Photo by Cameron Browne
Most acts have the luxury of being able to write, record, and rehearse together in one place. That’s not the case for The Builders and the Butchers, whose upcoming album, The Spark, was helmed virtually due to various members living beyond the folk band’s Portland home base.
Not only did their fifth LP overcome challenges involving distance, but also time, as it took them a solid five years to pen the music. The patient, simmering-type of creative process behind The Spark is mirrored throughout its 11 tracks, according to frontman Ryan Sollee.
“Our last record Western Medicine was saturated with sounds filling the space on every track,” he tells Consequence of Sound. “For The Spark, the intention was to really let things breathe, and have one or two unique instruments driving the melody. Concentrating more on the root of the song.”
The latest preview of the album comes with today’s “Never Tell”, a stomping, banjo-led number about the afterlife and a showdown with the devil. Sollee explains that the song was “influenced by a series of post apocalyptic novels I read, where people infected with a disease are burned at the stake. Kind of a cautionary tale.”
Stream it down below.
The Spark arrives on May 19th via Badman Recordings Co.; pre-orders can be made here.
The Spark Artwork:
The Spark Tracklist:
01. All Turn to Fire Pt. 1
02. All Turn to Fire Pt. 2
03. Older Than Sin
04. Let It Shine
05. Casket Lands
06. No Grave
07. Never Tell
08. Darker Day
09. Edge of a Knife
10. Fox
11. Let the Wind Carry Me Home
The Builders and the Butchers 2017 Tour Dates:
05/04 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
05/05 – Astoria, OR @ Ft. George Brewery
05/06 – Portland, OR @ Old Church
06/07 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
06/08 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Crepe Place
06/09 – Visalia, CA @ Cellar Door
06/11 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
06/27 – Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
06/28 – Wichita, KS @ Fisch Haus
06/29 – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
06/30 – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
07/01 – Boulder, CO @ Laughing Goat
