It’s crazy to think that it’s been three years since we were last graced with a release from The New Division. While frontman, John Kunkel, has experienced some life changes during that time – fatherhood being a very big one – fans were able to get a taste of new LP, Modern Life, throughout the past two years with epic single releases that had us craving more.
Delving into themes of escapism, isolation, and the effects of technology while navigating an ever-changing world, Modern Life -out today on Division 87 Records – is aptly titled, featuring that signature TND dark edge with some surprises along the way.
“A lot of this album was written when we were all stuck at home, unable to hang out with friends, be with our families. While I don’t think the pandemic changed me drastically, I notice something different about myself when I play these songs back-to-back,” explains Kunkel. “There’s something I’m uncomfortable with the way the world is today, and I’m still exploring that through the music I write.”
We asked John to dive into each track off of Modern Life for this exclusive track-by-track commentary! Enjoy and don’t forget to get your copy of Modern Lifehere! (There’s a vinyl available that you do NOT want to miss out on!)
The New Division will be embarking on a US tour later this year. Info here.
“Modern Life”
Wow, I haven’t listened to this track since I wrapped it up a few months ago. It’s strange going back and listening to this one without having played it in a while. This track was easily one of the most difficult ones to finish since I had a very specific vision for it. Originally, I thought it might work as a softer ballad-like song but I ended up deciding it would work really great as a energetic opener for the album. My Britpop influences can be heard on this one.
“Stateside”
I wrote this song after listening to some Gqom music one night. The drum pattern is heavily influenced by that genre and it ended up driving the song’s direction. I’m not exactly sure what I was going for thematically when I wrote this, but sonically it sounded so different from anything I’d ever done. I’m really proud of this one.
“Circles”
I remember thinking at some point I wanted to write a track that could be a companion to tracks like “Opium” and “Shallow Play,” and what an updated version of that would sound like. I had this idea for a really funky, groovy bassline that I couldn’t perform and ended up asking Charles LeBarbara (Trade Secrets) for help. His bassline really brought the song together and it brought a live element to the song that I was after.
“Soft Sell”
Probably the most “TND” track of the album lyrically–I haven’t figured out why I’m drawn to lyrics that involve catastrophic elements but I think it might be due to the fact that it can add dramatic effect to the music. It’s kinda like a mini episode of True Detective in a way, with my own music as the backdrop.
“Silent Films”
I remember this one caused a lot of (playful) drama since my producer (F.J. DeSanto) really fell in love with the music and wanted to steal it for his own project. He’s actually got a version of it that’s probably even better than the one I released under his Trade Secrets project. You should check it out once its been released.
“Southside”
This track sat around my ‘unfinished’ folder for years until one day it became clear how to wrap it up. I couldn’t figure out a vocal melody for years, and one day it just sort of came out of nowhere. It’s weird, vocals melodies (for me anyhow) are the hardest elements to write and if I try too hard they never get done. I guess the secret I’ve learned with myself is just being patient, playing the song once a month and seeing if anything happens. That process can sometimes take 2 days or 2 years.
“System Shock”
For anyone wondering, the song isn’t about the 1994 video game (I’ve actually never played it through!). But once I discovered the game existed, I decided to try it out and well, it didn’t really shape the song in any way shape or form. I do have to say though, this song was a lot of fun to write and produce.
“Sequence”
I wrote this song in Bitwig, which was a new challenge for me. These days I normally work almost exclusively in Ableton, but I decided trying out a different DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) could create interesting results. Since I’m so familiar with Ableton, I normally default to a lot of habits and choices that can sound repetitive. By working in Bitwig, it enabled me to focus on the music and not rely on the familiarity I had with Ableton. Kinda felt like going into a studio and not knowing where everything was and just recording.
“Nosedive”
I don’t really have much to say about this track other than it was a grueling process to finish. I’m still not super happy with the mixdown I made but after a while you have to commit and let go. I do really like the song, however… I’ll always wonder though what it could’ve sounded like with a different mixing engineer. Will be exciting to hear future remixes of this.
“Zenith”
Finally, the closer! This was originally a demo that had been floating around for years, there was a rough demo on Soundcloud that a lot of people seemed to like. I felt it needed a proper release and my producer felt it was a good choice so we went with it. The song was completely redone from the ground up but I gotta say I’m much happier with this version than the demo. I think it wraps up the album nicely.
