2 BEARS 'a double vinyl album initiative'

We are a dying breed ..  one of several Melbourne post-rock bands who can proudly say ‘we’ve been around forever’, ... well not quite forever. The boats have been together for 14 years, and although we have not been playing a lot of shows of late, we have continued to create great music. The gap between our debut album ‘Los Musicos Periods’ and our followup record ‘Segundo’ (released in 2014) was way too long, 8 years to be precise. We like Segundo, as many others do, but the hiatus in between made us feel like we were trapped in a time bubble. So we vowed to keep 2 promises to ourselves: the next album would be produced and mixed by someone else (not in the band), and we would not wait another 8 years - it would be recorded this year. We are sticking to our promise!

We have been really hard at work, locked in rehearsal studios all year, gradually picking the tracks that stand out, slowly moulding and forming the material. One thing we can say about the new music: it’s back to the basics, back to what we are - a trio, and that means a wonderful mix between bass, guitar and drums and clever live overdubs (a touch of electronica), not to mention some wonderful guest players coming in to record and join us on new live shows in 2017.

So about that recording. Well, we will be recording with reputable engineer and producer, Neil Thomason. Neil gets it, he comes from that old school world of power rock, he loves analog tape and spent his 90’s playing guitar in rock outfits. He is the perfect choice to record our next album … "If a band asks me to be involved in making a record with them, the first thing I ask is 'What kind of record do you want to make?'  I see my job as one that involves ascertaining in as much detail as I can what it is the band wants to achieve with their recording, and then advising the best way I know about how the band can do that."

We like his approach and it’s a relief for us to have someone like Neil step in and take the helm, and allow us to be a band again ... to just kick back and play.

https://soundcloud.com/the-boats-music/sets/warmgun 

REVIEWS 

“Is it possible that one of the best post-rock albums of 2015 will be an album recorded in 2007?  The chances are very good, because Segundo is an excellent album, so good that its prior invisibility now seems stunning.” - Richard Allen - 25th Feb, 2015.

“If alternative-metal act such as ‘Fugazi’ or ‘Mudhoney’ had ever been mandate to a particular set of selected instruments loyal of a mini-orchestral outfit, they’d have probably sounded a little like The Boats. “Segundo (Bonus Edition)” is very much an epic, yet acquired taste of experimental elements that you will most likely want to hear, time and time again, over and over.” - M.S.Torabally - Jan, 2014.

“Segundo has the regal elegance that Explosions In The Sky, or even (dare I say it) Godspeed muster - a hushed, post-apocalyptic reverence, an elegiac elegance echoing across the ashen wasteland. This won’t get the recognition it should - so rectify that wrong and get all over this.” - Brendan Telford - Feb, 2015.

http://www.theboats.org

First off, there is the actual recording process. We will spend 2 days with Neil @ Headgap recording to wonderful 2" analog tape. With a warmth and natural saturation that can only be afforded by analog recording, we will be caught in our element - a raw Melbourne three-piece post-rock band, enthused and emphatic with a story to tell the world. Naturally we need to pay for Neil's time and studio space, and the mixing that will follow. 

We will then need to master our new record with a professional mastering engineer - and mastering for vinyl is a true art in itself.

Finally the album needs to be wedded to its natural physical format, irreplaceable, beautiful, tangible double vinyl.

All the while, we will be busy organising glorious artwork, creating and printing t-shirts, and preparing other goodies for you all to help celebrate the release of our third full-length offering. 

If you feel like giving more than our target, we will deeply appreciate it, and not forget it. 

The biggest challenge we face is pulling off an album in two days of which we can be proud. Full stop. 

With all the work that we've put into the songs over the past year, we are confident that our new material, combined with Neil's production skils and creative input from some special guests, will create a special and timeless musical gem.

We can't wait to share our new songs with you all!