Review Fix Exclusive: Buellton’s John Nygren Talks ‘Silent Partner’

Review Fix chats with singer and guitarist John Nygren who discusses the band’s new album, “Silent Partner,” as well as their sound goals for the future and how they were able to tie in a brewing company into the album release. With a sound they describe as very “California,” the band’s smooth sound goes down perfectly with your favorite brew.

Review Fix: When did you guys come up with the idea to release the album this way?

John Nygren: On the last day of 2013 we met up with Marko DeSantis (Sugarcult, Bad Astronaut) to brainstorm on how to release Silent Partner. We had talked to a couple labels and after showing initial interest in the record each wanted to know how many months a year we could spend on the road. We intended on touring the record but were thinking of touring in terms of weeks, not months. We were frustrated as the record had been mixed and mastered for awhile and we were almost gig ready. Marko asked if we were going to release it on vinyl and we said yes, but we really wanted to have label support and releasing it on our own wasn’t that appealing at the time. Marko went through a handful of unique ideas and towards the end of our lunch just blurted out “You guys shouldn’t wait for a label. Why don’t you release the album on a bottle of wine? Call it “winyl”…” Complete silence ensued for a moment and then we all burst out laughing at how rad an idea it was. There had been digital download codes attached to other novel products before but never to a consumable, nor something so naturally married to music as an alcoholic beverage. Nygren immediately thought to himself that a bottle of corked and caged Telegraph beer would be the ideal vessel for the album even if that meant they couldn’t use the hilarious term “winyl.”

Review Fix: Was it an easy pitch to the brewing company?

Nygren: Yes, that was the easiest part of the whole release. Nygren had known Brian Thompson (the owner of the Telegraph Brewing Company) since 2008 and he was on board from the moment we pitched it to him. It was crucial that the beer and the album shared an aesthetic on some level so that the cross-polinating of the products could work. For Silent Partner, the crew at Telegraph came up with a Saison style ale brewed with lemon peel and black pepper. The beer turned out amazing with citrus notes up front, a great mouthfeel and a dry, pepper nuanced finish. We wanted something accessible to folks new to beligan style ales but still complex enough to entertain the pallet of the hard to impress craft beer connoisseur. We see the record having a similar profile; catchy but with layers that are discovered on repeated listens.

Review Fix: What are your hopes for the release?

Nygren: Good reviews, publicity and new fans for Buellton and Telegraph. We put many years into making this record and want as many people as possible to hear it. We hope the beer/album concept helps circumvent the temptation to burn the album for your friends if you wanted to share it. Not that people aren’t going to give away our music, but having the download code attached to the beer adds value to both the beer and the album. If you were to just purchase the digital album from the band online it would cost $7. When purchasing Telegraph’s Silent Partner beer which includes the album, the band makes $2 and some change per bottle. In this way the concept is a form of crowdfunding. Someone would have to buy three bottles of beer for the band to receive the same $7 it would get if that same person purchased just the digital album online. The last thing we wanted was for someone to buy the beer, download the album, love the beer and album, then next time in the store not buy the beer again because they already had the record- even if they loved the beer and wanted to drink another bottle. Buying the beer helps the band regardless of whether the download code is redeemed which is the crowdfunding part. We have had people at shows and in the brewery buy cases of the beer because they love the album and the beer and know that it is a way to help promote the band and support them financially. It’s the perfect bottle of beer to take to a dinner party, and not just because the Saison pairs well with food.

Review Fix: How would you describe the band’s sound on this album?

Nygren: Silent Partner sounds very California to us.

Review Fix: How is it different from what you guys have done in the past?

Nygren: It is a bit bigger in scope musically and lyrically than our previous record, Avenue of the Flags. The songwriting is leaner and the takes are well played, but the thing that people first notice is the focus on vocals- both the main melody and the harmonies. Nygren discovered the Beatles, the Beach Boys and Big Star after Avenue of the flags was recorded and was influenced by those bands while writing the blueprints for these tunes. There are a few 2 minute songs on this record which harkens back to a time when rock bands were writing catchy, concise songs. There are still some drawn out tunes that breathe at their own pace but even those are snappier and more forward marching thanks to the progressive drumming by Herzog. Overall it seems to be a more cohesive song cycle, and it sounds like a natural step forward from our last album.

Review Fix: What do you think you’ve learned from this album?

Nygren: Life kind of got in the way of our tying up this record earlier than we did. Many things within our control and others not. As a consequence it was recorded in 7 different studios over several years. I don’t know if there is any one particular thing that we learned from making this album, but we can say that it would be a dream to be able to make our next record in one studio over a specific and limited period of time.

Review Fix: Is there a song on the album that you think serves as a great first impression. If so, why?

Nygren: Over and Out. It is a deep cut at #11 on the record but possesses the strengths and musical voicing of every member in the band.

Review Fix: What song on the album you think is a dark horse favorite? Like something people may originally pass up before falling in love with?

Nygren: There are a couple that fit the bill- The Cult of Speed and Length of Yer Arms. The Cult of Speed is the 3rd track and comes after two somewhat poppy numbers. There is some time changing going on and until you are onto the changes it might sound confusing. Several people have commented on not getting it at first but then coming around to it being their favorite track on the record. Length of Yer Arms is the classic “it wasn’t going to be on the record until the last minute” track. It has been described as a melodic beast and many who have spent alot of time with the record have called it a favorite.

Review Fix: How do you want this album to be remembered?

Nygren: When we are done making records we would like to be remembered as a band that was more concerned with quality than quantity.