Phoenix psych rockers The General Electric are knee deep into the recording of their debut LP.
The quartet were originally slated to play the Lost Leaf last night but have had to alter their performance schedule as they put the finishing touches on their as of yet, unnamed debut album. The group is hoping that their first full-length effort will hit a nerve in Phoenix's psychedelic music scene.
Up On the Sun caught up with singer and songwriter Eric Hirsch for an update on recording and their next gig.
"We've been taking time off from gigging around the valley to record our debut album," Hirsch says. "Currently it's unnamed but we are using Turn On With The General Electric as a working title."
Up On the Sun: So how is the album coming along? Can you talk about what's gone into the making thus far?
Eric Hirsch: It's been a process that we are all learning from. We realized early on that some of our songs that made great live numbers didn't translate well in the recording studio and alternatively we wound up using some songs we had written earlier [that] couldn't be performed live. Most of our time has been spent trying to organize the band's ideas into a workable structure.
What are some influences and inspiration that have gone into this album?
A lot of the lyrics on the album are symbol-oriented such as on "The Queen" and "The King." A lot of these symbols came from books on western divination and fables. Other tracks have musical and lyrical influences from an array of 60s blues, folk and psychedelic music.
We are drawing on a mix of mid- to late '60s British psychedelic pop albums such as Floyd's Pipers at The Gates of Dawn, The Beatles' White Album as well as groups like The Small Faces and Kinks. There is also a touch of art-rock groups like Roxy Music and Can. As far as modern influences we draw on groups like Grizzly Bear, Espers, Dr. Dog, and the Elephant 6 Collective.
We're hoping it showcases our sound and gives a new listening experience to those who are interested in the modern psychedelic scene.
Black Cat by The General Electric
Adjusting your gigging schedule to record sounds pretty intense, have you guys run into any problems? What kind of challenges have you guys faced so far?
It has been a blessing for us. I think most of us are more interested in using the studio as a medium. It gives us a chance to experiment and explore new areas that would otherwise be impossible playing live.
Is this going to be a digital only release? What's the release date looking like?
Right now we are hoping to have the whole thing kicked off by December. It will be a digital release but it will have original artwork to accompany it. If the chance arises we will market it around the Valley.
What else is on the horizon for The General Electric?
We are playing on October 28 at the Rogue Bar for Genre's EP release party.
