Rising Tide Lifts All Boats: Exclusive Insight

More than 20 years after releasing their last album, North, the Southern California alternative rock band Something Corporate is making a comeback. They’re currently on tour across the U.S. and have released two new songs, including “Happy.” These tracks are part of a collaborative project featuring Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, the solo effort of Something Corporate frontman Andrew McMahon.

During a Zoom interview with PopCulture.com, McMahon shared his experience of reuniting with his bandmates and creating new music. He mentioned the collaborative process, likening it to a quote popularized by President John F. Kennedy: “The rising tide lifts all boats.” McMahon explained that “Death Grip” was initially intended to be an Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness song. He described his evolving creative process, which integrates writing both alone at the piano and using the studio environment as a writing tool.

“My process has evolved over the years to where I still do a lot of writing at the piano alone, but I really try and use the studio and the speakers as a writing tool,” McMahon said. “The record that you hear…a lot of that is happening in the speakers, and there are these very intentional arrangement decisions made on what’s coming back at us and how it makes you feel when you hear in the speakers.”

McMahon realized that “Death Grip” was more than just a Wilderness song and decided to involve his old bandmates. “I called Josh [Partington, founding guitarist] and said, ‘I have this song that’s about loosening my grip on the past.’ I suggested we use this production as a jumping-off point and do it as a collaboration.” According to McMahon, Partington was very enthusiastic about the idea.

While working on “Death Grip,” McMahon had another song, “Happy,” that had been “sitting in my little Dropbox of tunes” since 2021. He felt it had a distinct Something Corporate vibe. “If Something Corporate were making music 20 years after we broke up, this would be the entry point,” McMahon noted.

“It was always right there in the back of my mind, and that’s why I never even produced a version of it for Tilt at The Wind No More,” McMahon continued. “It sat as a one-day production demo that I did with my friends. We loved it, and I always felt like, ‘This is a banger. I feel like it’s a hit.'”

When discussing “Death Grip” with Partington, McMahon mentioned “Happy” as well. “During those talks, I said, ‘There’s also this other thing. This isn’t a produced demo, this is just a demo. Check it out.’ I sent it to the band, and they loved it. They almost preferred it over ‘Death Grip,'” he shared.

For “Happy,” McMahon and the band started from scratch in the studio. “We used the writing session as a foundation but really worked it out together,” McMahon explained. He recounted a live moment in the studio where the bridge for “Happy” came together naturally. “Brian and Clutch [Kevin ‘Clutch’ Page, bassist] figured out a sick groove, and I said, ‘That’s the bridge. Let’s do that.'”

Reflecting on the process, McMahon acknowledged that everything they’ve experienced individually and collectively influences how they produce music now. “I think ‘Happy’ is a real earnest representation of where we might have headed if we had continued together. It speaks to our current state because I didn’t initially plan to release new music,” he admitted.

McMahon also expressed that he had long been doubtful about the band’s relevance today. “Frankly, when people asked me about new music, my response was always, ‘Nobody actually cares about new music from this band.'” He believes that if Something Corporate had continued making music after North, the conversation would be different.

Despite past doubts, McMahon finds the reunion and new music profoundly impactful. “When I sang the lyrics to ‘Death Grip,’ I realized I was finally opening myself up to the magic that brought us together,” he reflected. “It’s about enjoying each other’s company and indulging in our love of music and bringing songs to life together.”

Fans of Something Corporate can stream “Happy” and “Death Grip” and explore concert dates for the “Out of Office” tour. Additionally, they can enter the “Just Wanna Be Happy” contest for a chance to win a free cabin on Andrew McMahon’s Holiday from Real Cruise.

Keep an eye on Pop Culture for more updates from our conversation with Andrew McMahon!

Source: PopCulture.com