Still Corners have released their fifth studio album ‘The Last Exit.’ I caught up with songwriter/producer Greg Hughes and vocalist Tessa Murray to discuss the new album, getting lost in the desert, and how The Good the Bad and the Ugly helped them hone their focus when they struggled to achieve their acquired vibe in the studio.
Still Cornors are a unique treasure. Their inspiration can come from anything and everything, and their free-spirited nature seeps into their songs, creating an intoxicating and luring sound that conjures a world of its own.
‘The Last Exit’ follows the hypnotic desert noir sound we have come to know Still Corners for; however, there is something more mystical about this album that completely consumes the listener into a world created entirely by Still Corners. This world is isolated, calm, and filled with subtle wild elements expressed through a unique and intriguing lens.
“We came up with most of these song ideas when we were in the desert. We had a guitar and pen and paper and just wrote songs. We drove around a lot, going down little roads, seeing where they went. There are old buildings in ruins, old gas stations from the 50s with big signs falling down. Strange sounds at night. We love all that stuff so we wove it into an album.”
Talking about the inspiration behind the album Sill Corners explain:
“We call it “desert fever”, it’s not a medical condition, it’s the sudden need to leave the city and go to the desert, it’s a desire for isolation. This was the main inspiration behind the album. The air, the animals, the heat, the ghosts, they all influenced this record.”
The atmosphere within the tracks feel vast and spacious. The pristine guitar, shimmering keys, and soft drums all seem to compliment this vast lonely space.
“A lot of ideas for the songs we thought of when we were out in the desert. But we had to take that atmosphere back to the studio. So I took a lot of photos and pasted them all over the wall to remind us of the feeling there. Also if we were stuck for a part we would project on a big wall the Good the Bad and the Ugly and mute it and play music over it to help us zero in on the vibe.”
Not only are the musical arrangements mesmerising, but Still Corners are also known to have a sublime knack for creating suspenseful and mystical stories through their lyrics. In ‘The Last Exit,’ lyrics such as “I’ve been driving through the darkness, Got no destination in mind. And it’s a shame that I had to disappear. The last exit” is exceptionally impactful. The mystery and chilling loneliness in just these lines alone is superb. I wondered if they spend a long time crafting the lyrics to have that impact, or does it just come in a flow of inspiration
“Thank you. It’s really a bit of both. Sometimes I’ll be strumming guitar with Tessa singing over it and something will come out fully formed. Other times we get stuck on a word or phrase. When that happens you just leave it, it will come eventually. Often the answer pops into your head while you’re busy doing something else, like walking or watering plants. Your brain likes to overthink things, by doing a mundane task you can quiet it down a bit so you can access the reservoir of creativity better.”
The duo initially had the album written and ready to go but Covid changed a lot, including how it turned out. The pair found new inspiration resulting in this captivating version we hear today.
“We trashed half the record and wrote 5 new songs. The other songs were good but the pandemic laser-focused us and we were able to bring more to the table. It made the album better.”
Tessa has a wonderfully smoky and haunting tone to her voice. I wondered if her vocal style was something that she had to develop to suit the band’s sound, or was it something that just came naturally to her?
“Thank you, I just sing and let whatever comes out come out, I’ve worked on it over the years, experimenting with various techniques but mostly it’s just a natural flow.”
‘The Last Exit’ blends various genres into Still Corners’ sound, adding new exciting facets and sounds for the listener to devour as each track unfolds. ‘The Mystery’ marks a more indie-pop tone in the album. It provides a lighter texture which boasts excellent jangly guitar and upbeat rhythms accompanied by chilling haunting elements while also showcasing the duo’s constantly evolving sound.
“We’re always trying new things and different ways to inspire. We were driving around the Mojave desert and decided to deliberately get lost on a road. I don’t recommend this to anyone by the way! We thought if we couldn’t find our way back we’d just turn on our computer navigation to guide us back. Well, we were out there for a few hours and thought yes, we are now suitably lost. We had a sandwich and a drink and enjoyed the view. When we got back into the car and turned our phones on, no signal. We drove around a bit, no signal. Now we’re getting a little worried. It wasn’t until dark and a few hours later that we got back, it was scary as hell but we made it and thought let’s write a song about it!
The album draws to a close with ‘Old Arcade,’ a mellow track laced in lush, delicate instrumentation and rich, warm textures. I always find the last track interesting on an album. It can bring a journey to an end or provide a cliff-hanging glimpse of what’s to come. This song seems to take you off into the sunset on a nostalgic trip. I wondered what made the duo choose to close the album on ‘Old Arcade’ and was it a difficult task selecting the last song?
“We had written the whole album but knew we needed something that would bookmark the journey the album took you on. It had to have a certain vibe and feeling. One day I was strumming and Tessa came over and was lying down on the carpet looking at some photos we had taken and there was one of an old pinball machine. She just started singing over my chords, it was amazing really. We recorded it and the next day when we were listening back to it we knew that should be the last song.”
Besides not getting lost in a desert, the duo gave some words of wisdom for anyone who wishes to start a career in music.
“There’s a saying that goes “that person worked 10 years straight and then they were an overnight success!”. I think that sums up an artist’s typical career path. It’s not always like that but most of the time when you look into someone who’s had some form of success you find they’ve been doing it for ages. So you have to work hard but it’s fun work. They say music chooses you, it’s really more a vocation or a calling than a job.”
For anyone who is utterly enamoured and obsessed with ‘The Last Exit,’ you will be happy to know Still Corners’ creative flow never stops, and they are already working on more music.
“We’re very excited to have this new album out and we have a tour planned in Oct 2021 so hopefully that will get pulled off. We’re working on new music too”
Stream ‘The Last Exit’ below
Author : Danu
