In the ever-evolving landscape of music, certain albums emerge that resonate deeply with its listeners. Spiderhand and their album Monkey Back Guarantee is no exception, as it keeps the listener engaged throughout its entirety.
“The songs all sound different from one another,” said Vivien Rusche, vocalist of Spiderhand. “You think you’re listening to indie, and it gets kind of punk, or moody, or serious, or silly.”
Collaborating with one another, each member of the group brought something special to the album, that makes its unique compared to others out there in the music scene today. As I listened on repeat in my car, Monkey Back Guarantee kept my attention by its profound lyrics and robust music.
“It’s interesting, the different genres that people have held up for our work,” said Mike Eyman, bassist for the group. “I don’t believe we set out to play a specific genre at all. We each have different influences and styles that we brought to the band. Our sound just developed from our collaborative writing process. Lyrics aside, the music is brought into the writing process by each of us and is informed by our individual tastes and influences. By each bringing our part, we allow the music to have its own style, and not try to fit it into a genre.”
The album was recorded at The Lodge in Dayton, KY within a few months. It was produced, engineered, and mixed by John Hoffman and mastered by Carl Saff.
“The process overall was a lot of fun,” said Eyman. “The layering and additions were well thought through. John Hoffman made this a very enjoyable experience.”
I would have to say that, since every song is so unique it its own way, I have a hard time trying to pick a “favorite” song from it. Every song keeps me wanting more, which made it very enjoyable for me to rock out to.
“I like them all,” said Derek Stinson, guitarist of Spiderhand. “Each one has its dynamic parts.”
“My favorite is “Opposite.” I think it captures the feeling of dread that can be applied to anyone’s life in any situation. It’s a universal feeling of powerlessness,” said Rusche. “You can watch the audience during this song, and everybody gets quiet and then the room erupts when it’s over. We can tell that we’re reaching them in their guts.”
As for what’s next for Spiderhand, only time will tell.
“We continue to write,” said Eyman. “Many of our practice sessions start with just a freeform jam to loosen up. Many times, this produces a riff or an idea that we want to explore later. These are recorded for later. With our writing process being collaborative, a lot of these ideas come back as songs, even if it’s just a bass riff or a guitar progression.”
