Was there something you had learned during the recording process from making of your first record that you applied while working on your second record?
Oh yeah, totally. We've been doing a lot of stuff kind of, you know, cheaply. And probably not recording enough stuff while on location while we were out, just doing random recordings, and how important those kind of things were.
Because "Show Me" ended up becoming what we recorded as a demo,
vocal-wise, what we left on the record. We took that approach into [the new record] and wherever we went, we started recording.
No matter where we were, we were always recording something. In the bus, touring, in the middle of the car somewhere, even if it’s just writing on the MacBook Pro, or in GarageBand, a lot of that stuff became what was on this record. Our guitars on "I Don't Think So" are something we recorded in GarageBand a couple of years before the record was released. It was there and that became the song, kind of the foundation of it. So, we took all of those concepts and put [them] into recording this new album.
When you’re working on a new song, do you have a certain songwriting style or do you just start with an idea and go from there?
You know, it all depends. There are times when things are just kind of there. It’s kind of one of those weird ah-ha moments, when you sit down and just have this idea and it all comes together, kind of like a painting. And then there are other times whenever you're working with someone else, and it's like this is kind of a rough idea of a melody that you see what you can kind of get out so you don't lose your emotion from this track. So everything's really different, which kind of makes it fun.
You don't necessarily go into it right off the bat with that same mentality as you're going to write this song the same way you did the last one, because not all of them are alike. They're all kind of little babies, in that sense, where they have their own life form. They just kind of have to grow and see what they do naturally, or it's not going to be real.
You guys have worked with Max Martin on both of your records; what's it like working with him in the studio?
Article comments
1 - Barbariba
Great interview Kirsten! You always ask the most interesting questions.
I became a fan of Carolina Liar after I heard them on tour with David Cook. They're an awesome band and I really hope they tour with David again. They complement each other so well.
2 - Darlene
This interview was linked on a David Cook google alert. I'm definitely going to check out Carolina Liar. I have a feeling I'm going to love them.