Here's everything you need to know about Protest the Hero's new album, 'PALIMPSEST'

Billed as “the most challenging record we have worked on” by guitarist Luke Hoskin, Protest The Hero’s new album ‘Palimpsest’ sees the Canadian four-pie...

Billed as “the most challenging record we have worked on” by guitarist Luke Hoskin, Protest The Hero’s new album ‘Palimpsest’ sees the Canadian four-piece go all- out. The band tell us more.

Apparently, Not All Members of Protest the Hero Shoot Blanks...
Two children were born during the making of Palimpsest. On the actual day we started recording the first notes for the record (January 2, 2018), Rody's son was born five weeks early. Then later that year in October, Tim welcomed his second daughter to planet earth. If you were wondering why the record took so long, it was because some of us were busy procreating.

Newest Member 'Michael' Can Do Things Other Than Drums...
This is the first full length that our newest member Mike wrote on. Not only did this guy write all of his drum parts, but he came to the table with fully fleshed out section ideas, complete with guitar riffs, bass parts and even some beautiful piano concepts. The bulk of the instrumental music was written in hotel rooms as Mike and Luke took turns travelling to each other between their home cities (Ottawa and Toronto).

Neal Quigley Doesn't Get Enough Credit...
Much of the writing for guitars and drums happened at Mike's apartment in Ottawa. It was a cosy two-bedroom he shared with a brave soul named Neal. Weeks and months went by where Michael and Lucas debated (loudly) about every aspect of the songs they worked on, blaring sections of the album over and over. Neal, who probably hated our band, to begin with, didn't say a word. He sat there on the couch, on his days off from work, and just took it. It wasn't just noise pollution he had to deal with either. He endured an unending parade of flatulence from our make-shift control room. 'Wind chimes in a tornado' would be a fitting description. Fuck you, Neal.

"We questioned the very meaning of every note we laid down, our intense scrutiny broken only by bouts of Mario Kart after 14 hour days"

Trouble in Paradise...
There were some occasions where we weren't sure if this record would see the light of day. Rody began having vocal issues after a tour in 2018, and they flared up immensely just before he was due to record. There were a few attempts at recording which didn't work out, and the recording was put on hold multiple times. But with some vocal lessons and tenacity, Rody persevered.

The Fugitive...
During the recording process, Dez Nagle was in the process of getting his green card in the US. This meant he wasn't allowed to leave the country while it was getting finalised. He was able to get in and out of Canada for recording guitars and drums, but he had to virtually produce the rest of the record from home, and we brought in an additional engineer for vocals (Anthony K).

Cabin Fever...
We spent six weeks tracking guitars away from home. Our goal was to cut down on outside distractions and focus the best we could on the task at hand. The focus turned into full-blown cabin fever about a month in. We questioned the very meaning of every note we laid down, our intense scrutiny broken only by bouts of Mario Kart after 14 hour days. The sun didn't exist to us for most of this time period - and we tortured the staff of Jukasa Studios with every breath we drew. That said, we emerged with a record we were proud of, and a profound hatred of one another. It was worth it.

Strength Beyond Words...
A close friend and former crew-mate of the band fell on hard times during the recording process. We found out half-way through recording that our good friend suddenly became paralysed in both legs and one arm (with limited mobility of his second arm). The news obviously put perspective on anything we considered to be challenging in the studio. Watching the strength and determination of our friend (and his family) confront the impossible road ahead, was among the most inspiring things we had ever seen. He continues to be the strongest and most hilarious person we know. A big part of this record is for him.

Taken from the July issue of Upset. Protest the Hero's album 'Palimpsest' is out now.

Here's everything you need to know about Protest the Hero's new album, 'PALIMPSEST'

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Here's everything you need to know about Protest the Hero's new album, 'PALIMPSEST'

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