The frontman of the Baltimore-based quartet, Samuel T. Herring reminisced on the remote mixing process for the band’s 2020 album ‘As Long As You Are’ and how the band continues to use LISTENTO
Despite the positive reception from critics and fans alike, Future Islands were disappointed with their 2017 ‘The Far Field’. Catapulted by the commercial success of their renowned single ‘Seasons (Waiting On You)’ and their relentless touring schedule, the band rushed themselves back into the studio, completing ‘The Far Field’ in a three-week slot before heading straight back onto the road for more shows. With ‘As Long As You Are’, they were determined to do things differently.
Discussing their writing process with Mixdown Magazine, Herring explained how the band took the deliberate approach to explore new sounds, whilst returning to writing lyrics from a point of truth – drawing from sentiments and ideas he truly stood behind. They finished recording the record at the start of 2020.
With the lockdown restrictions interrupting the mixing process, Herring shared how LISTENTO aided their remote sessions. Using the plugin in conjunction with Zoom, they were able to lock in and make quick decisions more effectively than if they were in the room together.
Before long, they began to experiment with the limits of the software. With three-quarters of the band in Baltimore and one of their members in Sweden, they decided to attempt a remote jam session. Here’s how they did it:
We used AudioMovers to send the music over the internet (bass keys & drums were in the same room), and Sam called in via zoom. Surprisingly the zoom audio linked up with no lag. Still doesn’t make sense to us that it worked so well…
— Future Islands (@futureislands) November 30, 2020
Dive into the record on Spotify to hear Future Islands at their best.
