Interview: Anberlin Enter a New Era With 'CURRENCY'

Photo by Jacob Moniz

Nearly 25 years into their career, Anberlin are entering one of their most significant eras yet. The alternative rock veterans return November 11 with CURRENCY, their ninth studio album and first full-length release with Matty Mullins on lead vocals. Produced by the band alongside Kellen McGregor, the record confronts heartbreak, addiction, shame, identity, and what it takes to rebuild when the things that once defined you fall apart. With first single “Neverafter” offering the first look at this evolution, CURRENCY finds Anberlin honoring their history without letting it dictate where they go next.

We caught up with Anberlin to talk about bringing Mullins deeper into the creative process, revisiting unfinished material, the heavier themes behind CURRENCY, and what this new era means for a band still finding ways to evolve decades into its career.

Photo by Jacob Moniz

After nearly 25 years as a band, CURRENCY represents a pretty significant reset. What had to change creatively for this album to feel like a genuine new chapter rather than simply the next Anberlin record?

It was a significant change in our writing simply in the sense that although we’d worked with Matty on a few singles and a re-recording of an older album, we’d never truly been in a “from the ground up” album situation together. There was a bit of a learning curve there, but we all worked together pretty seamlessly. The gravity of the situation wasn’t lost on us, with this being a bit of a make-or-break record. We decided to lean back into the sound that got us where we are as opposed to experimenting. It felt like we needed to make an album that let us embrace the roots of the band and truly “reset” with Matty to make something that we would love and our fans would recognize.

This is the first full-length Anberlin album with Matty Mullins on lead vocals. How did bringing Matty fully into the process change the way you approached songwriting, arrangements, or even what you thought an Anberlin song could be?

Matty comes from a band that has their process fully hammered out over years of refinement, so I didn’t envy him coming into a new situation with guys that have done the same in a completely different way. It went so smoothly that you would’ve thought we’d already done this together a hundred times. Neither of us had to change much at all. I think that’s all it comes down to: having a shared vision of what the end result will be. During the writing process, there were no egos clashing, no big dramas, just everyone communicating and working toward the same goal.

Some of CURRENCY grew from previously unfinished material. Was there a song or idea that took on a completely different meaning once you revisited it in this new era of the band?

The song “Ashes” started as a stripped-down acoustic song that really took full shape once we started getting Matty’s vocal in place. Once we heard it, it made perfect sense to go “full band” with it. That one in particular was a big group effort in its evolution.

The album deals with what happens when the things you've built your identity around fall apart. Were there conversations or experiences within the band that made you realize this was the thread connecting these songs?

I think, moreover, the underlying theme is mental health, and seeing the different ways that we treat ourselves, our relationships, and our approach to life. I think that, in part, is where the album title comes from. Currency can refer to anything leveraged in life, be it emotions, actions, thoughts, or something physical. All of those things are born out of our state of mind when we use or collect them.

You’re touring with Switchfoot while releasing a record centered heavily on renewal and moving forward. When you put new songs like “Neverafter” beside material from across your catalog, what do you hear about the band you were then versus the band Anberlin is today?

By far, we are encouraged. So many people have been so supportive of us continuing to do this. The reaction to new songs at this point is more than enough evidence that we made the right choice to keep going, and that what we do still has a positive impact on people. That’s what is most important to us.