The sophomore full length from Trick Wound is what near would label an emo tape. It certainly contains all the touchstones of the genre—tempestuous guitars, tightly wound rhythms, loud/soft dynamics, confessional lyrics that aren't agape to claw at sometime scars and expose them to the world. Having undergone some lineup changes since their debut LP, however (almost notably the departures of former singer/guitarist Richard Philip and drummer Harrison Lyerly), the band saw an opportunity to expand their audio and branch off in new directions.

"A lot of other influences have been creeping in," says vocalist and guitarist Joseph McMichen, and, indeed, It Could Happen to Yous sounds like a bigger and more wide-ranging tape. Through a continual procedure of collaboration and constant reevaluation of the material, the group took on the challenge of crafting a more dynamic and multi-layered album, and as ane navigates through the LP's 14 tracks, there are traces of mail service-stone and shoegaze, alternative folk and dream pop. None of it is necessarily far removed from the oft-noted constraints of emo, but each helps add together farther depth and dimension to Fob Wound's thoughtful songwriting.

Conceptually, the album is divided into two singled-out themes: the first explores ideas of loneliness and isolation, and the destructive decisions that oftentimes event when your life feels shrouded in darkness. The 2d, however, examines the possibility of redemption and moving past those choices through self-examination and admitting to the need for assist. Although those two themes get tangled and intertwined in the early and center stages of It Could Happen to You, the separation betwixt them becomes increasingly obvious as the album lumbers through its terminal capacity. "I wanted at that place to be a articulate transition in the record because that'south how life has been for me," McMichen reveals. "I didn't want to write about sadness and loneliness without a determination, because what actually matters is what you lot exercise with it."

Fox Wound - It Could Happen to You

Talk a little bit nigh the changes Fox Wound has gone through since your final record.

Yeah, there's been a lot of change in the last couple years. I guess the biggest being Allen McCleese from Sleep Weather condition is our drummer now and our original guitarist Cameron Gunter rejoined. Outside of member changes though I've been told our sound has changed quite a bit, but I call back we still have a lot of the same early emo staples in our songwriting we've always had. We all just listen to so much more than that, then a lot of other influences accept been creeping in.

I didn't see Cameron credited on your Bandcamp page. Was he a part of writing or recording the new record?

No, actually. Tyler and I were splitting duties on guitar, and I jumped on bass for a song. When we finished the anthology we realized we needed a second guitarist for shows. We asked Cam to play with us and he immediately picked it up and even added his own parts to a lot of the songs, so there's some variation from the album to the alive shows.

Was Allen there from the commencement of these songs?

Yeah, we didn't get-go writing whatsoever of the album before he joined the band.

How did his drumming style affect the manner yous approached this record? Was it markedly different than writing with Harrison Lyerly?

Yes, of grade. They're two completely different fashion drummers, but the chemistry and the process is the same. We're all just heavily collaborating with each other and pushing each other to be the best musicians we can be.

Can you talk about your process as a band and then for this record specifically?

Commonly information technology starts with Tyler and I writing a unmarried office. We'll show something to one another and we'll first improvising off of it and trying different things. Nosotros demoed out Information technology Could Happen to You around 4 carve up times before we recorded the actual songs, and a lot of them were very dissimilar when nosotros started. We all endeavour to just go on an open listen and not get to married to something we write at home alone on our own because oftentimes someone else will come up up with something meliorate out of nowhere. It's very collaborative.

Reading through the lyrics it seems similar a lot of the tape is about loneliness, isolation, and fractured relationships on the one hand, but then also very much about finding yourself and moving beyond past mistakes. Was that dichotomy something the band was looking to explore on this record?

Aye. When I was writing the lyrics it very much felt like I was writing a diary. I wanted at that place to exist a articulate transition in the tape because that'southward how life has been for me. I didn't want to write about sadness and loneliness without a conclusion, considering what really matters is what y'all do with it. Information technology's important to acknowledge sadness, just I'm more than interested in writing about moving past it and what you lot can practice when you let go of those feelings.

I want to talk about "Dungeon Crawler" because it'south such an anthemic song and it seems to speak to that willingness to go out on a limb and lean on others to help pull you out of the darkness. And and then of form there's the great line at the stop that references the anthology championship. How did that particular song come nearly?

It was ane of the last songs I wrote lyrics for, and it was one of the toughest. A lot of it is about admitting you're lost and you don't know what to practise. It's called "Dungeon Crawler" referencing the style of video game where you're constantly navigating through a dark identify and it doesn't seem to end. The line "I was stepping out at dark, and I was and so alive" is me talking about putting myself in bad situations considering they feel correct at the time. The rest of the song is an admission that mayhap I wasn't making the correct choices all along and the only way out is to restart and do amend, especially if information technology means accepting assistance.

"It's important to acknowledge sadness, just I'm more interested in writing most moving past it and what you tin can do when you let go of those feelings."

So that line, "It could happen to yous / Crusade information technology happened to me too"—is that meant as a kind of warning?

Something betwixt a warning and a nod to anyone who's made similar choices. A lot of the events of the album are looking at things after time has passed and reflecting on them.

At the onset of the interview, you mentioned other influences creeping in to your music. Are there any specific artists or records that helped shape this record?

Alex M was a big influence to our vocal harmonies, especially when it came to experimenting with weirder stuff. Tyler would definitely say Neil Young has impacted how he'southward played guitar in the last couple years. And one of my biggest influences is the New York punk band Latterman. Someone gave me a mixtape when I was a child and it had Latterman on it and the first time I heard their distorted guitars and sloppy yelling I only wanted to be in a ring like that.

What can you tell united states of america well-nigh the anthology cover? Did you work with Dianna Settles once again?

Aye, Dianna is an absolutely phenomenal artist. They take been tattooing me for a few years, and after we finished recording our last album I knew I wanted her to practise our artwork. I was so happy with how it turned out last fourth dimension that I thought it but fabricated sense to ask her to exercise it once more. I sent her the songs when they were roughly mixed, along with the lyrics and told her to do any she wanted. I recall she captured the themes of the album incredibly well.

It also seems to provide a continuity betwixt the new record and your terminal LP. Practise y'all remember that was part of the intention?

I do and that's something I wanted. I wouldn't say our new album is a direct follow-up, only it definitely discusses a lot of the same themes and picks up where some of the last album left off. I don't know when we'll tape a third album, just I wouldn't be surprised if I was request Dianna to do artwork once again. The artwork for both albums feel like they're in the same world and I recollect that also plays into the theme of nostalgia.

You're doing your release at a house show rather than at a venue. Was that by preference?

In a way. Nosotros did our last album release at 529, which I dear, but I really wanted it to be an all ages testify for this 1. We're having Rosalia Parra do her Mexican vegan pop-up Maiz y Canela there, and so for me it feels like a fun party with all my friends. I thought putting information technology at Suspiria House would just be fun and welcoming for everyone.

Fox Wound volition gloat the release of It Could Happen to You tomorrow night, February. 15, at Suspiria Firm alongside Deadening Burn Pistol, Of the Vine, and King of Summer. Doors open up at 8 p.m. All ages.

More Info
Bandcamp: foxwoundband.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @foxwoundband
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Twitter: @foxwoundband