Writing the album

I started writing this album not long after Nighthawks was released. As always with such a huge project, once the creative part is finished, and you begin tackling the boring stuff, the urge to write again only grows stronger, and this was very much the case. By July 2022, I already had 4 songs I knew would make the cut, including Where Do We Go, which was released 3 years later… oh how time flies! What makes this album different from all the others, however, is that, with this extra time I’ve had to live with and, in some cases, perform the songs. I’ve been able to dive back into the projects and further enrich them with everything from production ideas, new lyrics, or extra/different instrumentation. This has been game-changing when it comes to the vocals, where I’ve been able to practise, perform, experiment, adjust, perform, and eventually refine into the studio album… so hopefully there’ll be a lot fewer instances of “oh man, I could sing that way better now” with this release.

Inspirations

Inspiration, both musical and otherwise, comes at the most random times and unlikely circumstances. This has always been the case. Typically, how I write my tracks is I hear something I like, perhaps a song that’s new or just new to me, and I think, “I’d love to hear and sing a song like that but with less of this, and more of this, that, and the other.” This approach has served me well over the years, albeit at the expense of the listener never quite knowing what genre to label Auger as. For that, the genre-hopping, I apologise, but hey, I want to perform music I love; it’s a lot easier to sing something passionately that you’re passionate about, right? And so, my original point is that my inspiration can jump out of nowhere, and it very much depends on what I’m listening to in the moment and, to make matters worse, what I listen to is an ever-changing musical rainstorm… Korn into Supertramp into A-ha into Jinjer into The Paper Kites into Tiesto into Jimmy Eat World. So you can see how and why the genres move around so much. Anyway, I digress. You’ll be pleased to know that I have attempted, at least, to keep this album as consistent as I can, and for those worried, my playlist this year mostly consists of the following albums: A-ha – Scoundrel Days, R.E.M – Around The Sun, M83 – Saturdays = Youth, Ozzy Osbourne – Black Rain, and White Lies – Big TV… like I said, “consistent”… ish.

The last 4 years

Hard to believe it’s been almost 4 years since the last album release, and yes, quite a lot has changed since then. We’ve of course had the honour of performing at some amazing festivals, Amphi Festival twice, WGT, NCN, Plage Noire, Schwarze Ball, Infest, Tomorrows Ghosts, as well as our own headline tours in the UK and our first in Germany too. But most notably, for myself at least, is moving my life to Germany! Not the easiest endeavour post-Brexit, but one I’m so proud and grateful to have been able to carry out. The move has very much inspired the album visually and lyrically, with my thoughts and feelings along the way. Also, the change of scenery and culture has been a fascinating aspect that has helped me cross the album-completion finish line.

Speaking of Germany, I ought to mention that my new hometown of Fürstenwalde actually features on the cover. That bridge behind me, Spree-Brücke, is just a short walk from my home and a local landmark. Having fallen in love with the town, it only felt right to include a small part of it in the new album.

And finally, I just really hope you enjoy it. It’s been an absolute pleasure to write, so I’m very excited for you to hear it all!