Sleeping At Last

Sleeping at Last is a band that you need to tune into if you’ve missed them thus far. Brought to Interscope Records and a substantially larger audience by Billy Corgan in 2002, Sleeping at Last has carved out a comfortable niche within the emo and alternative rock crowd. The band has enjoyed sharing the stage with such acts as Switchfoot, The Format, and Yellowcard and even found their track “Quicksand” featured on the ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. To top it all off, they’re not only remarkably talented but they’re a nice group of guys.

Recently, Soul-Audio sat down with brothers Ryan and Chad O’Neal and Dan Perdue to talk about the intentionality of the recording cycle, the role of the road on developing a song, and the butterflies that come with each new release.

SA: I’d love to start things out by talking about where you guys are at right now. I know Capture was 2000 and 2003 was Ghost and 2006 was Keep No Score so does that mean everyone has to wait until 2009 for the next album?

Ryan: (Laughs) Yeah, we’re hoping to get back in the studio, probably at the end of this year, early next year, and probably by the middle of next year we’ll have our next record out.

SA: So is that a purposeful cycle of sorts?

Ryan: Y’know, probably not as much as it looks. (Laughs) I think it just happens to be the timing in which we’re ready.

SA: So what does it mean for you to be “artistically ready”?

Ryan: I think that, with writing, I never want to force anything on any sort of timetable or time schedules like that. So it just sort of happens that the songs kind of fall into place when they do and obviously we work really hard at it but, yeah; just as soon as we feel right about if we have all the (right) tracks and feel comfortable with pre-production, stuff like that, then we know it’s time.

SA: Does it feel like you guys have, for lack of a better word, a real ‘schedule’ down?

Ryan: Yeah, it does! It feels like we definitely have a rhythm right now for everything. It just feels like, by the end of this year, like we’ve been spending most of this year already just working on new songs and touring quite a bit. So this year feels like it’s when we’ll be ready, the right time.

SA: So if there is that rhythm, after you work so hard creating and crafting and then releasing something, do you feel like there’s sort of a hibernation period after you release it?

Ryan: Yeah, definitely. I think that it’s exciting to just know that we can start over with new songs and new ideas and it’s exciting to tour with, to get a couple of years of touring in between each album. Yeah, I definitely think that all adds up to being the perfect timing for all of us to feel like we’re enjoying that the most as possible.

SA: So is it the same rhythm for everyone? Like, does one of your perhaps have a slightly different sense of rhythm and wants to get things out faster than the other two do?

Chad: I think that our pattern, the way we write, it keeps everything really fresh. And like you were saying, with having a rhythm of just having the down time after our album comes out, it definitely takes some time for us to get into the touring mode and then, when you’re in that, it’s just an amazing experience. Then to go back into writing, it takes some time. So when you switch from touring to studio mode it’s definitely exciting for the first few months or so but then I think you want to go back to that next process.

SA: What about for you Dan?

Dan: I think for me, I don’t think I’ve ever felt like it was too long between albums for us. That’s just the way we’ve always done things I’ve always felt like. When we’ve started working on new songs and going into the studio, it’s a little bit more and then it’s over. If we’re back recording already, it’s like ‘when can we start again?’ you know? It always feels like time goes so quick so it comes up sooner than you’re ready for it sometimes but it’s always a good time.

SA: It seems to be a real organic process. Is that what you’re aiming for or is that what just comes natural?

Ryan: Yeah, I think that the process feels like it just naturally came about in the first place. It’s not like we’ve ever sat down and thought, “We should do another album in two or two-an-a-half years”, whatever it is. I think that time period just gives us, like Chad was saying, gives us enough time to organically switch to each mode and to really enjoy each part of the process. It also gives us lots of time to try out new material on the road and just sort of make everything work the best way that we know how to make it work.

Chad: And I think too, if our records came out a lot faster I think it would probably be a lot more stressful and that the work we would do would kind of be lacking. And we try to put everything we can, we try to put one hundred percent into our music when we’re recording and when we’re working on the new tracks so I think the time is definitely needed.

SA: Do you guys ever consider going in a more non-traditional route? I mean, with technology so rampant today, about having not to do a full album every time…

Ryan: Yeah! You mean like do EP’s and stuff like that?

SA: Yeah, yeah…

Ryan: You know, like early on we did an EP at first when we first started but ever since then, I don’t know if we’ve all ever even talked about it. We’re all fans of LP’s so that’s what we always make. (Laughs)

Dan: I think we always approach it too, it’s not like based on a song-to-song thing; it’s more that the album is a piece together, you know? We’re not focusing on a big single or that we just want to focus on a couple songs and the rest are just there for fillers. I think we just always kind of feel like when we lay out the track list, it’s not like “pile all the good songs on the front and if they listen to the rest, fine.” But we lay them out as if somebody’s going to listen to the whole thing, straight through. So we haven’t really discussed doing smaller works like EP’s or singles or anything like that.

SA: So you guys are fans of the album format?

Ryan: I think so, yeah! (Laughs)

SA: So is it frustrating to kind of see that going the way of the dinosaur then?

Ryan: Most of the bands we listen to are still doing albums and things like that so we’re not seeing it real big just yet but I’m sure it’ll catch up to us eventually. We’re going to keep doing it. (Laughs)

SA: Well that does enable you guys to work, like even on the album artwork, which like on Keep No Score is fantastic, and you guys worked with that artist for your website too, right?
Ryan: We did, yes. Geoff Benzing is his name.

SA: How did you guys find Geoff?

Ryan: My girlfriend used to live in Kansas and she just had a friend and Jeff was her friend’s brother, and then his dog was friends with…(Laughs)

SA: (Laughs) With your dentist right? That’s the way it works…

Ryan: And then we met him! (Laughs) But yeah, so he was just kind of like a friend of a friend and we saw a couple of his paintings online and absolutely loved it so he’s been amazing to work with. And we’re definitely hoping to continue with his art.

SA: Speaking of art and imagery, that’s something that’s very pervasive in the songs that you write. Is that something that’s very purposeful, in terms of trying to paint word pictures of sorts?

Ryan: Definitely. It’s something that I really enjoy and it’s something that I’ve always gravitated toward even when I first started writing songs at all. But, like I’ve never really recognize it until the last couple years that I do that, like what I gravitate toward but…I’ve always felt like imagery and analogies and things like that express things better than normal language for me, I guess.

SA: How collaborative is that process for you guys?

Ryan: Basically the songs, each of kind of has it’s own kind of life, but it generally just starts with me having a lot of ideas musically and I kind of put them together a little bit. Then when I feel like there’s some substance to any of the songs I’ll show the guys and we’ll start working on the arrangement and, obviously they’re working on their parts, so it sort of goes through that process. But lyrically, it’s a totally separate process. For lyrics, I always try to write daily, just like trying to collect words, ideas, images or lines that I just come across that I really like and just kind of put them all together. I sort of do the same thing with music too, just collecting small little recordings that I make and eventually when I feel like there’s something to work with I put them together and then we all sort of chip away at it.

SA: What about from the other guys’ perspectives? Do you guys come in with many lyrical ideas or your own or…?

Dan: Lyrically, Ryan’s the man.

Chad: Yeah, Ryan primarily writes all the lyrics…Yeah, you wouldn’t want to hear anything that I’d have to write. (Laughs)

SA: (Laughs)

Chad: It wouldn’t be very good.

SA: Do you guys do any side projects as well? I know a lot of people these days are working with having their hands in a lot of things these days…

Chad: No, not at all. I don’t do anything; I put one hundred percent into the band. It’s crazy because like when we’re not downstairs working on stuff we are answering emails or on MySpace or dealing with a bunch of other band decisions. We do all of our own designs as far as our merch and all that sort of stuff so we’re very hands on and we do a lot of that stuff.

SA: So is that part of the value system that you guys have or is it frustrating to have to do everything sort of D.I.Y. so much?

Ryan: We definitely crafted that to our exact specifications. We love being hands on with everything. We’ve had meetings where we’ve all said we want to be one hundred percent in the band and in every aspect of it and that’s how we’ve chose to approach the career from the beginning.

SA: So if you guys are writing new material now and looking to head into the studio sometime soon, what is some of the new material coming out? Are you picturing strings again and working with Susan or…?

Chad: Yeah, we always picture strings…

SA: (Laughs)

Ryan: Yeah, we’re suckers for strings so there’s always an arsenal of stuff we like to use. (Laughs) But yeah, we’ve got a couple of new songs that we’ve started playing live now so we’ll be taking those and probably a few others out on the road with us through this year. But, yeah, definitely, strings are going to be another big part of our record, I’m pretty much sure of that.

SA: I know for some bands, they view taking those songs out as “road testing”, like, is it fan-friendly, or does this work? Is that a major part of that thinking?

Ryan: It definitely has some sway over, more than like waiting to see what people think of the songs, that definitely factors in, but it’s more of…I think when you play a song for an audience you actually hear it different for yourself, y’know? You’re kind of able to see what it really is and able to figure out what works and what doesn’t work. So I definitely think it’s an important of getting the songs to be the best that they can.

SA: For example? Like is there one song that has changed significantly more than the others?

Chad: There’s two we’ve been working on that we’ve changed a few things in both of the songs since we’ve played it. We actually only played it live once but we went in and re-did a few things and I’m sure we’ll be tweaking it throughout the year.

Ryan: I would say that half of our songs, at least for Keep No Score, half of them were tested and played live…

Chad: …and changed throughout the course.

Ryan: Yeah, exactly. Like kind of tweaked with that in mind and then I think the other half was just completely writing in our own space and just knowing that we’re confident in the songs and we put them out there.

SA: Do you guys have other details on the new release, like do you know where you’re recording and that kind of thing?

Ryan: I think we’ll probably do a similar set-up to our last couple records. The studio that we’ve worked with in Chicago, it’s called the Main Tracks, we’re really big fans of their space…and then we also do a lot of it, like the direct input, the keyboards, the vocals, and things like that we just do in our home and we really just like that process.

SA: Like pre-production wise?

Ryan: Actually, no, even just for the record, just tracking.

SA: Really?

Ryan: Yeah we did it for both Ghost and Keep No Score we did it. Primarily I think we did all of the vocals and all of the keyboards and things like that in our home space, in our home studio, and just like the drums, bass, guitars, all that kind of stuff and the strings, obviously, that’s all done at the studio.

SA: Is it ever a point of nervousness for you guys when you release something new?

Chad: Oh for sure, yeah! I think for all of us. You mean just like having it be out to the world?

SA: Yeah, it feels like with you guys, perhaps more than most, that you’ve got this intimate connection with the creative process, in having spent time with this music and know you’re just releasing it to the masses.

Ryan: Yeah, definitely. We’re a nervous band in general, I’d say. (Laughs) Before every show, before every tour, before every record. Probably me, especially. But I think that that somehow helps us keep on our feet.

Chad: Yeah I think it’s a good thing. I think that we put a lot of care into each song that I think if we weren’t nervous we wouldn’t care as much and it’s kind of a good thing that we all do care as much as we do about the songs. I think, I hope it reflects it in the way that we record it and in how we handle our music and even our live show.

SA: So that intimacy, do you think that’s essential for the incubation?

Ryan: Definitely. I would say so for sure.

SA: So are you guys going to be doing some touring here soon? You have some tour dates in April?

Ryan: Yes, we’re actually going to be touring pretty much on and off for this entire year. And April is when it all starts. We’ll be heading out to pretty much the eastern half of America and we’re really, really excited for these tours because we’re trying out this thing where we’re having guest string quartets…

SA: Really?

Ryan: So we’re doing that at some shows in a few select cities and we’re going to have a show with a guest string quartet. So that’ll be really fun. Our first one is in Jacksonville, Florida…

Chad: No, actually the first one is in…

Dan: Pennsylvania.

Chad: Yeah, Pennsylvania.

Ryan: Well yeah, I forgot. (Laughs)

SA: (Laughs)

Ryan: Yeah, so the first one is in Pennsylvania and the second one is in Jacksonville so we’re really looking forward to it. We’re working on another one in Omaha so yeah. This year will be lots of fun with being out there, working on the new songs, trying out some new songs, and playing the stuff from Keep No Score so…

SA: So are you guys touring with someone?

Ryan: No, we’re just going out on our own again. We’ve done that for a couple of years now and just having different openers for each show and that’s just something we love doing.

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