Nothing is more rewarding than creating something that you’re proud of, and it’s safe to say that The Great Heights Band know that feeling. Their sophomore release, rad-pop., out April 20th, not only finds the band growing immensely following 2015’s Songs In Eastern Standard Timing, but also gave them the chance to have complete creative control over the final result. Self-produced and recorded, rad-pop. is the result of The Great Heights Band taking their time to create exactly what they wanted without worrying about what they should sound like.
The Great Heights Band are currently gearing up to hit the road with Eternal Boy in support of rad-pop., and with the rest of 2018 ahead of them, it’s safe to say that they’re about to have one of their best years yet. Read more about The Great Heights Band and listen to their single, “Better Things” below.
Interview by Dom Vigil
The Prelude Press: Can you tell us a little bit about The Great Heights Band for anyone who might not be familiar?
Eric Taft [vocals/guitar]: The Great Heights Band feels like an old friend you’ve lost touch with, but when you hang out with them again all the familiarity and good feelings come rushing back and you pick right back up where you left off. We make a unique blend of pop rock mixed with a bunch of influences you love, but can’t quite put your finger on.
You guys are just getting ready to release your new album, rad-pop. next month. What are you excited for listeners to hear on this release?
I think with this record we were far more adventurous in our songwriting. We focused more on ideas that excited us rather than pursuing ideas we felt would make a hit. I think this approach lead to a much more organic sounding record that listeners will love.
It being your sophomore release, were there any goals you had in mind when you started working on the album that you maybe haven’t had the chance to accomplish in the past?
This is the first release I’ve been a part of as a member of the band playing guitar, singing, and writing. It was really exciting to delegate vocals in a way that made sense for each song so Neal and I have our own moments to shine vocally, both separately and together.
How do you feel you’ve grown as musicians between Songs In Eastern Standard Timing and rad-pop.?
Between SIEST and this record we had two years of touring and playing together to help build chemistry and get a strong sense of what everyone brings to the table. Everyone brought their own special sauce to the process, which made it something I don’t think we could have executed on the first record.
For this release you self-recorded everything: how do you feel this affected the final product? What was the most rewarding thing about doing everything on your own?
Self-producing is an absolute blessing and a curse. On the one hand, we have complete creative control over both the writing and production, which makes for a completely honest and unfiltered final product. On the other hand, it can also be a seemingly never ending process of tweaking, second guessing, rerecording, and altering things, which can be incredibly frustrating.
What were the most challenging aspects of working on this album?
Self-producing. But in addition to that, coordinating schedules. Between my existing schedule at the studio and everyone’s work schedules, we had to get creative with our work flow. Just about everyone had a way to record parts at home that would then get run through gear at the studio or redone.
You recently released “Better Things” from the album. Can you tell us a little bit about the song? What inspired it?
“Better Things” is a song about losing touch in a relationship. Although you want to say exactly what you’re feeling to mend it, you’re afraid of the outcome or don’t know how to phrase it. In the end, it’s probably best to get out of your own head and quit losing sleep over it. Shit or get off the pot, you know? If it’s meant to be, it will. That’s the basic meaning of the song.
With the album dropping next month, you’ll also be hitting the road for a run of shows with Eternal Boy. What can fans expect from these upcoming performances?
We’re so excited to do these shows and expand our set with songs off the new record. We’ve been spending the last few rehearsals tightening up the new songs and we’re so excited to show new fans what we’re all about.
Do you have any other big plans for 2018?
Following the tour with Eternal Boy in April, we’re going on a run on the west coast with our friends in Eye The Realist, so keep an eye out for that announcement soon!
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you for having me! Please take the time to listen to our band and, if you like what you hear, consider pre-ordering rad-pop. at www.thegreatheightsband.com. This record is a truly honest, straight from the horse’s mouth, almost entirely DIY effort, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
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