Earlier this year Rumbulfish recorded their Roadrunner debut, a release which looks to hit the streets early next year (see MUSIC section for early demo). So whilst we have the time, a look back at the recording process, PT I… Rumbulfish recorded in studios from mid-July thru mid-August, drums done at Ocean Way and guitar, bass, & vox at Third Stone. During this time (in the midst of recording), we sat down and asked the band a few questions. The first part of our interview is as follows: Jason DeCosta (guitar): We are done with pre-production. This is actually recording the album tracks. And so far we are finished with the drums and we are starting on bass. Question: And is that for all the songs that are going on the record? Jason: Yes, that’s for all the songs. We are recording 14 and we are probably going to put 10 or 11 songs on the album. All of Possum’s (drums) tracks are done and Dungis (bass) is working on his tracks. Mike (vocals) and I are going to wait until we are at our other studio, Third Stone, which we are going into Monday to begin recording our tracks. Actually, Mike and I do our stuff together really well because we have to counter melodies and stuff like that. We kind of write together. Well we actually write everything together. But, Dungis and Possum are the backbone and it’s good to get their stuff done, the foundation. Q: Are all the songs completely ready to go, like lyrics written, etc.? Jason: Mostly. Mike has most of the lyrics written and I have most of the music written. But we just have little changes, like Mudrock came in and he did someí¢ä‰åŒ_ (Laughing: someone is singing “Mama Mia” in the background) Mike Ryan (vocals): What was that? Jason: Is that the dog singing an Italian song? Jason: Me and Mike are a team and we write most of everything. We have about 93 percent of everything done. Then Mudrock makes a couple of little changes here and there…Then Mike was working on a couple of other melodies that he wanted to experiment with and then I wait for him to come up with those melodies because I like writing guitar melodies over the melodies he has to go with what he’s doing… Q: Vocal melodies? Jason: I will write guitar melodies in the back to supplement his vocal melodies. Sometimes we wait. I wait for him to come up with the melodies and I’ll write something behind it. Or sometimes I’ll bring in a guitar riff and he will write something to it. There’s a bunch of different ways to go about it. Q: Do you have any working titles for songs? Jason: All the working titles are done for the songs and the subjects are done. Mike finished those. All the bass is done. All the drum lines are done. Everything is done. I would say about 90 percent of my guitar is done in my mind because I have not recorded it yet. But I will be adding stuff on top of that to fill it out. Q: When you say subjects, what do you mean? Mike: I want that dog to answer the question. Jason: He starts singing our songs. (Laughing) Mike: Actually the dog writes all my melodies. Q: Jason was saying all the subjects are picked. Does each song have a different subject or do you have one main story going on for all your songs? Is each song a chapter? Jason: Is it like Pink Floyd “The Wall”? Mike: Honestly, it’s not a conscious thing. I write from a stream of consciousness. I have a subconscious story that’s building upon itself that I can’t really figure out what each thing means until after I write it. It’s kind of like my own little therapy. I express everything and I go back and say “Oh, that was about this and that was about that” and it kind of makes a story but it all basically revolves around a coming of age thing. Growing as a person, making mistakes and bouncing back off mistakes. This album’s subject matter had got a lot to do with relationships, not just with women but with everything. Q Like general life, growing experiences? Mike: General life. Sometimes it becomes a metaphor for what I am talking about and sometimes it’s actually the real subject. Thanks to Chris in our US office for doing the interview… and of course Rumbulfish. more to come…