By now it’s no secret that Generationals have a knack for writing hooks that just don’t quit. And neither does the band — releasing four full-lengths, two EPs, and touring around the globe since forming in 2008.
It’s precisely due to this desire to keep moving forward that the duo’s members — Grant Widmer and Ted Joyner — felt something lacking in the “hurry up and wait” approach of making albums, where new songs might not be released for six months or more after being recorded.
And so, following the release of 2014’s Alix, the pair decided to forego the traditional approach of writing, recording and releasing music in one large batch in favor of putting out singles as soon as they were completed.
Says Widmer, “We can tie the energy of creating the song much closer to releasing it, which is a more satisfying feeling for us and for the audience. It’s more direct. I get jealous of the way writers and video-makers can finish something and release it immediately. Releasing singles lets us get closer to that immediacy.”
Joyner adds, “We let ourselves focus on individual songs at a time, letting each idea be its own thing, letting it go where it wanted to.”
Generationals satisfied this desire by releasing a slew of standalone tracks throughout 2017 and 2018 — and now, for the first time, the nine singles the band unveiled digitally (along with an exclusive, previously unreleased tenth song) will receive a physical release via State Dogs: Singles 2017-18.
Though the songs on this collection were conceived at various times over the past couple of years, they stand together as a testament to Generationals’ songwriting prowess and ability to craft infectious melodies at any given moment.
