Get To Know… cruush

Hi Amber! Congratulations on taking part in ReBalance 2024. Looking back, how was your time recording at The Arch in Southport?

It was really really fun.  We feel we’ve come out with three songs that sonically signal a slightly different direction for us.  We always hope our music changes as we do and stays fresh, we don’t want to do the same thing twice.  Being given the chance to record in this way has definitely helped that and has given the tracks a new spin to songs we’ve put out before.

How was your approach different this time around when it came to prepping these songs for recording?

We went into it much more with the mindset of creating in the studio.  Normally with songs we’ve recorded they’ve been gigged already for a few months at least, and we go in knowing exactly what we’re playing and where, whereas this time two of the songs were pretty much half written whilst we were there.

What was it like working with Sophie Ellis? Any differences from your previous times in recording studios?

She was fantastic!  It’s amazing we’ve found someone we know we would love to work with again.  We clicked right away, she understood perfectly what we were going for and constantly had ideas for us as we were finishing writing.  Not afraid to shoot down stuff that wouldn’t really have served the song either.

She brought along this really weird wobbly guitar pedal that pretty much became the guitar sound across all of Temperament Test and this really obscure toy-sounding acoustic as well.  Both of these just happened to fit perfectly with the character we’d had of these songs in our heads.

Do you think The Arch being a residential studio provided anything different for you when it came to being creative?

It definitely helped us with writing.  Staying in the studio overnight meant we were constantly tinkering with bits and bouncing musical ideas around.  You’re given the chance to be completely immersed in the creation of these songs.  There is also a lovely cafe and a funny little pub on the same street if you need a breather.  Shout out to Tom who runs the Arch who was very accommodating, helping out wherever he could with extra little gear bits we needed for recording.

What have you learned from the process so far – do you feel any different post-recording?

We feel positive, we have ended up with three tracks we’re really happy with and it’s triggered a slightly new sonic era for us.

How did you feel about the mix process – how important is creative control for you?

I think mixing can be one of the hardest parts to get right, especially with so many layers and elements at play.  I love it when songs include subtle details that reveal themselves over time and things you might not catch on the first listen.  We were really intentional about incorporating that into these three tracks and Sophie did such a great job bringing it all together.  Having creative control and good communication throughout the process was essential to ensuring everything came out the way we envisioned.

Is there any advice you’ve been given that you’d like to share with any others starting out?

My biggest advice would be to not compare your progress to others.  It’s so easy to get caught up in where everyone else is, but that can be really distracting.  Instead, focus on your own music/art and always keep sight of why you love creating in the first place.

Do you have a favourite track you’ve recorded during ReBalance?

I’m really happy with all three tracks, but if I had to pick a favourite, it would probably be ‘Temperament Test’.  Going into the recording process, we weren’t entirely sure how it would turn out, but everything just came together naturally.  I approached the lyrics a bit differently on this one, aiming for something with a touch of playfulness (especially in the middle 8). It was a fun experiment, and I think it really adds to the character of the song.