Lower Than Atlantis (album)

Lower Than Atlantis released Changing Tune in October 2012[3] through major label Island Records.[4] The album had an arena rock sound that showed the band's progression and an attempt to enter mainstream consciousness.[5] Island Records were streamlining the label and artists that undersold a certain number of records were dropped.[6] Despite the album reaching the top 30,[7] it undersold the label's expectations.[8] The band couldn't be dropped since the label had picked the option for the band's next album.[6] The label wanted the band "to be almost as popular as a pop band and it was just never going to happen", according to guitarist Ben Sansom.[8] The band's manager had a meeting with Island Records to secure a budget for the band's next album.[8] Their manager said the label "don't really wanna do it."[8]

Island Records gave the band a choice: "We're legally obliged to make your [next album] but we’re not really up for it. So we either do it or do a half-arsed job of it or you can take your full record advance and leave."[6] The band took the advance and used it to build a recording studio[8] in Watford[9] in July 2013.[10] A friend of the band had a lease on a few rehearsal rooms.[11] The band initially wanted the room as a storage area for their equipment, but this soon changed into a storage and rehearsal area, then into a storage, rehearsal and recording studio.[12] Sansom spent a week looking up studio equipment on Gumtree, which the band would drive to pick up.[12] Two items of gear the band acquired was a tape machine and a 1980s recording console.[12]

In July 2013, the band played at the 2013 edition of T in the Park festival in Balado, Scotland.[13] The band's performance took place in a 20,000 capacity tent with only three rows of people in attendance. After the performance, vocalist/guitarist Mike Duce exclaimed "We're done, aren't we?"[14] Following this, the band members proceeded to go their separate ways: Duce co-wrote songs for artists such as 5 Seconds of Summer, Sansom and bassist Declan Hart did production work, and drummer Eddy Thrower did session work for groups such as One Direction.[14]

Lower Than Atlantis was produced by Dan Lancaster,[15] over the course of "seven or eight months".[11][nb 1] The band brought Lancaster in because of his pop credentials, his heavy rock background and the ability to merge the two.[9] After every recording session the group had a demo where they would re-record each instrument part-by-part.[17] Lancaster would constantly attempt to get the best take every time, according to Duce: "He'd be like: 'That was shit. You've got to do it again.' There's no bullshit."[12] Previously, the band would worry if they made a mistake, as it would cost a lot to hire the studio and personnel; however, since the band had their own studio, they took it at a leisurely pace.[12] Three drum tracks were recorded at the band's studio, before the band relocated to Peter Miles' studio in Devon where they recorded the remaining drum tracks.[18]

Electronic beats were used during recording, which resulted in Thrower changing his thought process to that of a session player.[18] Thrower thought it was a "refreshing" experience.[18] Lancaster mixed almost all of the tracks, except for "Here We Go" and "Damn Nation", which were mixed by Neal Avron.[15] Miles engineered drums on all of the songs, except for "Here We Go", which was done by Lancaster.[15] The album was mastered by Dick Beetham.[15] In an October 2013 announcement, the band said they were going to start "sift[ing] through all the new material/demos to start deciphering where we're at album wise".[19] In February 2014 the band announced that the album was done.[20]

With the lyrics, Duce called them "quite vague" compared to his previous autobiographical lyrics.[21] Discussing the band's sound, Duce said "I'm 25. It's time to stop acting like a fucking child – I'm definitely less of a nutter".[22] Duce said that all of the material sound "completely different from each other" due to them being "written over such an expansive period of time."[6] They are "all catchy, our writing with a very pop sensibility like a pop structure."[6] He wanted to expand beyond the guitar-bass-drums structure, incorporating hints of electronic music throughout the album.[7] Hart listed "Domination" by Pantera, "Down the Road" by C2C, and "Chocolate" by The 1975, among others, as songs that influenced the album.[23]

"Here We Go" was intended to be a B-side.[24] In its original demo form, which was done in a day, the song was a chord progression a number of riffs.[25] The band eventually thought it was "really fucking good", according to Duce, to the extent that the band sent it a few colleagues.[25] They thought the song should be a single, and the track was recorded the following day.[25] The intro to "Ain't No Friend" is the producer's voice in single notes that the band made to sound like chords.[25] The chords were then constructed to make the chord progression which Duce sang over.[25] The song talks about the end of a relationship.[25] "English Kids in America" is about the band's first tour in America.[25] The pre-chorus guitar riff had been written by Duce "ages ago".[25] "Criminal" is about the band learning from their experience of being on a major label.[25] The string section was added later on and the band think "they make the song".[25] "Words Don't Come So Easily" was intended to be fully acoustic.[25] The song does start with an acoustic intro before turning into a full-band effort.[25] The post-chorus guitar riff consisted of a single note that was cut and pasted in Pro Tools.[25]

"Emily" was written between Duce and a collective known as The Invisible Men.[26] The song was written as a joke about Duce's dog Rosie.[25] After realising he was stretching a two-syllable word over a three-syllable melody, Duce substituted Rosie for Emily.[25][nb 2] The middle eight section in "Stays the Same" consists of several percussion instruments recorded in a live room.[25] The instruments were "smashed out [in] syncopated rhythms".[25] "Live Slow, Die Old" is despite how "rich, powerful, strong or intelligent" a person may be, they will die, according to Duce.[25] "Damn Nation" is Duce venting about how he disagrees with organised religion.[25] Duce had previously been subjected to religion being "forced down my throat" from when he was young.[25] Duce loved the lyric "time time ticking by, the one thing we spend we cannot buy", which resulted in him writing "Time".[25] "Just What You Need" refers to sex.[25] "Number One" is about Duce "wanting to leave my mark on this earth" and him being in the band "is hopefully me leaving a piece of me behind."[25]

After recording the album, the band signed to Sony Music Entertainment,[6] who were already big fans of the band.[8] On 2 June 2014, Lower Than Atlantis was announced and the track listing & artwork was revealed.[28] Duce explained, when "listening [to a band] for the first time, I would normally go for the self-titled [...] as there must be a reason its self-titled. We wanted this album to be that album for us."[21] A music video was released for "Here We Go" on the same day,[29] directed by Daniel Broadley.[30] After premiering on BBC Radio 1,[28] "Here We Go" was released as a single the following day.[31] The group went on a UK tour in July with support from Decade and Yearbook.[32] A live video was released of the band performing "Ain't No Friend" was released on 24 July.[33] "English Kids in America" was released as a single in August, with an instrumental version of the song as the B-side, prior to the release of the album.[34]

A music video was released for "English Kids in America" on 13 August and features the band driving around the US.[35] It was also directed by Broadley.[36] "Emily" was made available for streaming on 8 September.[37] On 25 September, "Sewer Side" was made available for streaming.[38] "Emily" and "English Kids in America" were released as a double A-side single on 29 September.[39] On 1 October, Lower Than Atlantis was made available for streaming.[25] An Emily EP was released as released on 3 October.[40] It featured "Emily", "English Kids in America", an alternative version of "English Kids in America" and "I'm Partying".[40] A music video was released for "Emily", directed by Barney Dick.[41] Lower Than Atlantis was planned for release in late September,[28] but was pushed back a week, for release on 6 October.[42] The physical deluxe edition included three new songs,[38] while the digital deluxe edition included four alternative versions of songs.[43]

Vocalist/guitarist Mike Duce performing at Rock am Ring 2015.

To promote its release, the band did in-store acoustic performances and signing sessions,[44] and played an album release show in Camden.[45] In November, the band supported A Day to Remember on their All Signs Point to Britain tour of the UK.[46] On 23 December 2014, a music video was released for "Criminal",[47] directed by Jordan Green.[48] It was filmed at a sold-out show at the KOKO in London.[49] The band went on a headlining tour of the UK in April with We Are the Ocean and PVRIS as support acts.[50] On 20 April, the music video for "Words Don't Come So Easily" was released.[51] The song was released as a single on 18 May.[51] At the end of May, the band performed at the Slam Dunk Festival.[52] Following this, the band performed at Rock am Ring.[53] On 18 September, the band released "Get Over It".[54] The song had been recorded three weeks prior.[55]

On 24 September, a music video was released for the song,[56] directed by Andrew Groves.[57] Thrower came up with the concept for the video, Duce explained that the band have "done a few different bits on this record and I think we wanted something that was direct but also a little more cinematic."[58] In early-to-mid October, the band supported Hands Like Houses in Australia, then supporting them in the US in October and November.[59] On 6 November, the band's cover of "A Thousand Miles" was made available for streaming.[60] On 12 November, "The Reason" was made available for streaming.[61] The album was reissued with a whole extra disc of bonus tracks, under the name Lower Than Atlantis: Black Edition, on 20 November.[62] The reissue features new artwork.[62] The band went on a tour of the UK in December[63] with support from Moose Blood, As It Is, Brawlers and Black Foxxes.[64]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Dead Press!	[65]
Digital Spy	[66]
DIY	[67]
Melodic	[1]
Metal Hammer	Favourable[68]
Sputnikmusic	3/5[2]

In an interview, Duce explained that if the album wasn't well received, it signal the end of the band's career: "Depending on the reaction we get, however, this could well end up being our last album."[69] The album charted at number 14 in Scotland[70] and at number 16 in the UK.[71] "Here We Go" peaked at number 86 in the UK.[71] It spent six weeks on BBC Radio 1's A-list and would later go on to sell 50,000 copies worldwide.[7] "Get Over It" charted at number 181 in the UK.[72] Lower Than Atlantis was included at number 1 on Rock Sound's "Top 50 Albums of the Year" list.[73] The album "saw its creators take their first steps towards the biggest stages the country has to offer."[73]

Reviewing the album for Rock Sound, editor Ryan Bird said the band released "the best album they've ever made" and "possibly the best album you'll hear this year."[74] He noted that all of the songs "present[ed] not only a massive step up in quality" but also "an equally gargantuan sound".[74] The album "disregards everything going on around it, shunning all trends [...] in favour of simply making a great rock album."[74] Bird mentioned that the majority of the songs featured on the album "could easily nestle among the Top 40."[74] Overall, he said it was "a diamond in the rough; an album fully justified of every bit of praise throw its way."[74]

Writing credits per BMI[75] and ASCAP.[76]

Personnel per physical deluxe edition booklet.[15]

Footnotes

Citations

Sources

• Lower Than Atlantis (digital deluxe edition) at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)