Chase Atlantic is again with their boldest chapter but, embracing vulnerability and pushing sonic boundaries on “LOST IN HEAVEN.” From the secrets and techniques behind their signature “Yuhs” to their ideas on AI in music, we dive deep with Mitchel and Christian to uncover what makes this trio unstoppable.
Music is an artwork, however artwork is at all times evolving. Nobody embodies that greater than Chase Atlantic: artists who embrace the facility of expertise whereas at all times staying grounded within the reference to their followers. Chase Atlantic is an Australian R&B/pop trio ranked within the high 500 artists on Spotify, they’ve a new album “LOST IN HEAVEN”, and so they’re about to go out on a European tour after profitable runs by way of the US and Australia. Their progress stems from a stable basis that values progress and vulnerability, however by no means being imprecise. For Chase Atlantic “You may be elusive however not imprecise. Imprecise is boring.”
On this Chase Atlantic interview, we caught up with Mitchel and Christian to get the within take a look at their new album, study extra about how they keep a wholesome dynamic whereas touring so usually, and share a couple of memes from the Chase Atlantic subreddit to get their response.
PLAYBOY: In your subreddit, a fan counted what number of instances you mentioned “Yuh” in numerous songs. “LOST IN HEAVEN” has 261. Why are they counting these?
Mitchel: I didn’t know the “LOST IN HEAVEN” depend had been accomplished. So, the “Yuhs”—I imply, it simply took place. I by no means actually did it on objective. There are quite a lot of noises I don’t understand I’m making once we’re recording. So what number of have been there?
PLAYBOY: Let’s see… “LOST IN HEAVEN” has 261, and “BEAUTY IN DEATH” was the best at 394.
Mitchel: Yeah, I can keep in mind saying “Yuh” much more in that one, however it doesn’t occur deliberately. I did it 3 times deliberately, however the truth that it’s 261 is nuts.
PLAYBOY: Is it wild to you that folks undergo and depend it?
Mitchel: Yeah, completely. Like, I don’t even understand how you get into that exercise. It certainly will get monotonous like 5 minutes in. Perhaps with just a little clicker, simply going by way of the entire album.
PLAYBOY: Let’s shift to the method of recording. What number of takes do you do once you document?
Mitchel: We don’t comp like most artists do now. They’ll punch in again and again, however we attempt to do the entire verse in a single go to maintain consistency. I suppose I may be annoying within the studio as a result of I’ll be like 10 takes in going “no I received this” and I received’t get away into sections, and I’ll be like, “Give me yet another.” Some songs, like “Numb to the Feeling,” we did in a single take.
PLAYBOY: That should assist with touring, proper?
Mitchel: Positively. We nonetheless use autotune since you need the notes to be right, particularly on the upper songs. It provides some enjoyable. Like in “I DON’T LIKE DARKNESS,” we used intentional heavy autotune the place it sounds sort of like Francis and the Lights. It helps with stay performances as a result of I’m not fascinated by every bar at a time. It’s extra about the entire track.
PLAYBOY: A few of your songs can get very emotional and revealing. How do you faucet into that once you’re stay versus recording?
Mitchel: The songs aren’t imprecise, undoubtedly not imprecise. I deal with songwriting like a diary. It’s about issues I wouldn’t say out loud however can put right into a track. The vulnerability helps folks relate. After we’re stay, it’s about tapping again into that feeling.
PLAYBOY: Do you see the group reflecting these feelings again to you?
Mitchel: Positively. Folks make indicators, however I’ve horrible imaginative and prescient and may’t see them. Christian or Clinton will see them. You may inform the entrance row is actually emotional, typically crying throughout sure songs. They’re the diehard ones. It’s a lovely expertise. We put on our hearts on our sleeves once we carry out.
PLAYBOY: Let’s speak in regards to the album. You took your time with it, to make one thing, that meant one thing, regardless of the strain to pump out music rapidly. How did you deal with that?
Mitchel: It’s simpler to take your time (laughing)—it’s simpler than not taking your time.
Christian: I feel Lauren Hill mentioned this, however your first album covers your entire life, it’s every part. For the second album, they need it instantly, however you want extra life experiences to speak about for every album. Taking these three years gave us extra to jot down about.
Mitchel: Yeah, it’s about having an outlet for actual feelings. We write about what we really really feel, and that’s necessary. You might have your voice in your head and the music is the outlet.
PLAYBOY: You’ve clearly been on a number of excursions for the reason that album launch. How a lot of the album have been you enjoying stay on the Chase Atlantic US tour and on the Australia tour?
Christian: We have been enjoying about 5 songs stay. Initially, we had three that have been already out, and a pair that followers hadn’t heard earlier than—like “MESS ME UP,” “RICOCHET,” “DEMON TIME,” and “NIGHT CALLS.” In the beginning, it was a bit difficult as a result of our crowd is aware of each phrase to our songs. For the primary two reveals, they have been simply attempting to study the brand new ones. However by the third or fourth present, they knew all of the phrases.
Mitchel: Yeah, and the response has grown to match that of our older songs. It’s been actually cool to see that occur over time.
PLAYBOY: Have you ever needed to make any setlist adjustments? Have been there any surprises about which new songs followers latched onto?
Christian: If I have been so as to add something, it will be “DISCONNECTED.” I like that track and it will translate properly stay, however I wasn’t positive how followers would react. They ended up loving it greater than I anticipated, however we additionally needed to make sure we weren’t gifting away an excessive amount of earlier than the album got here out. Now that it’s out, it’s track so as to add to the setlist. Including “HOURS LOST,” the place Mitchell may converse to the group, can be actually good too.
PLAYBOY: We listened to the album and “MESS ME UP” instantly clicked and it stopped us in our tracks, that was the track.
Christian: That’s superior to listen to. We hope that as folks hear extra, they’ll discover different tracks that resonate as properly. Our music is layered; there’s at all times extra to find.
Mitchel: We put quite a lot of thought into each layer of our music. We’ve at all times cared. There’s different musicians that don’t care in regards to the music, which doesn’t make any sense to me. They’re on the market making music… it’s bizarre.
Christian: One thing we discovered, once we began music manufacturing, is that we needed the instrumentals to face on their very own by themselves with out anybody singing over them. That makes the additional layer, that wouldn’t be there if you happen to have been simply making a beat.
Mitchel: That’s subconsciously, our little secret layer. The counter melodies which might be occurring with the synths within the background. If you happen to picked it aside, you’d be capable to hear it, however these little cues that you just don’t absolutely discover make you ask “why do I like this a lot” and that’s the explanation.
PLAYBOY: Talking of layers, how do you’re feeling in regards to the compressed sound of digital listening versus stay or vinyl?
Mitchel: We make the songs very stereo and really spacial, they’re very extensive. We put an auto-pan on excessive hats to make it appear to be the music is circling round your head. It’s science—however in an emotional manner, however mathematical. We take that each one under consideration after which we work with Seth, one in every of our solely trusted folks (we’re very explicit), and he masters the songs in a manner that extracts essentially the most from the track with out it being condensed right into a monotone field.
Christian: We sit on this room with two audio system value $100,000 every on this unbelievable studio and hearken to every part. Then we unplug it and hearken to it on a macbook laptop. If it doesn’t sound good, then it’s not good, as a result of that’s how folks hear.
PLAYBOY: We heard that this album is the primary time you used AI in Chase Atlantic music to “separate stems from older songs.” For these of us who can barely sing jingle bells, what does that imply?
Christian: It means Mitchell left his laptop within the rain. Principally for most of the instrumentals, the track concepts have been 2 or 3 years previous, so when it got here to the blending and EQ course of to make use of the songs for this album, the drums and bass weren’t separated, and the synth traces weren’t remoted both. One of many issues Seth has been engaged on is AI expertise that separates the stems, permitting us to EQ particular person channels—separating the bass, drums, and synths. You may even take away parts, which simply makes every part sound cleaner. Particularly with somebody like Seth, it’s accomplished with out the same old artifacts. There are different firms doing this, however not as properly. It’s about taking these previous instrumentals and making them sound fashionable, EQing them to match as we speak’s requirements.
Mitchel: We’ve at all times been in a position to do rather a lot with minimal assets. We make music on the street, and we’ve develop into very adaptable—resourceful is the phrase. We discover methods to make it work. Even when we now have to take a seat for hours and EQ one drum sample.
PLAYBOY: That’s unbelievable. Balancing all of that with touring have to be robust. How do you handle it?
Christian: We glance after one another. I feel as a result of we’re such veterans, touring is the place it’s the toughest. Being on the street is when you’ve got the gorgeous moments of performing and seeing all of the success and the exhausting work, but additionally not with the ability to cook dinner your personal meals, with crossing borders and travelling and flights… You’re taking it straightforward on one another. You understand when to provide one another far and when to provide one another a hug. And we all know that simply from 11-12 years of doing. Most bands get alongside within the early phases however have a tougher time the longer they’re collectively. It’s been the other for us. Not that we scrapped to start with, extra that the older we get, the extra we respect every part we get to do with one another and be pleased about one another.
Mitchel: I’m very grateful to everybody round me, that we’re surrounded by considerate human beings. We’re understanding and never slender minded. We hold one another in examine, however with out attacking each other. It’s like dealing with a relationship—it requires effort and understanding. It’s a must to attempt. We at all times take care of each other and ensure everyone seems to be on the identical web page.
PLAYBOY: What would you like folks to remove from this part of Chase Atlantic?
Mitchel: Understanding that vulnerability is okay, psychological well being is necessary, and progress is consistently occurring. Life is filled with ups and downs, and that progress is day by day. It’s okay to speak about the way you’re feeling.
Christian: And that goes for different artists too, it’s okay to be susceptible.
Mitchel: I might love to listen to susceptible music from different artists. You may be elusive, however you don’t should be imprecise. Vagueness is boring.
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You may stream Chase Atlantic’s newest album “LOST IN HEAVEN” right here, and catch them on their European tour beginning in April.
