Recording Under the Influence is a recurring self-titled feature where we ask artists to ignore their musical inspirations for a minute and share what really went into the making of a particular record. Since the Twilight Sad have been so forthcoming about the influences on their third album—a slight reinvention that dials their hail storm hooks down in favor of steely beats and oil-slicked synths—we asked guitarist Andy MacFarlane to talk about some of the movies that marked the trio’s No One Can Ever Know sessions…
Tag: The Twilight Sad
One of our favorite criminally underrated bands, the Twilight Sad, have revealed some details about their third full-length disc. Due out next February, No One Can Ever Know strips some of the Scottish band’s buzz-saw guitars away for a “newly keyboard/programming-driven approach…though of course, they maintain their trademark darkness and depth, with moments reminiscent of the most innovative offerings of Depeche Mode, The Cure, or even Nine Inch Nails.”
Get a taste of what that approach entails after the jump and keep your eyes on their official site in the coming months for more details…
The Artist/Latest Release: Colourmusic, My _____ is Pink (Memphis Industries, May 10th)
The Showcase: Oklahoma @ Friends, 208 E 6th St., 9 p.m.
What To Expect: Insanity. There’s a reason Wayne Coyne’s hanging out with his countrymen in this video.
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FatCat will release The Wrong Car—a Twilight Sad EP featuring remixes from Mogwai and Errors—on 9/28.

[Photos by Andrew Parks]
We’ve seen it before; seen your steel glare, that look of disgust, that clear indication that our camera’s epileptic fits are ruining your ‘concert experience.’ To which we say, “Fair enough. You win. We don’t need to treat every self-titled show like an impromptu photo shoot.”
What we will do, however, is keep our Canon handy in case something special happens—something special like the Twilight Sad’s singer (a genuinely disturbed James Graham) belting out “Cold Days From the Birdhouse” from Bowery Ballroom’s floor. The trio of photos in this post represent a split second representation of what it was like to be there when it happened.
Expect more posts like this in the near future, and enjoy the stunning Twilight Sad track after the jump.
[Text/Photos by Andrew Parks; slideshow available here]
There’s something about The Twilight Sad; something that makes us root for them more than any other up-and-coming band these days. Come to think of it, the reason is simple: more than two years after the release of their full-length debut, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, we still listen to the damn thing. At least once a month. Repeatedly. Being based in Brooklyn, the band’s bombastic approach suits our daily subway rides well, making self-titled feel like we’re the lead in an melodramatic music video, shot on the L line with lots of quick cuts and sepia-toned mood lighting.











