- PREMIERE: Eloah Jones – “Under the Bridge” - November 18, 2021
- PREMIERE: Highbeams – “Campfires” - November 10, 2021
- Tali Azerad Shines on New Album - November 5, 2021
The Classic Crime recently released What Was Done: Volume 1, A Decade Revisited. The album consists of re-worked and re-imagined versions of both band and fan-favorite TCC songs. The instrumentation and new ideas are really well-done and a must have for any fan of the band. We caught up with Matt MacDonald to discuss the album in more detail, along with what’s next for the band, their thoughts on music streaming services, & more! Check it out below along with the lyric video for their ‘revisited’ version of “Vagabonds.”
Tell us about the What Was Done idea to re-work and re-imagine those songs. How did you choose the songs for this album and where did you record?
The idea was to remember and celebrate 10 years of music by re-recording and re-arranging some old songs acoustically. Our acoustic EP in 2007 was really well received, so we figured it was time to do something else acoustic, and since our 10 year anniversary was coming, it seemed to make sense. We chose songs we thought would translate well acoustically, but also our crowdfund backers helped us choose a few. That’s the great thing about fan-to-band funding… our supporters actually get a say in what we create.
I really like that you did an acoustic version of “The Fight” simply because of how intense the original is. It was cool to hear you completely slow it down. When you make such a big change to the style of a song, does it bring out something that maybe you didn’t notice the first time around?
It was one of the few songs we completely changed the vibe of. I liked the idea of stripping it down to experience the lyrics. The original version is emotion and energy, but I think some of the lyrics get lost. When you slow something down and make it quiet, you get a completely different take on a song, and that’s what we were trying to do.
I love some of the new spins on songs like “Vagabonds” and “Beautiful Darkside.” Is there one song from this album in particular that you feel turned out unexpectedly great or that you were really impressed/surprised with?
My favorite was reworking “We All Look Elsewhere,” mostly because I’ve heard string arrangements in that song ever since I wrote it in 2003. It was fun to finally bring those ideas out of my imagination and finally put them on a record.
Thinking back to your first handful of tours, what is the main difference for you on stage a decade later? Are the same emotions & thoughts still there – or is the experience now completely different?
When we started touring, it was all about making a splash. We wanted our energy to translate, we wanted to get noticed. I did backflips on stage as a gimmick to get attention.. and we all were far more concerned with “rocking out” than playing our instruments well. Nowadays I think we’re far more content to let the songs speak, as opposed to a choreographed rock show…. I’d say the big difference is that we’re behind our mic stands more, singing more parts, playing better, and ultimately focused on sounding better rather than looking like aerobics instructors. These days, we have more faith in our songs than our bodies. We believe that proper performance of a song is a better vehicle for the emotion than backflips and synced-up head-banging.
We talked last year when you guys were on tour supporting Phoenix and you said being independent is a lot more work, but a lot more rewarding. Do you plan to continue releasing music independently in the future?
Yes we do. As long as we can fund our music-making, we plan to continue to make music.
What are your thoughts on the hot topic of Spotify and other streaming services? Some feel that it’s at least a better alternative than illegally downloading online, while others feel it still isn’t adequate. Where do you fall on the issue?
I think Spotify pays well… we’ve collected about $.005 a stream. Based on those numbers, a fan has to listen to the album 100 times in order to pay us what we would make if they bought it on iTunes. But over a lifetime, that can easily happen, especially if they stream it while they’re working or sleeping or jogging or whatever. People could stream it hundreds of times, paying us more than if they purchased on iTunes… To be honest, I’m just happy that people are listening to it, and that we are getting some reimbursement. When the trend was to pirate music, the artist took a big hit, but now that people are using subscription services, the artist can actually be reimbursed and continue to work on projects.
I recently visited Seattle for the first time and loved it. From a music perspective, what makes the city a good place for a young musician or a young band?
There are a lot of musicians to connect with here, and a wide variety of genres. People don’t settle down until their late 30’s here so starving artists are a staple in the community.
Where does The Classic Crime go from here? Musically, stylistically, big-picture…what’s on tap in 2015?
I like to take it one day at a time. I have some ideas for TCC’s next record, but I’m going to let them marinate for a bit while we continue to promote WWDV1.
The Classic Crime – “Vagabonds” (From What Was Done: Volume 1)
