The challenge of creating a rocking sophomore album was nothing for the guys of The New Cities -- they just followed their instincts to produce the next level of synth-pop goodness.
To be released September 27, Kill The Lights is the Montreal-based band's followup to 2009's award-nominated Lost In City Lights. Its debut single Heatwave had heads bopping and toes tapping across Canada this summer.
I recently got the scoop on the new album and tour details from Nick Denis, one of the band's two keyboardists, who also divulged his favourite tour-mates, and what he's been listening to this summer.
What can fans expect from the new album Kill The Lights?
This is our second full-length album, so we spent a lot of time really working on the songs ‘cause for every artist the second album is a really important one, because there’s actually expectations from people. So we wanted to make sure we spent a lot of time writing songs, and writing a lot of songs. We wrote like 25 songs, and we picked 12 out of them for the new album. And I think it’s a good progression from the former album. It’s not exactly the same, but it’s in the same spirit. And it’s still super synthy. It’s probably even more synthy, but it still has that rock energy.
How much pressure was there to have that progression and have it be slightly different than the previous album?
You’ve got to please the fans in some way and you’ve got to please yourself as well. We learned a lot about writing during the first album cycle. We didn’t expect to do the same thing for the second album, and I don’t think people want the same thing either. They want something similar, but if it’s just like the same album with different songs, the interest is not going to be that crazy for a long time. So for us the pressure was more about making songs as good as they can be and making it really an upgrade of the other [album], and not just the same thing.
And you worked with some new producers for this album, correct?
We collaborated with a bunch of people for writing the songs. And then the new producer is Blake Healy, he’s from Metro Station. We worked together on a song for the album and after that we decided to ask him to produce the whole record because we really liked the synth-vibe he had going.
Your first single Heatwave was released this summer. Does that reflect the tone of the rest of the album as well?
Heatwave is more of a summer track. So the other songs aren’t all in that spirit, but the overall vibe is some sort of a reflection. Heatwave is more of a down-tempo, happy feel-good pop song. And there’s other songs on the record like that as well. But at the same time we have songs with more guitars and rock grooves, and we still have that other energy that we had on the other record.
I think in general the songs are a little down-tempo. Touring with the last album, I think we realized all the songs that were just a little slower were more groovy and we had that dance vibe going, and live it was going really well. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it, and we really had a good vibe going that was more in a dance groove, so we focused on that a little more on the new record. But there’s still songs with some banging guitar riffs and a lot of energy too.
Do you know where you’re going with a possible second single?
The second single is a song called The Hype; we just shot a video for it actually. And it’s definitely a more dancey, electro song, but it has a powerful energy.
You were nominated for a Juno and an MMVA with your first album. How important are those types of accolades as an up-and-coming band?
I think the recognition is definitely good to have. You work so long on making music, we spend all this time dong it. At the shows we see the recognition from the fans, and then we get nominations, which is another type of recognition that always feels good. Especially – we got a SOCAN award for our first single, and that felt really great because that’s a writer’s award. For us, all the galas and stuff, it’s more of a big party and a good time and a way to see our friends from other bands and other artists we don’t get to see all the time because we’re always on the road.
The band’s pretty active on Twitter and Facebook. Why is it important to connect to your fans through social media these days?
It’s just a good way to speak directly to them, which is something we didn’t have before. And I think that anyone’s that’s not really doing it is kind of missing out on that experience. So if you’re not doing it you’re kind of saying to your fans ‘No, I don’t want to talk to you.’ So for us, it’s really important to talk to them and connect with them. And at the same time it’s really good because you get feedback directly about a bunch of stuff that you do.
What are your upcoming touring plans?
We’re expecting to tour all around Canada in the fall and we have a Quebec tour coming in December. And we also have the Crush Fest promotion going on – it’s a secret show for winners on October 22. Also, we’re playing in Toronto on October 16 with Hot Chelle Rae, I think that’s going to be great too. It’s going to be our first show in Toronto in almost a year, so we’re excited about that.
Who would you love to tour with in the future?
I think one of the bands we really liked touring with was Simple Plan, because we had a whole summer of shows with them and it was just a great experience, and we had a lot of fun. We toured with Marianas Trench too, and that was great, so they’re all bands we’d like to tour with again. But if we go on a bigger level, we had a chance to open for Katy Perry two years ago, and that was just awesome.
What have you been listening to this summer? Any favourite songs or bands you can’t get enough of?
I change my playlist all the time. Right now I’ve been listening to the last Augustana record, I’ve been listening to it a lot. The one thing I’m most excited for though is Tom Waits just released a new song, and he’s an all-time favourite. I’m a huge Tom Waits fan and I just got it off of iTunes, and I was so excited. That could be the high point of my summer for sure.