The Waking Eyes
The Waking Eyes have always been more of a musical collective than a band proper. From the beginning we treated the group, first and foremost as a recording project. We never thought of ourselves as a “rock band”. Starting with the Pets (the first incarnation) through to Combing the Clouds (the Waking Eyes first album) we slaved on our records for months on end in basements and garages using whatever recording devices we had to produce rich, textured, orchestrated pop. These records were our lives. Every last audio-byte and artwork cell were meticulously crafted and arranged to fulfill the vision we had in our heads. These were truly basement productions, but nonetheless there was something unique and special about what we were creating.
After garnering heaps of critical acclaim for these early albums, we signed our record deal and decided to try something completely different. Up to this point we had played a grand total of about 15 live shows and the prospect of doing a record that was more focused and playable intrigued us. Three years, one rock record and almost two hundred shows later we were left wondering what to do next. We enjoyed the experience, but we all felt that we hadn’t spread our proverbial musical wings enough. We knew from the songs we had begun writing as touring was ending that we were not going to make another rock record. As we continued to write, it was obvious that we were undertaking something ambitious at the very least. From the fall of 2005 until the summer of 2007 we wrote and recorded far too many songs to count. After the dust cleared we were left with a three-cd set of B-sides and rarities (Operation Walter Prychodko), two solo projects (Rusty’s Terrier and Matt’s Royal Canoe) and the real prize - a full length album called “Holding On To Whatever It Is”.
Where do we see ourselves in the ideal future? Most importantly we will be continually recording and releasing music. Listeners shouldn’t have to wait two years between records anymore. The internet is the ideal intermediary between the band and its fans. In the perfect future we will be releasing singles and albums with a frequency that more closely resembles the 60s (1-2 albums a year) than the current status quo (2-3 years between records). But certainly in the future Waking Eyes fan will have no shortage of material to consume.
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