That is essentially the most totally different Rise Towards album ever. Is that one thing Catherine coaxed out of you, or is it what you had been aiming for straight off the bat?
Tim: “It was one thing we needed to occur within the choices that we made earlier than we sat down to actually do the document. When you’re anticipating to make one thing totally different, however you’re utilizing the identical components, then it’s going to be just about the identical. And so we realised: Rise Towards have been a band for 25 years and that is our tenth document, and we’re little bit congealed in our methods. There are solely so many issues that we’re going to change. And one in every of them was the producer. Bringing in a unique set of ears and eyes on our band – particularly somebody who was largely unfamiliar with us – was sort of the objective. I believe when individuals hear this, they may have the ability to hear these songs as distinctive to this period of Rise Towards. It received’t simply mix with each different Rise Towards music. Going with Catherine was type of admitting to ourselves, ‘That is the Rise Towards sound – the 4 of us. No matter we do is gonna actually sound like Rise Towards, irrespective of how arduous we attempt to make it not.’ And so we had been in a position to do what we do, however simply seize it in a little bit of a unique manner that I believe individuals will hear and go, ‘Oh, this sounds totally different.’ And so I really feel very pleased about this document, particularly once I hear individuals say that it sounds totally different – whether or not they prefer it or not. That’s cool; meaning we did one thing proper.”
Did this being the tenth album put any further strain on you, like, ‘Oh my god, we’re into double figures now!’
Tim: “You recognize, it wasn’t a lot strain, it was virtually like permission. It was like, ‘Okay, you made it; you made 10 data and you are able to do regardless of the fuck you wish to.’ We’ve all the time carried out regardless of the fuck we wish to do, however there was one thing about this one was much more so. There are 9 different Rise Towards data on the market – there’s one thing for everyone. You get to decide on which one in every of your favorite document is, which period is your favorite. And so it’s virtually much less strain. It was like, ‘Okay, let’s see what the tenth one is.’ We’ve already ticked lots of bins and given individuals a little bit of all the pieces, and so we felt like we had license to strive something. I don’t actually take note of what number of years we’ve been round or what the anniversaries are – I by no means knew the variety of data that we had been on. However one thing about 10 was like, ‘Oh, that’s loopy.’ It was like we had been free and clear.”
Zach: “A lot of what we do is touring and enjoying reside exhibits, that if you concentrate on it in that perspective, it’s like, except you play a three-and-a-half hour present, which you by no means would, you’re there for at a competition, 45 minutes to an hour, and also you’re a headliner for an hour-and-a-half. We’re so lucky that now we have followers that wish to hear a lot of our physique of labor that you just may solely get two or three of the brand new songs anyway. So we felt like we might make a document that’s a little bit of a swing for the fences as a result of we’re not gonna be enjoying the entire thing.”
Had been there moments, Zach, the place you had been actually impressed by what Tim was bringing in?
Zach: “I believe the very first thing Tim introduced was I Need It All – that was the primary one we really labored on. That was after we had been sort of attempting to see if we labored nicely with Catherine. It was within the fall of 2023, we received collectively in Los Angeles, and for me it was a very thrilling second as a result of I’d been ready – I’ve needed this. We had been having preliminary talks of, ‘That is the tenth document, that is the time to push.’ I used to be getting excited, as a result of as an artist, you wish to push your self and reinvent once you create. It’s like what David Bowie did with each document – he was not valuable, and he was on his personal aircraft. He didn’t care if the followers favored it. He was going to reinvent himself. I really feel like there must be a standard floor however as an artist, you do wish to do this. So Tim introduced I Need It All, and I might inform the way it was gonna sound as a result of it’s us, but it surely was actually, actually thrilling. After which listening to Catherine’s perspective on it as nicely, it was all such an exhilarating expertise for me. I’ve all the time been such a fan of all the pieces Tim’s carried out, in fact, after which getting the prospect to type of make it my very own… However actually, the entire expertise and displaying up day by day, it was so nice. I’m not saying something about how we’ve carried out issues previously – it’s positively our residence and in our household and all that stuff. However you do go, ‘Okay, nicely, what’s subsequent?’ We actually tried to step up and reply that on this one. And it appears like us – but it surely appears like us pushing ourselves. Our buddies have really commented on that – I received a very considerate textual content from a good friend final evening saying, ‘I can see you guys are pushing yourselves.’ That’s actually superior and gratifying.”
And Tim, are you able to give Zach a shoutout about any moments that blew you away whereas engaged on Ricochet?
Tim: “Zach brings an power that’s very open to attempting shit. It’s like in improv comedy, the place the method is saying, ‘Sure, and…?’ It’s like, ‘I’m going to do a bit, we’re going to do it collectively, and your solely reply is sure – you’re not allowed to reject it or say it’s silly.’ Zach brings a, ‘Sure, and…?’ power to the entire thing, which is absolutely useful. That power is on each single music.”
