Volbeat prioritise emotion over perfection in the studio

By
( )
published

Danish outfit Volbeat seek spirit and soul while recording

Volbeat

Volbeat frontman Michael Poulsen says the band strives for emotion over perfection when recording in the studio.

The group have just released their sixth album, Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie, and the singer reveals they followed their standard approach to writing and capturing new material for the follow-up to 2013’s Outlaw Gentlemen And Shady Ladies.

Poulsen tells Finland’s Kaaos TV: “I would never really call a writing process, a recording process smooth, because there’s always a big challenge. There’s a lot of work, a lot of frustration, a lot of emotions. It really takes time to get to the right songs.

“I pretty much isolated myself in my house for a half year to finish up the songs, to be able to write the lyrics and write the music and go to the rehearsal room and show it to the other guys, see what songs needed to be on the record. I think we skipped around 25 songs to get to those which ended up on the record. That’s basically how it works every time.”

He adds: “Me and drummer Jon Larsen really don’t like to be in the studio that long, because we’re always pretty much well prepared. We know what we’re going to record, we know how it’s going to sound like. So we’re not guys who want to take 60 takes of a guitar sound or 50 takes of a vocal line.

“We pretty just much want to get the job done and get the hell out of the studio. For me, it’s not about having the perfect take – it’s about having the take that has the most spirit and soul in it.”

Volbeat hit the road for live dates this weekend to launch Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie with an extensive run of summer festival appearances in Europe and abroad.

Volbeat: Seal The Deal & Let’s Boogie tracklist

  1. The Devil’s Bleeding Crown
  2. Marie Laveau
  3. The Bliss
  4. The Gates of Babylon
  5. Let It Burn
  6. Black Rose
  7. Rebound
  8. Mary Jane Kelly
  9. Goodbye Forever
  10. Seal The Deal
  11. Battleship Chains
  12. You Will Know
  13. The Loa’s Crossroad

Volbeat tour dates

Jun 07: Spandau Citadel, Germany
Jun 08: Interlaken Greenfield Festival, Switzerland
Jun 09: Nickelsdorf Nova Rock, Austria
Jun 10: Download Festival, France
Jun 17-19: Hellfest, France
Jun 17-19: Dessel Graspop, Belgium
Jun 22: Bergen Bergenhus Festning, Norway
Jun 24: Odense Tinderbox, Denmark
Jun 25: Strasbourg Artefacts Festival, France
Jun 29: Nibe Festival, Denmark
Jun 30-Jul 02: Bravalla Festival, Sweden
Jul 07-09: Resurrection Festival, Spain
Jul 09: Stockholm Monsters Of Rock, Sweden
Jul 17: Joensuu Ilosaarirock, Finland
Aug 06: Bangor Rise Above Festival, ME
Aug 06-07: Heavy Montreal, Canada
Aug 20: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, MN (with Metallica)

Bruce Henne