In the Maze with The Upsides: On their New Record and Our Thoughts
Indie Rockers The Upsides are back this week with their sophomore effort, In The Maze.
Their 2024 self titled debut leaned in heavy to your typical indie feel, although the album was memorable, not typical. In The Maze takes The Upsides in a completely different direction, and we’re not mad at it.
It’s a really cool thing and- and a tribute really, when a bandsinfluences come through via their sound. “Pretending it Fades” and “In The Maze” take you right back to those 90’s garage bands you love so much- we will let you decide who for yourself.
“Very Bad Kids” is the star of the show, its got the right riffs, toe tapping rhythm, and lyrics you can sing along to.
If you are nostalgic but want something new, this album is the one for you.
We caught up with the band this week ahead of the release-
Heading into the studio for album number two, did you feel a sense of creative freedom having that first record under your belt, or was the pressure to outdo yourselves weighing heavier?
“We felt massively more freedom in the studio on this record. In part this is because the primary In The Maze studio sessions were engineered by a band member, so those sessions had a bit of a “no adult supervision” vibe. But more than that - while working on this record, we all really stepped up our knowledge of production, recording, songwriting/arrangement etc, and we took the time to test tons of ideas and get really confident in the material we had written. So by the time we went to record, we actually felt like we knew what we wanted and how to get it - and there’s way more freedom in that vs. coming into the studio with a looser vision and banking on “studio magic” or an outside producer/engineer to get the sound you’re after.”
Heading into the studio for album number two, did you feel a sense of creative freedom having that first record under your belt, or was the pressure to outdo yourselves weighing heavier?
“We felt massively more freedom in the studio on this record. In part this is because the primary In The Maze studio sessions were engineered by a band member, so those sessions had a bit of a “no adult supervision” vibe. But more than that - while working on this record, we all really stepped up our knowledge of production, recording, songwriting/arrangement etc, and we took the time to test tons of ideas and get really confident in the material we had written. So by the time we went to record, we actually felt like we knew what we wanted and how to get it - and there’s way more freedom in that vs. coming into the studio with a looser vision and banking on “studio magic” or an outside producer/engineer to get the sound you’re after.”
Will there be a tour announcement coming soon?
“We're currently lining this up for early 2027 with some exciting surprises!”
That moment you finally lock in a mix and realize a track is truly done is always an accomplishment. Looking back at all the mastering decisions of the album, every song, which was the hardest to decide it was done and what is that ‘a ha’ moment that made you come to that decision?
“Probably “Pretending it Fades”. We redid the rhythm guitar 3 times (purchased and rented 4 different guitars for this one part), and we replaced all of the synth layers with a real string quartet (Elysian Collective). There were moments where the elements just weren’t sitting right together, and we were getting nervous about landing the plane. But ultimately we believed really strongly in the composition and the arrangement, and our incredible mixer Austin Asvonanda made it all fit together into a track we’re really proud of.”
You are stuck on a deserted island- you can bring 3 albums with you- no greatest hits,
what are they?
Hart - “OK Computer (Radiohead). It’s haunting, beautiful, pervaded by existential dread and skepticism of modernity…maybe not a feel-good pick, but certainly makes you feel something.”
Matt - “On the Beach (Neil Young). Honest songwriting with a good deal of imperfections and ‘out of tune’ guitars. This record feels very human to me, and it reminds me of why I fell in love with music in the first place. It’s timeless and nostalgic, and I don’t think I will ever get sick of it.”
Dan - “Moondance (Van Morrison). I actually found this on vinyl a few years ago and it’s the one album I can listen to on repeat and just never get tired of it. It has this woozy feeling to it, andmakes me nostalgic for a time in Ireland that I was not alive for nor have even visited. It reminds me of some of the album cuts on In The Maze, which look back on the past with appreciation but also a slight uneasiness. Our keyboardist Pat compares that feeling to the Warner Brothers intro theme of the golden neighborhood.”
In The Maze is out everywhere tomorrow.
Album Rating 7/10
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