Band of Skulls Emma Richardson Relates the Importance of Utilizing Every Part of the Band

Matt Matasci

Band of Skulls are known for their rigorous touring schedule, spending months on the road in between their successively more-impressive LPs. The Southampton, United Kingdom band changed gears for their fourth album “By Default,” taking additional time to write and record. Bassist and singer Emma Richardson spoke with Entertainment Voice about what sets “By Default” apart from their previous records and what to expect from the band in the future.

Drummer Matt Hayward described your first three albums as a trilogy. In what ways do you think “By Default” differs from those earlier releases?

We spent a lot of time writing, recording and touring behind those three records in quick succession. It felt like there wasn’t a break between any of them. We were quite proud of all three, but for this record we had a little bit more time in between to write. We went back to our hometown and we wanted to work in a new space. So we were looking around trying to find a suitable place in our hometown and we came across this church that we’d all walked past and known for a long time. We just asked the landlord if we could rent it out mid-week and use it for writing and he made it happen for us. So we got to use the most amazing, huge room in this beautiful old church in our hometown and we set up and it sounded awesome. So the sound of that church was influencing the writing as we were going. It was great working in a new place; we always try to change it up with each record but this felt like quite a different place to work.

What prompted the decision to take a break from your relentless tour schedule to write “By Default?”

It was a mixture of things really. We’d come to the end of our time with the previous label and started working with BMG, so that took a while to sort out. Also, we wanted to take stock and refill our ammunition of songs. We got to the point where we needed to write more and have more material to pick from. So it was really important for us to take a bit more time and use that time for the best possible outcome. It was very productive; we had a few months in the end.

Do you think that writing in the church offered any creative advantages over the ways you wrote previous music?

I think every record is different. You grow up and move on as people and your influences change and you want to tackle different things. You are influenced by different styles and you want to face different things. I think it definitely opened the door to experimenting more. We felt quite free in that place and pushed ourselves and bringing in different influences and really going where the band could go.

How was the experience working with producer Gil Norton and how did his presence affect “By Default” sonically?

It was great to work with Gil. He’s an amazing producer. We grew up listening to the music that he’s produced, so it was quite crazy to end up working with him. It was very interesting to see his way of working. He uses different tactics in the studio than we were used to. He brought a new structure in the way we went into the studio and worked in pre-production and making sure everyone was cool with all the structures of the songs. He worked us hard! We went in and we definitely made the most of the four or five weeks we were in Rockfield [Studios], in Wales, which was great to go back to. We recorded our second record, “Sweet Sour,” there. So it was good to go back to the studio with Gil. But he definitely worked us and pushed us. He brought ourselves out of ourselves I guess.

With both you and Russell providing lead vocals to the album, was it easy to decide who would sing which parts?

We usually try and figure it out when we are writing. We try out both vocals and decide which tone, male or female, works best for the lyric and the song. So we definitely try to make sure we both give it a go and then decide which works best.

After four albums, has the way you write and record music with Russell and Matt changed very much?

I think we have a similar process of writing. I think every record we get more and more in tune with how we work as a band and how we can make that better and more efficient. We’re always discovering new ways, because we all write and play each other’s instruments to get our ideas across to each other. So it is basically getting the best we can out of that situation. We’re a three piece band so utilizing every single part and making the most of it is very important. We’ve got two vocals, drums, bass and guitar. So it’s a very simple set-up but it is making something new and exciting and different for us with each record and pushing those elements and what they are capable of. Each album, we try to do that and push it a little bit further.

Considering you took some time off of your touring schedule, were you looking forward to getting back on the road or was it something that you were nervous about?

We were really looking forward to it. We’re a live band primarily; we spend a lot of time on the road and playing a lot of shows and traveling around to a lot of countries. So it was really exciting, especially coming back to America and Canada. We spent a lot of time here when we released our first album and it has a special place for us to revisit these places and these shows but playing bigger venues. It was really exciting for us and to have four albums to choose from now so we can really craft a great live set and make it a show and give people a great, great time.

It may too early to discuss, but do you think you’ll take a similar writing and recording approach for your next record?

We’re already thinking about the next record actually. I think having that much time out from the cycle; it was good to do that then but I don’t think we could do that again. It’s too much time out. I think we need to keep rolling and even with new ways of releasing music. The times are changing and the industry’s changing. You can’t rest on your laurels. The process of releasing 12 songs every two years, it doesn’t quite have the same hold on people as it did. So who knows, it could be sooner than we think that there could be some more material out there.

Band of Skulls’ U.S. tour kicked off Sept. 6 and comes to LA’s The Wiltern Sept. 23, Las Vegas’ Life is Beautiful Festival Sept. 25 and NY’s Terminal 5 Oct. 6