Eli Janney On The Soft Pack – The Era of “Perfect” Records Is Over

Since hearing/loving The Soft Pack‘s “Bright Side,” a breezy punk-rock cut off of ’09’sThe Muslims EP, we’ve been looking out for the band’s first full-length record. And it turns out the California quartet came east to make this debut LP — out today on Kemado Records — with Brooklyn-based producer/engineer Eli Janney.

The Soft Pack

Janney’s often identified by his involvement with the D.C. post-hardcore scene through his band Girls Against Boys, and his engineering/production in the Dischord Records‘ heyday (Jawbox, The Nation of Ulysses, Shudder To Think). But it was his recent work with Brooklyn’s The Obits — a co-production with Geoff Sanoff — that most attracted The Soft Pack.

On the new album, Janney’s production adds heft to The Soft Pack’s jangly-punk, no-frills sound without weighing down their perfectly loose arrangements or the raw performances he captured live in the studio. Stream or download the single, “C’mon,” at RCRDLBL.

We went directly to Janney for some more info on the making of this record:

How’d you get involved with The Soft Pack and what was it like working with these guys?

They got in contact with me through The Obits, a band I produced with Geoff Sanoff, and we met up in Brooklyn the next time they came into town. We talked at length about what they loved about the Obits’ I Blame You record and how I go about making records. What we found was that what I was doing in the studio matched up very well with their interest in making a raw, powerful record. Plus they are all really nice guys and we love a lot of similar music.

What was your approach with The Soft Pack in the studio — to capture that classic, no-frills punk-rock sound?

The Soft Pack at Saltlands in Dumbo. Eli Janney standing.

We discussed before how we wanted to make the record, and decided the best way to approach it was as live as possible. They play amazingly well together and I wanted to capture that coming together of force and talent for the album. So in the studio we set it up where everyone could play together at the same time but with the intention of finding the best take and using that, without re-recording any instruments. Basically trying to retain the live feel, even if it meant a few mistakes got onto the record.

I’m glad the era of “perfect,” beat-detectivized, auto-tuned records is over. The exciting part of a record to me is the band playing together, so if there is a small mistake but the vibe and overall take is amazing, you leave it in. When you get a take that is truly mind-blowing, you just don’t fuck with it.

Where did you guys make the record?

I first went out to LA and did two tracks with them at a private studio owned by Dave Newton of the Mighty Lemon Drops. We did that just to see how we worked together and also to try working without overdubs (except vocals). Everyone was excited about those tracks so the band then came to Brooklyn and we worked at Saltlands in Dumbo and at another private studio owned by jazz musician Nate Shaw for all the recording, about 3 weeks of recording in all. I then mixed it all at my little mix room in Boerum Hill, sending tracks to the band for comments and approval. After everyone was happy with the mixes (including both the UK and US labels) I took the tracks over to Joe Lambert Mastering and finished it up.

Tell us about one of your favorite tracks of The Soft Pack and why it’s your favorite track

My favorite track is probably “Faithman.” They are all certainly great, but I’m drawn to that one because it’s extra bombastic. After working all these years, I’m still most excited about loud, raw music, not necessarily the most distorted, but music with raw power and energy. That can actually come from quiet acoustic music when the creator reveals very deep emotions, like John Lennon’s early solo work. There’s something punk rock about exposing your soul in music.

The Soft Pack will play a FREE show at Cake Shop on Ludlow Street this Friday, February 5. Check out their music at http://www.myspace.com/thesoftpack and Eli Janney at http://www.elijanney.com. And, purchase The Soft Pack LP HERE.

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