After six studio albums, Cursive is at it again. The
Nebraska natives will be releasing a new album titled I Am Gemini on Feb. 21, that tells the classic story
of good versus evil represented by twin brothers who are separated at birth. Collaborating
with music producer Matt Bayles (who's also worked with Mastodon, Minus the
Bear and Iris), the album is a lot heavier than the music Cursive has put out
in years, making their up coming tour an event to look forward to. Over the
weekend we were lucky enough to catch up with Cursive's lead singer, Tim
Kasher, to talk about their new album and upcoming Glass House show on Feb. 25.
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What influenced the concept of your new album I Am Gemini??
Tim Kasher: We
were working on the music first and I wanted to write something different that
showed two different perspectives. We came up with more, developed ideas and
decided that brothers would be a great way to represent the internal argument
that we all have clashing in our head–like a double personalities thing. It gave
us the opportunity to fictionalize things, develop characters and expand a lot
more, which makes it really fun.
What was different about the creation process of I Am Gemini as apposed to Mama, I'm Swollen?
Kasher: There are
a few major differences. For [I Am Gemini]
we made a return to what we are more used to. The music writing process was
much more meticulous this time around, which is the way we were brought up. In Mama, I'm Swollen we intentionally
loosened the reigns and let the songs just kind of roll out. This time around
was much more of an exercise in the sense that the songs came out in little
bits. Frankly, this is a lot different than anything I have ever done. I
sequenced the songs in order for the album before I started writing the lyrics and
created a complete story. In a sense, each song is a chapter to the story and once
I finished the sequence, I hesitantly went to the band and asked if they would
mind if I took a stab at this. I'm happy it worked out and was so relieved they
liked it.
One of the major themes of I Am Gemini is the classic battle of good vs. evil represented by Cassius and
Pollock–who wins?!
Kasher: [Laughs] There is no winner!
I Am Gemini is heavier than a lot of the music Cursive has put out in a
while. What emotions do you feel while performing and how does that translate
on stage?
Kasher: You know,
that's kind of yet to be shown because we have only performed the songs in
practice. Next week will start the beginning of our tour and will be the first
time we play in front of people, so we will see!
How was the groups experience working with music producer Matt Bayles
(producer of Mastodon, Minus The Bear and Iris albums)?
Kasher: It was
great! He's really great at what he does. When we decided we wanted to have a
heavier record he came to mind. We have known him for years and have toyed with
the idea of collaborating plenty of times, so it seemed like now was a good
time to do it.
What would you like first time listeners or new Cursive fans to know
about I Am Gemini?
Kasher: I would
suggest listening to the album from beginning to end so that listeners can take
the story in as one piece.
How are you guys preparing for your upcoming tour?
Kasher: Because
we haven't performed the songs in front of people yet, we have been spending
lots and lots of time rehearsing so that we are comfortable with the set and
new songs before we get on stage.
Will you guys be playing I Am Gemini in full on your upcoming tour?
Kasher: No not
just yet. The album still has yet to be released, so for our tour we'll play
older stuff as well as a handful of our new songs.
Do you guys have any tricks up your sleeves for the Glass House show on
Feb. 25?
Kasher: (laughs)
Not yet, but there is still some before we get there. The Glass House is a fun
venue to play, so we will see!
To hear Cursive's new music off of the album I Am Gemini catch them live at the Glass
House on Feb 25! Tickets are available here.
