Safe in Sound is the fifth and final studio album by British rock band Lower Than Atlantis, released on February 13 2017. Following the release of Changing Tune (2012), Island Records were streamlining and dropping artists who were underselling. Despite the album underselling, the group couldn't be dropped as the label had picked the option for their next album. The label offered the band the chance to take an advance and leave, which they subsequently did to build a personal studio. Here, the group worked on their next album, Lower Than Atlantis, which was released through Sony Music and supported by successful tours. In early 2015, the band were having discussions with Sony about their next album.
Drum tracks were recorded in late 2015 at The Pool at Miloco Studios in London with producer Dan Lancaster. Following a six-month break, which began from December 2015, the band were recording in their own studio in July–August 2016. All of the guitar and bass parts were recorded in their personal studio, and vocals were recorded at Lancaster's house and vocalist/guitarist Mike Duce's flat. Mixes were done while the band was on a European tour. The majority of the songs were co-written between Duce and one of three songwriters: Julian Emery, Lancaster or Dan McDougall.
"Work for It" was released as a single in August 2016, a music video for the song followed a month later. In October, Safe in Sound was announced for release, and a music video was released for "Dumb". In November, the group supported You Me at Six in Europe, and a music video was released for the second single "Had Enough".[2] In January 2017, "Boomerang" was made available for streaming, and in the following month, Safe in Sound was released through Easy Life Records and Red Essential.
Background
Lower Than Atlantis released their third album Changing Tune in October 2012 through Island Records.[3] Sometime afterwards, the label was in the process of streamlining and dropping artists that were underselling.[4] Despite the album reaching the top 30,[5] it undersold the label's expectations.[6] The band, however, couldn't be dropped due to the label having already picked the option for their next album.[4] The label gave the band the choice to either release the next album through them but with no marketing, or take an advance and leave the label. The band subsequently took the advance and built their own recording studio. The band spent the following couple of years working on the studio and their next album.[7]
After signing with Sony Music in 2014, the group released their self-titled album in October of the same year,[3] charting in the top 20 in the UK. The album's lead single, "Here We Go", went on to sell over 50,000 copies worldwide. The album was supported by two sold-out tours of the UK,[5] as well as a support slots for A Day to Remember on their UK tour,[8] and Hands Like Houses in Australia and the US.[9] In May 2015, guitarist Ben Sansom revealed the group were having discussions with Sony Music about their next album: "Everyone seems excited for what['s] next."[10]
Production
All of the drum tracks had been recorded at The Pool[7] at Miloco Studios in London,[11] over the course of three weekends in late 2015.[12] The drums were recorded here due to the band's personal studio consisting solely of a control room, a live room, and storage for their equipment. Duce said their studio was "great for close mic stuff but not so good for big room drums."[7] Vocal overdubs and stomps were also recorded.[12] Dan Lancaster produced the sessions here, with assistance from Sam Harper[11] and Jamie McEvoy.[12] Lancaster also engineered the drums, with additional drum engineering by Darren Jones.[11] Jones mentioned that the group originally planned to record a few songs but "liked the sound so much they decided to do the [drum tracks for] whole album".[12] Following the end of a UK tour in December 2015,[13] the band members went on a six-month break to spend time with family.[7] According to Duce, the group spent a period of time "refining our sound as well as trying some new techniques."[14]
In July 2016, Rock Sound reported that the band was in the process of recording.[15] Recording took place at the band's personal studio, Titan Studios in Watford.[11] Here, the band recorded all of the guitar and bass parts,[7] which were engineered by Sansom.[11] Most of the guitar tracks were recorded clean, and re-amped later on.[16] Duce described the recording process as: "Me, Ben and Dan sitting in our studio running through things in a pretty leisurely way."[17] The songs were recorded in batches of two at a time, according to Duce, "like a production line".[7] This allowed the band to concentrate their efforts and "make them sound as good as possible."[7]
Vocals were recorded at Lancaster's house and Duce's flat,[7] which were engineered by Lancaster.[11] Duce reasoned that vocals were recorded at Lancaster's house "because he couldn't be bothered to come to ours."[7] By mid-August, Duce said the group were "about seven songs in," and were planning on having 10 songs completed.[18] Duce explained that if albums had less than 12 songs, they would need to be "stonking belters ... The seven that we've got now are those kind of songs."[18] The deadline for album was during a European tour with You Me at Six, during which, the band were listening to mixes[19] done by Lancaster.[11] Duce explained: "We were listening to mixes on the bus, doing mix points and sending them back. It was mental, but we got it done in the end."[19] Dick Beetham mastered the recordings at 360 Mastering.[11]
Composition
Duce explained the album's name was taken from "the idea of being 'safe and sound' but being safe within music."[14] The album's themes delve into "depression, rejection, being in love and monetary worries to name a few", according to Duce.[14] While the group's self-titled effort was a mixture of "some bangin’ LTA songs, some rock bangers ... stuff I’d written with boybands in mind," Duce intended Safe in Sound to be "100 per cent [LTA]."[20] Most of the songs were written between Duce and an additional writer: "Had Enough" with Julian Emery and Lancaster, "Dumb", "Long Time Coming" and "Work for It" with Lancaster, "Long Time Coming", "Could Be Worse", "I Would" and "A Night to Forget" with Dan McDougall, "Boomerang" with James Bay and Jonathan Green. Additionally, "Had Enough", "Long Time Coming", "Boomerang" and "A Night to Forget" were also co-written with the rest of the band.[21][22] The album's sound has been described as hard rock.[23]
Duce was "having a shit day and couldn’t be bothered to [record a] vocal [for] an instrumental [track] I had," which resulted in the creation of "Had Enough".[24] According to Thrower, the song "distils everything that we’re about."[25] Duce mentioned that it was the first track written for the album.[26] With "Boomerang", the group wanted to, according to Duce, "do a pop track and see what comes out."[7] Discussing "Work for It", Duce explained that you "either have a choice to sit on your arse and hope things come your way or get up, get to work and put in the effort and perseverance."[27] The song was initially inspired by Duce's brother and sister receiving their GCSE results, "but it morphed into a song about me sorting my life out and focusing on my career in music."[28] Duce wrote "Could Be Worse" for himself "because things could always be worse."[19]
Duce considered "Could Be Worse" and "I Would" to be reminiscent of their second album, World Record (2011), in the sense that they feature "the best bits of our band, and then a couple of new things."[7] According to Duce, the intro to "Money" was influenced by the music featured in the TV series Stranger Things.[29] Referring to "I Don't Want to Be Here Anymore", Duce said "depressing, sad songs ... just come out. It's like therapy... something to take my mind off things."[30] According to Duce, the song had been written three years prior.[31] With "A Night to Forget", Duce explained that the group were playing festivals where people would be "pissed with their mates, jumping up and down and having a laugh – and it didn't feel like we had a song for that."[30]
Release
Lower Than Atlantis performing at Rock am Ring 2017.
Following a premier on BBC Radio 1,[32] "Work for It" was released as a single on 17 August 2016.[33] Duce explained that with their previous album, the group released "the 'best' song" first and found it "hard to follow-up single-wise."[28] With Safe in Sound, the group wanted to be "strategically building with singles this time round – they get better and better!"[28] At the end of August, the band performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals.[34] A music video was released for "Work for It" on 12 September,[35] directed by Ben Roe.[36] The video features the band performing in a bar.[37] Duce described the video as "making a choice, is it the right one? Who knows."[27] On 30 October, Safe in Sound was announced for release,[13] and the album's artwork and track listing was revealed.[14] On the same day, a music video was released for "Dumb".[13] In November, the band supported You Me at Six on their tour of Europe.[38] On 30 November, a music video was released for "Had Enough",[39] directed by Chris Hugall.[40]
On 20 January 2017, "Boomerang" was made available for streaming.[41]Safe in Sound was released on 3 February through Sony Music-affiliated labels Easy Life Records and Red Essential.[14] In March, the band went on a co-headlining tour of Europe with Young Guns,[42] followed by headlining UK tour[43] with support from Young Guns, Hands Like Houses and Roam.[39] In June, the band supported Blink-182 for a few shows in Germany,[44] and performed at Rock am Ring.[45] In July, the group appeared at the 2000 Trees festival in the UK.[46] In November and December, the band supported Enter Shikari on their tour of the UK and Europe.[47] On 22 March 2018, a music video was released for "I Would", consisting of tour footage from the previous year.[48] In April, the band went on a headlining tour of the UK with support from Milk Teeth and The Faim.[49] Following this, the group supported Sleeping with Sirens on their headlining tour in Australia and New Zealand.[50] In May, the band continued their headlining UK tour with support from Boston Manor and The Faim.[49] At the end of the month, the band performed at the Slam Dunk Festival.[51]
Safe in Sound sat at number 4 on the UK midweek chart,[62] before eventually charting at number 8.[63] The album also charted at number 9 in Scotland.[64]
Safe in Sound received generally favourable reviews.[52]Belfast Telegraph reviewer Ryan Ward called the album a "decent attempt" in making "radio friendly heavy(ish) rock."[53] He noted that it featured "solid musical craftsmanship " with some "very listenable tracks throughout."[53] Lisa Henderson of Clash said the album was full of "robust, riotous anthems."[54] She wrote that the album was "a case in point" that the band are capable of being "at their finest" when they are able to "strike a balance between their pop tendencies and their grunge roots."[54] Writing for The Irish Times, Lauren Murphy mentioned that while the band "take their cue from the emo and hardcore scenes," the album "intermittently strays from that path."[56] She referred to it as a "generally celebratory, upbeat collection."[56]
Paul Travers of Kerrang! wrote that the album was "polished and layered: the most expansive and accessible album they've yet created."[57] He mentioned that despite the "rough-and-tumble lyrics," the album was sonically "huge without having to resort to sheer volume."[57] In a short review for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jon M. Gilbertson wrote that despite Safe in Sound being "steeped in the softer anthemic qualities" of groups such as U2 and Coldplay, it was "basically a modern-pop slab suitable for chill-out hours."[58]Q reviewer Thea de Gallier wrote that with their previous two albums, Changing Tune and the self-titled, the band rode the line between punk rock and indie rock. They "lean[ed] ever more towards the latter and now they arrive at the sparse, bouncy pop" of Safe in Sound.[59]
Rob Sayce of Rock Sound wrote that the album was "engineered for the airwaves; almost every song produced and polished to within an inch of its life."[60] He commented that while it was "immaculately constructed", it felt like "the soul and feeling has been lost in the process."[60] Stereoboard reviewer Liam Turner wrote that the album was the band's "latest attempt to perfect the fusion of hard rock and poppy commercialism."[23] He mentioned that it was "virtually indistinguishable" from their self-titled album.[23] Ali Shutler of Upset wrote that the group was "building on the direct aims" of the self-titled album, in that they "fully embraced the ... ability to write a banger, ‘Safe In Sound’ gets straight to the point."[61]
Lower Than Atlantis were an English rock band from Watford, Hertfordshire. They formed in 2007 as a hardcore punk band and gradually shifted into a melodic rock sound over five studio albums, their last being 2017's Safe in Sound. The band consisted of vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Mike Duce, bassist Declan Hart, drummer Eddy Thrower, and guitarist Ben Sansom. They announced in December 2018 that they would be disbanding after a final 3 tour dates in 2019.
Bretton is the first EP by British rock band Lower Than Atlantis, released in 2008.
World Record is the second studio album by British rock band Lower Than Atlantis.
Far Q is the debut studio album by British rock band Lower Than Atlantis. Following multiple line-up changes, the band gained drummer Eddy Thrower before starting work on Far Q. The album was recorded above a printing factory in Hertfordshire between September and November 2009 with producer Daniel Lancaster. "Taping Songs Off the Radio" was released as a single in early March 2010 with Far Q following later that month. It was released through A Wolf at Your Door Records. A vinyl edition was released by German label Redfield. The album was critically lauded upon release. "Far Q" was released as a single in mid-July. In September and October, the band toured the UK on the Rock Sound Presents... Powered by Fender with Architects, Norma Jean and Devil Sold His Soul.
Changing Tune is the third studio album and major label debut by English rock band Lower Than Atlantis. Preceded by the non-album single "If the World Was to End", the band went on their first ever headlining tour in the UK in January 2012.
Rain in July is the first EP by Welsh pop punk band Neck Deep.
Wishful Thinking is the debut studio album by the Welsh pop punk band Neck Deep. Vocalist Ben Barlow met guitarist Lloyd Roberts when Roberts was working with Barlow's brother, Seb. Following the upload of a song under the artist name Neck Deep, the song gained attention. This attention resulted in the duo obtaining guitarist Matt West, drummer Dani Washington and bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans. The band released two EPs, Rain in July (2012) and A History of Bad Decisions. In March 2013 the band started recording material at Celestial Recordings in Wrexham, where they began recording guitar, bass and vocals. The group then moved to Outhouse Studio in Reading, where they recorded drums. Material was produced by Seb Barlow and the band. In mid-August, the group had signed to Hopeless, and by late August, they announced the album had been finished.
Lower Than Atlantis is the fourth studio album by British rock band Lower Than Atlantis. With the release of Changing Tune (2012), the band moved to an arena rock-orientated sound. Following the touring cycle for Changing Tune, Island Records gave the band an ultimatum. The result of which ended with the band taking a label advance and building their own recording studio in Watford in July 2013. Discussing new material, vocalist/guitarist Mike Duce called the lyrics "quite vague" compared to his previous autobiographical work. Bassist Declan Hart listed Pantera, C2C and The 1975, among others, as influences for the album. Recording was done with producer Dan Lancaster over the course of "seven or eight months". Lancaster constantly pushed the band to get the best take. The band soon moved to Peter Miles' studio in Devon to record drum tracks.
Asymmetry is the second album by British rock band Mallory Knox. It was released on 27 October 2014 via Search and Destroy and Epic Records and was produced by Gil Norton. It is the band's first release after departing from A Wolf at Your Door Records.
White Noise is the debut studio album by American rock band Pvris. Pvris formed as a five-piece metalcore band in Lowell, Massachusetts in 2012. Following the band becoming a four-piece of vocalist/guitarist Lyndsey Gunnulfsen, guitarist Alex Babinski, bassist Brian MacDonald and drummer Brad Griffin, the group's sound changed. Bringing pop and electronic elements into their music, the band released a self-titled EP. After winning a contest, the band played a week on Warped Tour; following this, Griffin left the band. The group signed with Rise and Velocity Records in June 2014. White Noise was recorded with producer Blake Harnage. Harnage would help co-write several songs on the album with Gunnulfsen; Sierra Kusterbeck helped co-write a few songs with Harnage and Gunnulfsen.
I'll Keep You in Mind, from Time to Time is the debut studio album by British emo band Moose Blood.
Never Happy, Ever After is the debut studio album by British pop punk band As It Is. Following four self-released EPs, the band signed to Fearless Records in October 2014. A week after the signing, the band went to record with producer James Paul Wisner in St. Cloud, Florida, United States. Never Happy, Ever After was released through Fearless on 20 April 2015.
Life's Not out to Get You is the second studio album by Welsh pop punk band Neck Deep. Following the success of their debut album, Wishful Thinking (2014), the majority of the band members quit their day jobs and vocalist Ben Barlow dropped out of university. Working with Jeremy McKinnon, Andrew Wade and Tom Denney, the band recorded their second album between December 2014 and January 2015. Following recording the band immediately went on tour.
Permanence is the debut studio album by rock band No Devotion. It was released on 25September 2015 through Collect Records. It was reissued on 6 June 2022 through Velocity Records after the collapse of Collect Records.
Blush is the second studio album by British emo band Moose Blood. It is their last release to feature drummer Glenn Harvey before his departure in 2017.
Night People is the fifth studio album by English rock band You Me at Six. Following an 18-month touring cycle for Cavalier Youth, the group took a break. In the autumn, the group worked on new music at drummer Dan Flint's house, and subsequently tracked demos with Ross Orton. Reconvening in January 2016, the group were in discussions with several different producers before being approached by Jacquire King. The group then went to Nashville, Tennessee to record their new album with King in February. Majority of the album was recorded live-in-the-studio, an approach the group hadn't attempted before. The group returned home to write more material before returning to the studio. Recording subsequently wrapped up in June. Night People was announced in August, followed by the single release of the title-track.
Wired is the third studio album by the British rock band Mallory Knox. It was released on March 10, 2017 and is the last album to feature Mikey Chapman on lead vocals.
Last Young Renegade is the seventh studio album by American rock band All Time Low. It was released on June 2, 2017, and is their first release with Fueled by Ramen. The lead single, "Dirty Laundry", premiered on BBC Radio 1 on February 17, 2017. The album debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200, selling 33,000 units in its first week.
Loathe are an English heavy metal band from Liverpool. Formed in 2014, the group consists of lead vocalist Kadeem France, guitarist and second vocalist Erik Bickerstaffe, drummer Sean Radcliffe and bassist Feisal El-Khazragi.
Dan Lancaster is a producer, mixer, songwriter and artist from the UK.
1 2 "BMI | Repertoire Search". BMI. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2017.Select Title from the drop down menu, then enter the song title in the search box, then click Search.
1 2 "ACE Repertory". ASCAP. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2017.Scroll down to the relevant entries and click on the titles for the songwriter information.
1 2 Gilbertson, Jon M. (2 February 2017). "New album releases for Feb. 3". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
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Hickie, James (25 February 2017). McMahon, James (ed.). "Anatomy of a Rockstar: Mike Duce". Kerrang! (1659). London: Bauer Media Group. ISSN0262-6624.
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