Bill, are you happy with how
the different writing approach
worked out this time?
Kelliher: It was real spontaneous—
some of the stuff was
even written while in the studio
rehearsing and recording
other songs. But honestly, I was
really nervous about going at this
album with the attitude of “Let’s
just go record—even though we
don’t know each other’s parts.”
But our producer, Mike Elizondo,
reassured us that a lot of bands do
it that way—he mentioned that
James [Hetfield, vocalist/rhythm
guitar] in Metallica records all his
parts, and then Kirk [Hammett,
lead guitar] comes in and records
the solos. Don’t get me wrong,
though—the stuff we’ve done in
the past, with those contrasting
guitar tones and mannerisms,
do give a song a bigger feel.
Brent and I, James and Kirk of
Metallica, or
any two guitarists are
never going to play the same song
or the same riff the same. So I
feel
The Hunter is a tighter album
because we did it this way.
The whole album seems to
groove a little more than
past albums, especially on
songs like “Black Tongue,”
“Curl of the Burl,” and
“Blasteroid.” What do you
attribute that to?
Kelliher: I think it was the
atmosphere and mentality of not
feeling pressure to perfect every
nook and cranny of every song.
We just went at it with a fun,
low-key attitude that allowed us
to really go places we’ve haven’t
explored yet with Mastodon.
With “Curl of the Burl,” that
was a chorus and drum riff that
Brann had for a long time, and
Brent came in and added the
intro riff. Whether a song is a
skull-crusher or a ballad, you
need to have a catchy groove—
that’s something we strive for on
every song. If you can’t write a
great song, at least write a great
groove [
laughs].
Kelliher plays his 1974 Les Paul Custom and Hinds plays his Electrical Guitar Company signature model while tracking
The Hunter at Doppler Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Andrew Stuart
What was it like working with
Mike Elizondo?
Hinds: Amazing. Mike is a
great man—I’d vote for Mr.
Elizondo for president. I really
liked working with Matt Bayles
on our first three records, even
though it was a battle at times,
because we weren’t really known
or trusted as musicians yet,
so we’d have creative conflicts
like you would in any recording
environment. Brendan
[O’Brien] was
the guy for
Crack
the Skye, but I’m glad we went
with Mike, because he let us
do our thing while maintaining
some control and having lucid
and constructive input for our
song structures and guitar parts.
Kelliher: Brendan was the right
choice for
Crack the Skye, because
we wanted that ’80s classic-rock
sound, and Brendan has worked
with so many acts of that genre—
like AC/DC and Springsteen—so
it was just the perfect fit. That
album was so dialed-in and
meticulous that it was helpful to
have a guy pushing for perfection.
But we did so many sessions
and takes that it was grueling.
Mike was full of energy and so
excited to be with us that it just
immediately clicked. Usually,
when I record my parts in the
studio, no one is very vocal or
directing me if something sounds
bad—or suggesting I try it in a
different key or with a different
guitar. But Mike was really vocal
on what was working and wasn’t
for my guitar parts.
What sorts of things would
he say?
Kelliher: Sometimes I’d be
going overboard with my solos
or adding too many tracks. I
kept layering “guitarmonies”
[harmonies] and ambient noises,
and it would be too much at
points and he’d let me know
that what I originally recorded
was good enough. It was a good,
creative back and forth.
Which song would you say he
was particularly helpful on?
Kelliher: “Black Tongue.” The
verse riff was an old riff I’d been
hammering on for years, and the
beginning riff for the chorus was
something Brann came up with
when we were messing around
in rehearsals. The part that ties it
altogether is the middle section
with its groove—I came up with
that while jamming alone one
night. And then we recorded all
the parts and glued them together
with Mike’s help. I really like the
guitarmonies I came up with by
accident one night in the studio. I
actually did half of the solo—the
first 20 seconds—on my laptop
in a hotel room in France while
we were on tour. That shows
you how this record was done in
comparison to
Crack the Skye, and
how far technology has progressed.
I completed that solo’s harmony
part at 4 p.m., emailed it to Mike,
and then he mixed it and sent us
the finished song the next day. It’s
amazing that you can write and
record ideas thousands of miles
away for your album [
laughs].