In an ever-evolving pop music arena, BBMak is like the mortar between building blocks. The British trio's sophomore effort, Into Your Head, builds upon a foundation of indelible melodies, plush harmonies, and acoustic-rooted instrumentation, elbowing the traditional boundaries of music for the masses. The new album comes on the footsteps of 2000's internationally successful, million-selling Sooner Or Later, which spawned the hits "Back Here", "Still On Your Side" and "Ghost of You and Me".
The 10 new songs on Into Your Head showcase the songwriting and musical talents of teammates Christian Burns, Mark Barry and Ste McNally, with the focus squarely on their masterful vocals. From the shimmering first single "Out of My Heart (Into Your Head)", to the harmonic anthem "Staring Into Space"; the eclectic "Sympathy" and pensive ballad "The Beginning", the guys participated in the head-to-toe mechanics of making their new record.
"In the two years since we made our first album, we've been exposed to new influences and we've listened to different kinds of music, and this project reflects that," says Barry. "There are still elements of the first album, but the production is a lot richer and the dynamic a lot bigger." Adds McNally, "We've done so many live shows in the past two years and we've become better players over that time, so we were more confident in the studio with this album. Lyrically, we felt things in a more mature way; we've all grown up and wanted to express that. So we were involved in the process from the first beat."
The group began recording Into Your Head in January 2002, working with producers Rob Cavallo (Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, who also served as executive producer of Sooner Or Later), Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams), Steve Laroni (Bon Jovi, Hanson) and Al Clay (Del Amitri, A, Stereophonics). They also wrote a number of songs with the Real People, comprising of brothers Chris and Tony Griffiths, who worked closely with the Gallagher brothers on the development of the songs for the first Oasis album. "We didn't go into this with a master plan," says Burns. "We just did what came naturally and stuck by what we believed in. We love singing harmonies - that will never change - and we wanted to bring in more guitars. We took the essence of the first album and moved it to the next level."
Recorded at Eden Studios in London, many of the songs included on Into Your Head were actually written in the studio setting. The album opener and first single "Out of My Heart (Into Your Head)", a percolating, guitar-brushed ode to misplaced love, for example, flowed out of the creative process in the course of an hour. "We already had a verse to the song written with no words, and then the pieces just came together and we demoed it really quickly," Burns says. "There were times when we were turning out two songs a day."
Another highlight, "The Beginning", which wistfully reflects on the twilight days of a relationship, came together at the end of a session. "We were about to head out the door, and [Chris Griffiths of Real People] had come up with these chords," Barry says. "We picked up our guitars and put the whole song down into the Dictaphone in 10 minutes; it felt really good. We came back on Monday and added the words and like that, we were done with it and moved on to the next song."
The rock-centric "Staring Into Space", meanwhile, illustrates the power of positive thinking, while the melancholy "Runaway" tells of a guy trying to wash away his girl's insecurities. Says McNally, "With each song, we tried to paint little pictures in people's heads and then put them to music."
The group's increased musical involvement should put to rest any remaining notions that BBMak is a member of the "boy band" brigade. "We never took photos holding guitars just for the hell of it," Burns says. "This is who we are, this is what we look like, this is how we can play." More evidence comes in the fact that there is no lead singer in BBMak: Burns, Barry, and McNally share lead vocals.
BBMak firmly avoids pop trends that steal from their ability to create lasting, ink-dyed melodies. "We stand by more of a live sound than being programmed," Burns says. "There are live drums on every track, there's an acoustic feel with the guitars, and lots of powerful crescendos. So many songs on the radio today don't go anywhere; we tried to put some ups and downs in the music to give it a genuine feeling of emotion."
Certainly, BBMak's two years of playing live on the road in support of Sooner Or Later factored into the new album's sound (over the course of 2001 alone, the group logged some 179 airplane flights). In the U.S, BBMak commandeered its own cross-country sell-out club tour, and opened in stadiums for the likes of the Corrs, Britney Spears, and 'N Sync. "After you beef up your songs for the stage, you certainly don't want to produce anything but the best you can muster musically. We aren't satisfied with little wienie songs, you know?" quips Burns. "We play on every track, handling most of the guitars, and we have a really tight band on the album. I think people will hear a big difference."
And what a difference two years have made in the lives of three guys from Northern England who got their first notice by doggedly standing in front of record label offices in London playing their songs in hopes of attracting attention from the right people. Eventually, with a buzz in motion, BBMak (as in Burns, Barry, and McNally) performed at a showcase in Liverpool and attracted representatives from labels across the country and some from America. They signed with Telstar in the U.K., and Hollywood Records/Universal Music in North and South America.
Their first success came out of Asia in 2000, when "Back Here" hit No. 1 on the radio charts in Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. North America came next, with "Back Here" reaching the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the magazine's adult contemporary chart. Then was mastered at home, with "Back Here" debuting inside the top 5 in the U.K.
Now playing the game like old pros, BBMak is ready for its second full-scale attack on the world market with Into Your Head. And how do the guys feel? "There are so many good bands out there that never make it," says Burns. "We've definitely been privileged and we're appreciative of the support we've gotten. But we really believe in these new songs, so we're ready to show the world what we've got."
Source: http://hollywoodrecords.go.com/bbmak/ |
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