Andrew Mcleod Interview
Q: Path of Wounds is complete DIY effort. The recording quality is impressive. Did you have any previous experience before recording Path Of Wounds?
A: First of all, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. It feels so good to know that this album is being heard by other people. Path of Wounds was a DIY for a few reasons. First, I had a lot of things on my mind that I wanted to express and because it all came from me, I felt it necessary to complete the album myself from start to finish. Second, I wanted this album to be a sort of home work project for me. In essence, I used this album to help myself get better at recording good tracks, mixing them and mastering them. I wanted this to be a sort of starting ground for me to work up from. Before this album, I produced a few projects by other bands such as Vagabond and Streetlights. I also spent about six years making music under the name “Andrew McSunny.” Though I am not proud of any of the music that I created as “Andrew McSunny,” it helped me build up the experience that I needed to make this record as good as it is.
Q: Path of Wounds is an eclectic album. Were there any specific musical influences that may have leaked into Path of Wounds?
A: Yeah. My musical taste ranges from rock bands like Mumford and Sons and Set it off all the way up to metal core bands such as Bring Me the Horizon and Memphis May Fire. I think the bands that I listened to the most while I was writing this album were Set it off (which inspired that pop rock side of things) and a band called Disciple (my favorite band who inspires me every day to make music).
Q: The lyrics are overtly religious at times. Can you talk a little but about how this plays into your songwriting process?
A: I write songs mostly as a form of therapy. They are as you might call them glimpses of how I view life. I believe that I am a sinner saved by grace through Christ. Without him, I would be hopelessly lost. As a result, I feel that I could not accurately express myself without sharing how important he is to me. This is me saying, “Hey I understand how dark life can get. I’ve been there. But I found the way out. And it wasn’t in me at all. It was through Jesus Christ who shows me that I am worth more than what the world says of me. And he says the same for you.” There is a song on the album called “One of a Kind” and I wrote that song for a friend as a loving reminder that God loves them so much and he will give them the strength to keep fighting.
Q: Are you going to be putting together a full band to perform these songs live?
A: I would very much love to play these songs live. I have spoken with a few people about playing a few shows sometime soon. Sometime when I find the time to organize it, I would love to play a few shows in the area. Playing “Capsize" on stage is on my bucket list for sure! ;)
Q:What else is on the horizon for your musical career?
A: I actually have several exciting things coming up. I am in a band called Notacat with my brother and my three closest friends and we have some musical projects on our horizon. I can’t spoil anything quite yet, but I’m stoked for it. I sincerely believe that we have the best group of guys for it and that we will be able to make something really special.
Q: Where did the title of the album come from?
A:. Actually, the album title was one of the last things I came up with. I wrote all of these songs in a time of my life where I was experiencing a lot of trials. That season of life is over for the most part, but the scars remain. Since all of the songs were written during that time of my life, I actually didn’t realize it, but I feel like the album summarizes that journey into the darkness. I am on the other side, but the scars are still a part of my everyday life. They still affect who I am and how I live my life today. This album is the story of how I became who I am today. Life isn’t a piece of cake. Everyone goes through trials and everyone has scars. This is just my story and I hope it offers hope to those who listen to it. This album is my path of wounds and that is why I decided to name it that.
Q: Path of Wounds is complete DIY effort. The recording quality is impressive. Did you have any previous experience before recording Path Of Wounds?
A: First of all, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. It feels so good to know that this album is being heard by other people. Path of Wounds was a DIY for a few reasons. First, I had a lot of things on my mind that I wanted to express and because it all came from me, I felt it necessary to complete the album myself from start to finish. Second, I wanted this album to be a sort of home work project for me. In essence, I used this album to help myself get better at recording good tracks, mixing them and mastering them. I wanted this to be a sort of starting ground for me to work up from. Before this album, I produced a few projects by other bands such as Vagabond and Streetlights. I also spent about six years making music under the name “Andrew McSunny.” Though I am not proud of any of the music that I created as “Andrew McSunny,” it helped me build up the experience that I needed to make this record as good as it is.
Q: Path of Wounds is an eclectic album. Were there any specific musical influences that may have leaked into Path of Wounds?
A: Yeah. My musical taste ranges from rock bands like Mumford and Sons and Set it off all the way up to metal core bands such as Bring Me the Horizon and Memphis May Fire. I think the bands that I listened to the most while I was writing this album were Set it off (which inspired that pop rock side of things) and a band called Disciple (my favorite band who inspires me every day to make music).
Q: The lyrics are overtly religious at times. Can you talk a little but about how this plays into your songwriting process?
A: I write songs mostly as a form of therapy. They are as you might call them glimpses of how I view life. I believe that I am a sinner saved by grace through Christ. Without him, I would be hopelessly lost. As a result, I feel that I could not accurately express myself without sharing how important he is to me. This is me saying, “Hey I understand how dark life can get. I’ve been there. But I found the way out. And it wasn’t in me at all. It was through Jesus Christ who shows me that I am worth more than what the world says of me. And he says the same for you.” There is a song on the album called “One of a Kind” and I wrote that song for a friend as a loving reminder that God loves them so much and he will give them the strength to keep fighting.
Q: Are you going to be putting together a full band to perform these songs live?
A: I would very much love to play these songs live. I have spoken with a few people about playing a few shows sometime soon. Sometime when I find the time to organize it, I would love to play a few shows in the area. Playing “Capsize" on stage is on my bucket list for sure! ;)
Q:What else is on the horizon for your musical career?
A: I actually have several exciting things coming up. I am in a band called Notacat with my brother and my three closest friends and we have some musical projects on our horizon. I can’t spoil anything quite yet, but I’m stoked for it. I sincerely believe that we have the best group of guys for it and that we will be able to make something really special.
Q: Where did the title of the album come from?
A:. Actually, the album title was one of the last things I came up with. I wrote all of these songs in a time of my life where I was experiencing a lot of trials. That season of life is over for the most part, but the scars remain. Since all of the songs were written during that time of my life, I actually didn’t realize it, but I feel like the album summarizes that journey into the darkness. I am on the other side, but the scars are still a part of my everyday life. They still affect who I am and how I live my life today. This album is the story of how I became who I am today. Life isn’t a piece of cake. Everyone goes through trials and everyone has scars. This is just my story and I hope it offers hope to those who listen to it. This album is my path of wounds and that is why I decided to name it that.