Welcome back to BuzzMusic Manuel The Band! Congratulations on releasing your new album “Room For Complication”! What’s the overall concept behind this album?
Concept: The concept of the album is pretty literal- Room For Complication. The album is a collection of songs about situations in relationships that were....wait for it....complicated. Breakups, difficult moments and the feelings that come with those. The songs are very specific to feelings and moments I (Manuel) had over the past few years. It was a very "opening up" kind of album, talking about very personal moments. The band coming together and creating the musical parts over the songs was an amazing and bonding experience.
How long has it been in the making? What does it represent for you?
This whole record took place over a year and a half in total. We started with a few songs right at the beginning, Casual Love and Strong Independent Woman and then we finished the other 6 songs in about 4 months, then put it out. We were looking for our sound at first, and by the end of these recordings, we feel like we found it.
We know you’re working on visuals for your track “Wide Awake”! Can you tell us a bit about what the music video will be like?
As of now the concept for the video is still a bit up in the air. BUT, the major concept of the video will be very open for interpretation as the song has been interpreted very differently depending on who I've spoken with. I love that about music: for me, it's such a vivid recollection of a moment I had, but for someone else, it represents something completely different, which speaks volumes to its meaning. Truly humbling.
Where is the best setting to listen to your songs, and what do you hope people take away from them?
Wow this is a tough one. I think after a really good night and you have some time to settle. Everyone's asleep and you get to relax and listen to music. I hope they just enjoy the sound, relate to the lyrics and hopefully feel better about themselves.
What are your main aspirations as a band going forward?
We want to play live in front of as many people as possible. Keep touring, keep recording and have another album next year and keep going. We have a dozen songs ready, and can't wait to show everyone.
Upcoming tour dates:
September 14th: SoFar Sounds, San Diego.
September 20th: Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA
September 21st: Hyatt Hotel, Huntington Beach, CA
October 19th: Burning Dan Music Festival, Landers, CA
November 16th: Big Rock Pub, Indio, CA. 8pm
Connect with Manuel The Band on social media:
Facebook: facebook.com/manueltheband
Instagram: instagram.com/manueltheband