According to its MySpace and Twitter pages, Minus The Bear has been in the studio, working on a new album — its fifth — tentatively scheduled for release late this fall. Looking to take a new direction of sorts, the indie-pop-rockers are recording with the help of Joe Chicarelliy (of My Morning Jacket and The White Stripes fame ), which marks the first time the Seattle outfit has brought in an outside producer since its debut LP.
What’s different this time around, however, is that Minus the Bear is financing the album themselves, in classic, DIY, indie fashion, giving the band greater creative control. According to a recent Twitter Q&A session, the band’s going for as much of a live sound as possible, with everyone recording all at once. There’s more, though. In addition to that raw, untamed sound, the band’s been fiddling around with new pedals, too — everything from a Pitch Pirate and a Mu-Tron Phasor to a Line 6 M13 Stompbox Modeler. What does that all mean? Go ask that cool-but-still-dorky guitar expert down the hall.
For those interested, and not looking to make new neighborhood friends, there’s a new video on the band’s website which documents their studio time.