Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Dig”?
Speed: “Dig” is heavy track that we wrote a while back. Rather than just set up and perform and record the tracks stripped down on acoustic guitar, we decided to ‘reinvent’ the songs for this release. “Dig” is a track that stood out – it has an amazing feeling…that uplifting, ‘I can take on the world vibe.’
Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?
Speed: Life! What goes on in our lives and the people around us continues to inspires us when writing new material.
Any plans to release a video for the single?
Speed: Absolutely. Everything on this release was recorded live in the studio in Baltimore. We not only recorded the audio, but we had video crew there as well. We were excited and nervous at the same time. The video for “Dig” is black and white. We did that purposely because we’re working on our first full-length DVD. The entire acoustic live set will be in color on the DVD and include 2 additional tracks that we held for the DVD. Plus there’s a ton of behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews that were shot just for the DVD.
The single comes off your new album Lighten Up – what’s the story behind the title?
Speed: We are a heavy ROCK band! Putting out a live acoustic EP was a little to the left for us, but we loved doing it. The title “Lighten Up” is just another side of the band. Even though we love writing heavy music, we are not one dimensional. Honestly, we were a little selfish on this release because we wanted the fans to see another side of the band. Plus the image on the cover brings it all home..lol!
What made you want to make an acoustic album?
Speed: The challenge! Plus we want to continue to release music every year. And as I said, we’d like our fans to see the other side of Silvertung.
How was the recording and rewriting process? Was it hard to rewrite, or rather translate the songs into a new format?
Speed: It was a roller coaster ride. Some songs had a straight adrenaline from the start, while others were more up and down, side-to-side writing approach. Basically, some songs came easy and others were more of a challenge. We didn’t just perform the songs the same way we live. Live they are very heavy and in your face, but on this release we set out to rework and reinvent the songs. You’re not just getting Silvertung music stripped down and performed on acoustic guitar. If you listen to our last release, “Out Of The Box” and then hear the songs on “Lighten Up” some of them you’d never guess it was Silvertung.
How has this album challenged you as a band?
Speed: It made us believe in ourselves as musicians. We’re happy we did it – it was a great new experience for us.
Any plans to hit the road?
Speed: Absolutely! That’s where we belong! We’ve spent a good portion of 2017 on the road and we don’t have any plans of slowing down. 2018 is looking to be a busy touring year for Silvertung.
What else is happening next in Silvertung’s world?
Speed: Definitely more touring. We’ve been writing new material for our next release in 2018. We already have studio time booked just after the first of the year. Plus we’re hoping to finish up the DVD between live dates. We’re very excited about the new material and can’t wait to get the new stuff tracked.
