The Making of THEY WANT MY SOUL by Spoon - featuring Britt Daniel, Jim Eno and Alex Fischel

08/19/24 • 86 min

For the 10th anniversary of Spoon’s 8th full-length album, They Want My Soul, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After Spoon concluded their remarkable run of records in the early 2000s with 2010’s Transference, they took a much needed break. During this time, Britt Daniel formed Divine Fits with Dan Boeckner, while Jim Eno produced records for other artists. When Spoon got back together, they added new member Alex Fischel on keyboards and opted to work with producers Joe Chiccarelli and Dave Fridmann for the first time. Having that time apart gave them a new perspective on the band as they worked to expand the sound, incorporating more keyboards, hip hop and electronic influences and unique production approaches. The result was They Want My Soul, eventually released in 2014.

In this episode, Britt Daniel describes how he approached songwriting for this album and how he wanted to move away from the “minimalist” label that the band had been given previously. By demoing the songs in a variety of different ways, he describes how the songs evolved in the studio and how producers Joe Chiccarelli and Dave Fridmann helped shape them. Jim Eno talks about the sense of fun that the band had with this record and how they were enjoying trying new approaches, while recommitting to making good music together. Additionally, Alex Fischel describes first being asked to join Divine Fits and how that transitioned into a role in Spoon. With Fischel brought in to the band and with Fridmann’s fingerprints all over the record, they describe how the sound of this album led to the next era of Spoon. From recording in two halves and switching producers midway to Dave Fridmann’s mad scientist approach to mixing to the influence of Dr. Dre’s 2001 album on “Inside Out” to the spontaneous last minute recordings of “Rent I Pay” and “I Just Don’t Understand,” we’ll hear the stories of how the record came together.

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The Making of DIARY by Sunny Day Real Estate - feat. Jeremy Enigk, Dan Hoerner and William Goldsmith

For the 30th anniversary of Sunny Day Real Estate’s iconic debut album, DIARY, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After Dan Hoerner and Nate Mendel began playing music together in Seattle in 1992, they asked William Goldsmith to join on drums, despite the fact that he was already playing in three other bands at the time. When Mendel went on tour with another band, they asked Goldsmith’s high school friend Jeremy Enigk to jam with them. Enigk took over lead vocal duties from Hoerner and when Mendel returned, they decided to continue as a four-piece. In 1993, they played what was only their second show as Sunny Day Real Estate when Jonathan Poneman saw them and immediately signed them to a deal with Sub Pop. Embarking on their first cross country tour, they landed in Chicago at Idful Studios to record with producer Brad Wood. Their debut album, DIARY, was eventually released in 1994.

In this episode, Jeremy Enigk, Dan Hoerner and William Goldsmith describe the circumstances of how they first came together and the unique sound they stumbled upon. Goldsmith talks about initially being courted by Hoerner and Mendel after they saw him playing in punk bands around town, and how he learned to adapt his hardcore-influenced drumming style to suit the music they were creating. Hoerner describes taking an experimental approach early on, focusing on drones, feedback and open spaces, contrasting with heavy riffs that were more common in the grunge scene in Seattle at the time. Enigk talks about bringing more of a pop element into the group and how his early acoustic work as a solo artist informed the dynamic music he wanted to create with Sunny Day Real Estate. From the unlikely marriage of a punk band recording with Brad Wood to a grueling tour that led to Enigk’s shredded vocals to taking inspiration from Fugazi, Treepeople, R.E.M., U2 and The Beatles to inserting triumphant hugeness into emotionally heavy songs to a high school relationship that informed the heartbroken lyrics, we’ll hear the stories of how the record came together.

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The Making of FOOLISH by Superchunk - featuring Mac McCaughan, Laura Ballance and Jim Wilbur

For the 30th anniversary of Superchunk’s fourth album, FOOLISH, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After Superchunk got their start in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1989, they were becoming known for their catchy punk anthems and busy touring schedule. Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance had been a couple and formed Merge Records initially as a way to release their early singles, while releasing their full-length albums on Matador Records. Around the time of their third album, ON THE MOUTH, McCaughan and Ballance ended their romantic relationship, causing tension and uncertainty about the future of the band, as well as Merge. The inner-band turmoil impacted the songs they were writing, as McCaughan wrote lyrics from a vulnerable place while they also worked to expand their sound, incorporating more dynamics, new guitar textures and slower tempos. They booked studio time at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota with Brian Paulson, who they had wanted to work with after hearing records he made with Slint and Unrest. Their breakneck three-day session resulted in FOOLISH, eventually released in 1994.

In this episode, Mac McCaughan describes his intention to do something different musically with this record and how he was incorporating more clean guitar tones and space than ever before. Laura Ballance talks about hearing McCaughan’s lyrics for the first time in the studio and how she felt attacked as she interpreted them as being about her or about their relationship. Jim Wilbur gives his perspective on this tumultuous time in the band’s history, but how they were able to remain collaborative as a unit and write many songs quickly. From treating the band like a job to losing a day in the studio to writing on acoustic guitars to an ambitious and tense video shoot to the story behind the album cover to a breakup record with some of Superchunk’s most enduring songs, we’ll hear the stories of how the album came together.