One of the stalwarts of the OurStage Rock Channels is San Francisco’s The Paper Sons. Since 2007, this Bay Area four-piece has been churning out solid recordings such as their Fine Line EP and their digital-only release Underground. Fresh off the heels of their latest release on minus HEAD Records, In the Throes…, is their track “Blackout” which has been getting quite a few plays in the Alternative Charts thanks to its progressive melodies and a hard rock edge. The band’s singer gave us the inside scoop on the new track:
The Paper Sons
The song “Blackout” started as a rough recording that (guitarist) Phil and I had laid down last winter at Secret Studios. Normally, we get to the studio, plug the computer into the mixing board and press record. Just plug in and go! For some reason, that day, the board just wasn’t cooperating. The only way to document the idea was through a built-in mic from my laptop. If you’ve ever made a live recording with a laptop mic, you’ll know what I mean when I say the quality was beyond poor. The crash symbols had drowned out the melody and the guitar crumbled whatever was left of the songs coherency. However, with all the confusion, there was something about the melody, combined with the over-all aggressiveness of the percussion that seemed to overshadow its humble form. The time signature for the song is somewhere between a “four, four” and a “six, six.” It might give the song a subtle “whip.” We wanted each phrase and measure to snap back and hit the air. I think we couldn’t decide whether it should be a “swing” or “stomp.” The end would be a combination of the two.
For the lyrical content I reflected on a recent break-up I’d been dealing with. I had a lot of questions that ultimately couldn’t be answered. The title “Blackout” refers to the moments in a relationship that we choose to “Blackout” or forget voluntarily or involuntarily to protect the illusion of happiness. I found that some people tend to hold onto all the positive things about their life while ignoring the struggles and conflicts that got them their in the first place. Others hold onto the latter and forget about all the positive experiences they’ve had. I think it’s good to have a balance between the two if you want a healthy relationship with anyone.
“Blackout” was recorded last summer at “Nu-tone” Recordings in Pittsburg, CA. Our engineer was the “great” Willie Samuels. We couldn’t be happier with the end result. It has a big sound that doesn’t take away from its subtle and brewing intensity. “Blackout” is one of my favorite tracks on the album. We hope you enjoy it to!
