“Where Things go to Fade” – Careers in Science track #2

[In the coming weeks, before The Longwalls release "Careers in Science" on Tuesday, March 1, we will be posting short notes on the concepts behind each song on the record. For the most part, we each had very clear ideas in mind before beginning to write. Each song has a little story to tell, and we'll do our best to explain them each leading up to the release.]

Next up is Brandon’s track “Where Things go to Fade.” Take it away…

Hey ya’ll. Brandon here. Recently I’ve had the pleasure of spending a few weeks a year in St. Petersburg, Florida with my good friends Scott & Sarah Robinson. Inevitably, our time together includes a lot of late night “porch time.” As late night becomes early morning, we’ll decide it’s time to “have a stoop.” We’ll sit outside, nurse the night’s last beers, and talk about whatever—Tom and Jerry, hot sauce, astronomy, the housing collapse…

One night last spring—the last night of that particular trip if I remember correctly—Sarah was telling a story and asked something like, “what do you call that ledge behind the back seat of a car?” To which I responded, “Where things go to fade?” Sarah of course meant the rear deck / back dash (what is it called?!?), but the first image that came to mind was of the warped CDs and faded books that always seem to collect there.

That line has stuck with me since then, and will probably stick with me forever. Or will it? I began thinking about memory as a temporary thing. Photographs fade, recordings degrade, and so does the mind. The laws of the universe seem to dictate that nothing is permanent. It can be cold beneath the sun, and there’s nothing we can do but wonder why..

The mangled word play line is a lot fun, but it took forever for Alan and I to be able to sing it in unison properly—consistently:

I remember when you said, “where things go to fade”
When things start to fade, I’ll remember what you said…

As for the music, it’s interesting to go back and listen to my original demo (below). It’s quite different from the song you’ll hear on the album. I did end up carrying over the programmed electric piano bit that flows over the “fade” lines above  (nice to have a remnant from the home recording on the record), but the similarities end there. I didn’t write a second verse until sitting on the Red Line on the way to the studio to do the vocal track. The album version is also much faster, and features Alan’s first crack at pedal steel, loads of hand percussion from Kurt, and some great bass playing by Dan.

That’s the fun of being in band..

It’s good to have friends. In the studio.. and on the stoop…

Enjoy the demo, and check out the real thing when we release “Careers” on Tuesday, March 1.

Cheers,
Brandon