LimeWire Music Blog

Vertical Horizon spent the last ten years getting a first-class education in the vagaries of the music business. After releasing three DIY albums, they were snapped up by RCA for their multi-platinum breakthrough, Everything You Want, whose title track became a #1 hit. Label difficulties resulted in delays and a lack of support for their 2003 follow-up, Go, but Vertical Horizon has finally re-emerged, unveiling their first album in six years, Burning the Days. Having reached high enough on the music-biz ladder to touch the sun and get their fingers burned, they’re back to being masters of their own destinies, making music on their own label, in their own time, with artistic satisfaction as the first priority. In the midst of the band’s current tour, we slowed frontman Matt Scannell down long enough to get his EXCLUSIVE perspective on Vertical Horizon’s rock ‘n’ roll seesaw ride.

It’s been a long time since we’ve heard from Vertical Horizon. Why has the gap between the new album and Go been the longest in the band’s career?

Matt Scannell: I feel like I’ve spent the last four years almost going to graduate school for songwriting. I’ve really tried to look at it that way, focusing on my craft, writing with many other writers all over the country, and just trying to learn more about this incredible gift. Being able to write songs is a gift, but it’s also such a passion for me that I always want to get better at it. I’ve also been working on my skills as a producer — producing other artists with an eye towards doing a lot more of that kind of work in the future. So, although it has been quiet for VH, I’ve been working really hard on other things. And now it’s great that we have a new VH record; we are back out on the road, and I’m incredibly excited about the whole process right now.

Can you describe the musical evolution that’s occurred between Go and Burning the Days?

This album was made without anybody hanging over our shoulders and whispering in our ears about how to make a record. From the beginning to the end of the process, this was completely fueled by our passion for making music as a band — and by my passion as a songwriter to make music for the band that I love. It really came from a true and honest place. Not that Go didn’t, but it was a struggle to keep it there. Burning the Days was, by definition, 100% coming from that place. I have a studio in my home; we used that and worked there as opposed to hemorrhaging money in a major recording studio. [So] the concerns about finances, time, and pressure to make pop-friendly songs were taken away. I think musically we have all developed and grown as players.

You started out releasing your early recordings on your own label and now you’ve come full circle by starting your own label for the new album. How much of that has to do with the changing nature of the music industry, and how does it affect what you do?

I think it’s an ideal position for this band. It’s where we come from — we started this whole thing from a very grassroots position where we would be touring and constantly trying to get new fans by spreading word of mouth. I’m not someone who just wants to discredit the major label system; I think there could be real benefits to it. If you’re just starting out and you need a full press effort, certainly with radio, the far-reaching aspects and resources of a major label can be a really terrific thing. The flip side is that if you are not the flavor of the month for them, it can really slow you down and ultimately hurt you. We experienced both sides of that with RCA, and now it’s wonderful because we don’t have to worry about that. Our destiny is very much in our own hands. It’s a position we’re very comfortable with and it’s a responsibility that we take up wholeheartedly. I love the idea of getting rid of the middleman. By focusing on our website, Facebook, and Twitter stuff, we are able to have one-on-one contact with our fans, which we really didn’t do for a while, and I’m enjoying it immensely. I love it. So, I think owning your own label can be a terrific thing, you just have to be the right band for it — and I think Vertical Horizon is very much the right band for that.

You’ve got Neil Peart playing and co-writing on the album — how did that come about? Are you a Rush fan?

Am I a Rush Fan? I love Rush. My favorite band of all time is Rush — and through a crazy turn of events, I became very, very good friends with Neil Peart! It was interesting at first because I knew his music very well, but I didn’t know him at all as a person. That’s an interesting position to be in, because you ascribe certain characteristics to a person without even knowing them, just based on the music they make or lyrics they write, and that can be a dangerous thing. However, I’m very happy to say that Neil is just a wonderful person, and for me it’s an absolute pleasure to count him among my best friends. Over time, it became a very natural thing for us to work together, and eventually after a couple years of us knowing each other we decided to write a song together. When we wrote the song “Even now,” I said, “well I have to ask you to play drums on it” and he said, “No one else can play drums on it.” So then I asked him “If I got you for one, I need to ask you to play more because you’ll be done with the first one in about 45 minutes.” So, he wound up playing on three songs on the record and I’m incredibly grateful to him.

How did Richard Marx wind up contributing to the album? It’s hard to envision another band that could work with both him and Neil Peart on the same album.

At first glance, maybe that could be the case, but I think Richard unfairly gets positioned as this ballad writer, someone who writes lots of love songs, lighter songs. But if you listen to his catalogue, he’s got a ton of rock songs, hard stuff, and he loves rock music. If you take a step back and listen to his overall output of music, which at this point is quite vast, you gain a different respect for the guy. He’s written with Daughtry and just wrote with Hinder — he’s a rock guy. Richard and I met down in Tampa seven years ago at the Super Bowl, and since then, we became good friends, started playing acoustic shows together, and we even released an acoustic record called Duo. Anyway, I asked him if he’d produce my vocals on a couple songs because I love his skills in the studio, he’s just an incredible producer, so I was learning from him as well as benefiting from his experience. He played piano on “Here” as well. I’m very grateful to him for everything that he’s done for me on this record and for everything in general. He’s a super guy!

Who are some of the other artists that have had the most significant influence on you?

Putting Richard and Neil aside, I’d say Peter Gabriel was probably my biggest influence growing up. As a singer, I always wanted to nudge my voice in his direction. On Go there’s a song called “Underwater” that’s basically me trying to write a Peter Gabriel song; he hadn’t come out with an album in a while. Another person I really love is Sting. I think Sting is absolutely fantastic and Soul Cages is one of my favorite records of all time. I think he is a stunning artist. The more recent artists that I’ve been turned on to include Imogen Heap, the Shins, Ray LaMontagne, and Death Cab for Cutie. I think the drummer in Death Cab is incredible, and I love the vibe of that band. I’m always listening to new music.

“For me, I kind of have a bit of a split personality in the studio. I can be the artist and I can be sort of the whip cracker. I love being on both sides, but it is a lot of work.”

You wear a lot of hats within the band and in the studio: singing, writing, playing, producing. Do you ever lose your objectivity?

That’s a great question. I absolutely do lose my objectivity. I strive not to, but inevitably it happens. When you are in the bubble, really focusing on the finest details, you can get lost in the minutiae that will never matter at the end of the day, and wind up spending entirely too much time on that. That’s one of the reasons you have a producer in the first place, to have them help you manage your time so you don’t go off on these wild tangents and delay the most important aspects of making a record. I get lost sometimes in the smallest guitar part, but I have to say that’s one of the joys of making music for me. Although I’ll never take as long to make another record! For Burning the Days, I’m glad that we did it this way because I was responsible; the buck stopped with me as the producer. For me, I kind of have a bit of a split personality in the studio. I can be the artist and I can be sort of the whip cracker. I love being on both sides, but it is a lot of work.

If you were forced to pick one favorite song on the new album, which one would it be?

Right now, I would say “Even Now.” One reason “Even Now” stands out is the process by which this song was written. Neil came over to the studio and handed me a lyric and within 15 minutes I had all the music written for the song. It came to me in a very different and refreshing way than most songs do. Most of the songs are labored over for a long time, however this one came about very quickly. I love how it starts as almost a little shack in the woods, and then by the end it grows into this huge cathedral. That’s the way I thought of it as a track: very small and unassuming as it began and then, over time, it would just grow into this incredibly beautiful tapestry. I’m so proud of that song.

Will we have as long a wait for the next album, or have you already begun thinking about it?

Not only have I begun thinking about it, I’ve begun recording it. So there is no way it will take as long for the next one as we did for this one. I’m very much looking forward to the next one. I just want to thank everybody that listens to our music and everybody that is a Vertical Horizon fan. We are incredibly grateful and in your debt. Oh, and I want to thank LimeWire Store for helping us out!