John Kunkel of The New Division
The New Division became indie darlings after the release of their incredible EP, "The Rookie." These boys from Riverside, CA are about to raise their profile even higher with the release of their new LP, "Shadows." Combining the 80s synth sounds of "The Rookie" with more modern house and trance influences, "Shadows" weaves a surprisingly cohesive tale, although frontman John Kunkel explains it didn't begin that way. Check out this, and other lights John casts on "Shadows" in the interview below.
Your new album is entitled "Shadows." What is the meaning behind that title?
We didn't really know what to call the album to be honest. We came up with the name after playing a show, and for whatever reason, that word came into my head and I told the guys we should call the LP "Shadows." Everyone instantly agreed!
How do you think this new album differs from "The Rookie" EP?
Well, the songs have a bit more layering I'd say in terms of being a bit more progressive. Quite a few of the songs don't have that verse/chorus/verse structure. The sound is a bit darker with some songs as well.
Did anything change in either your writing style or production on this new record?
Not necessarily, the writing for this album was sort of popcorn style. The weird thing about "Shadows," and I think it may be evident to some listeners, is that it wasn't written as an album. A lot of the songs existed before the thought of doing an album ever occured. Actually, we had originally planned on just releasing an EP, and then we later decided we wanted to do a full length. Production wise, things have changed a little in terms of general mixing techniques, and layering of certain sounds. Overall though, I think the quality is much better in "Shadows" than anything else we've ever released.
Did you use any of the DrumCore or Discrete Drums samples in either the final productions or the demo songs?
Lately we've been experimenting with them more, and I think there's a solid chance they will be featured on future material.
What does 2012 hold for The New Division?
2012 will be a year of a lot of releases, remixes, and potentially covers. We're also working on a few sample packs for those interested in production. We've got a lot on our plate.
When will "Shadows" be released, and where can our users purchase a copy?
"Shadows" will be out 9/27/11 and folks will be able to download it through iTunes and bandcamp.com. If you have any inquiries, just hit us up at tndivision@gmail.com.
