&B sort of thing, and the piano added a spacial reach. Mix those things with the power of the band hitting the chorus, and it took on a post rock vibe.
IHLM: What would you tell musicians looking to record music in an unconventional manner?
TW: Do it! It’s wonderful. I get tired of comments like, “it doesn’t sound professional” or the attitude that there’s a right or wrong way to make an album. I certainly don’t want my albums to sound like someone else’s. At the close of the day, all that really matters is that you’re happy with the work you’re producing.