Massy Ferguson were 3,000 miles away from home, getting ready for a show in Asbury Park, New Jersey, when co-founder Adam Monda began strumming some chords backstage. By the time the band took the stage, a new song called\u00bbSo Long, Carry On\u00bb had started taking shape.
\u00abThat moment was the genesis of the whole record,\u00bb says the band’s frontman, Ethan Anderson. \u00abWe started writing songs everyday, and it felt like we were alive again. An entire album came out of that one tour.\u00bb
He’s talking about You Can’t Tell Me I’m Not What I Used To Be, which marks Massy Ferguson’s seventh release. Recorded just outside the band’s hometown of Seattle, it’s an album that expands beyond their acclaimed mix of bar-band twang and raw, guitar-driven bang. After nearly 20 years together, Massy Ferguson have officially left their comfort zone, exploring a more arty, cinematic version of rootsy American music with help from producer Damien Jurado.
\u00abA journalist once wrote, ‘Massy Ferguson makes music for dark, crowded rooms where there’s a good chance of a glass breaking,\u00bb Ethan explains. \u00abHe was saying that we’re a bar band, but with this record, we’re getting out of the bar. We’re expanding to other rooms. We’re using different sounds. Maybe this is a fork in the road, where we start to go in a new direction.\u00bb
A new direction, certainly \u2014 but for longtime fans, Massy Ferguson still swirls together a familiar mix of heartland rock & roll, power-pop melody, and Telecaster twang with tracks like \u00abWhen You’re Not Around.\u00bb If that song is a reminder of the band’s roots, then \u00abLovely Lad\u00bb \u2014 a piano ballad punctuated by swooning cello \u2014 shows just how far Massy Ferguson’s musical reach can be. \u00abIt sounded like Teenage Fanclub when we wrote it,\u00bb Ethan says, \u00abbut Damian wanted us to take a chance and record the song in a really naked way, with just piano and strings.\u00bb The band also took chances with \u00abYou Were So High\u00bb \u2014 a woozy-sounding tribute to a stoned older sister, laced with harpsichord, astral keyboard sounds, and plenty of atmosphere \u2014 and \u00abI’m Almost There,\u00bb a slow-burning anthem powered by a drum machine. \u00abThat drum loop reminds me of The Replacements’ ‘Within Your Reach,'\u00bb Adam says, nodding to another band whose songs blurred the boundaries between genres. \u00abAll of this album is very organic \u2014 very much oriented about our live performances in the studio, warts and all \u2014 and having that rigid drum machine adds even more variety to the record. We wanted to expand the sonic palette.\u00bb
Of course, some traditions never die. After spending nearly 20 years together, tightening their sound with gigs in nine different countries, Massy Ferguson wanted to make an album that still showcased their strength as a live band. They headed to Soundview Analog \u2014 \u00aba studio that looks like something out of 1971, filled with vintage gear,\u00bb Ethan says \u2014 and set up their instruments in the same room. Then, just like they’d do at a show, the bandmates began playing together, recording entire songs in real time, capturing the chemistry of a road-tested band on analog tape. Those live-in-the-studio performances are the basis of You Can’t Tell Me I’m Not What I Used To Be, and they highlight a group of musicians at the peak of their abilities, confident in the sound they make together yet still willing to explore new ground.
You Can’t Tell Me I’m Not What I Used To Be is the sound of a band chasing down its own muse, remaining present and spontaneous along the way. It’s an album rooted in instinct and intellect. An album filled with vintage tones, analog production, lush instrumentation, upright piano, Farfisa organ, and the sharp songwriting that’s always been the bedrock of Massy Ferguson’s sound. Nearly 20 years into their career, Massy Ferguson haven’t just established a sound \u2014 they’ve reached past it, too, turning a new page in a story that continues to be written. <\/p>\n\n\n\n