Exclusive video premiere and interview: Acclaimed hard rock band Silvertung unveils ‘Dig’
Silvertung, one of hard rock’s most celebrated emerging bands, exclusively premieres their latest video “Dig” on AXS today, see above. Since first joining together a few short years ago, Silvertung has hit the Billboard Mainstream Rock Radio Chart three times and their last single “You & Me,” which also exclusively premiered on AXS, debuted at #1 on the Most Added List edging out Korn, Blink-182 and From Ashes To New. The band has received two Maryland Music Awards, “Best Heavy Metal Band” in addition to the top award of the evening, “Breakout Artist of The Year.” Silvertung has shared the stage with a slew of amazing artists including Godsmack, Disturbed, Slipknot, Buckcherry, Halestorm, Drowning Pool and In This Moment.
Silvertung is releasing their first acoustic album Lighten Up, which was recorded live in front of an audience comprising music critics and industry professionals, on October 27. Lighten Up features six of Silvertung’s most well-known songs in an intimate acoustic setting. Not only was AXS invited to take part in the live recording in studio, we recently had the opportunity to talk with lead singer Speed about the new album.
AXS: What made you decide to revisit the tracks on Lighten Up acoustically?
Speed: The idea of performing our music acoustically was enticing. We show the fans another side of us. Silvertung is far from a one dimensional band. We agreed that if we were going to do this, that we didn’t want ot just play the songs as we originally recorded them, just acoustically. We wanted to challenge ourselves and put us to the test. So we ‘reinvented’ several of our better known tracks. We felt that would be more interesing. The end results were better than we had imagined.
AXS: Was it challenging to break down the songs?
S: Some tracks were more challenging than others. Take “Devil’s Advocate” for example. We broke it down chord by chord until we found the emotion we were looking for. Then we added a violin player. That’s one of our heaviest tracks and now it has violin… The single for “Dig” came through very natural and fit. With songs like “Justify,” “I Don’t Care” and “Face The Music” we decided to deliver a twist to the songs…keeping the same melody and lyrics, we wanted to make them sound like new original music and stand on their own. “Déjà Vu” is more along the lines of how Danno and I heard the song in its original form before it was record…picture it now as a ‘heavy’ acoustic track.
AXS: How did you come up with the idea for having a live audience during the recording process?
S: The idea to record this live with an audience was because we wanted to do it different. We could have just played a bunch of acoustic shows and picked the best of the best…but we wanted an honest live recording right in the studio. Most live records aren’t really live. Bands always go back into the studio to fix things. When we play live – that’s where Silvertung is our strongest. We jump around and have a good time. Maybe not with acoustic performances, but we wanted to do it the honest way. We set up in the studio with the four us, invited some media and industry folks in to challenge us…to raise the bar. We ran through the set a few times and the end results are Lighten Up. This release is unique in many ways. The preparation that goes behind this type of live recording is very different from what we are used to doing. When you record a studio release, mistakes can be re-recorded, but live...it is what it is. Even though we recorded it in a studio, we still set up facing one another and did this live!
Renowned for their riveting thunderous beats and rollicking infectious grooves, this glimpse into a different side of Silvertung is mesmerizing. Lighten Up features stripped down versions of six of Silvertung’s hits. Every song was completely reinvented. Working with the band recording the album live in front of an audience at Wrightway Studioswas producer Steven Wright. He truly brought out an authentic jam session sound to the album. For example, although the track “Face the Music” still has the same melody, it is a very different song acoustically. There is more of a swing vibe to it. “Devil’s Advocate” was originally a very heavy and aggressive song is now accompanied by a violinist.
Codey Red, lead guitarist for Silvertung said, “We created this album for our fans. We wanted them to see a different side to the band. We’re a hard rock band, that’s what we do best, but this is different and it’s a growth for us. Recording Lighten Up has already pushed us and challenged us as we’re writing new songs for the next release!”
Lighten Up will be accessible wherever digital music is available, including iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Gracenote, KKBox, Napster, Deezer, Tidal, Google Play, Pandora, etc. as well as on the band’s web site. Visit the Silvertung websitefor more information about the band. Follow the band on Facebook to stay up-to-date on all the latest tour dates.
