Devin Townsend Provides Updates on Empath Album
When it rains Devin Townsend updates it pours Devin Townsend updates! Earlier today we got word that Heavy Devy has launched an online course that provides a window into his creative process with an eye towards improving your own (and there’s a free downloadable book acting as a teaser), and now The PRP has informed us that Devin has gone on a Twitter dump providing some updates on the first of many new projects currently in the works, entitled Empath.
We’ll embed all of Devin’s Twitter posts below, but here’s a quick synopsis of the new information therein:
- tracking will begin in the UK in September, with sessions being handled by Nolly Getgood (Periphery, etc.)
- Mike Keneally (Dethklok), Morgan Ågren (Kaipa, Casualties of Cool), Anup Sastry (ex-Skyharbor, Marty Friedman), Nathan Navarro, Sam “Samus” Paulicelli (Decrepit Birth), an orchestra and a women’s choir will all be involved
- the music is “a collision of basically all I’ve done”
- the theme of the album is this: “in a society where empathy is often viewed as a weakness, it’s about learning to feel what others do in order to have compassion.”
- Devin has enough material for a double album but is trying to whittle it down to just one because he isn’t a fan of double albums
- touring-wise, Devin plans to begin next year doing a “one-man show” around the time of album release
- work/life balance is important for Devin so touring will be toned down, but big shows with “crazy production” are still a possibility at some point
- the album is tentatively scheduled for a March release
All that sounds sounds pretty exciting, yeah?
Meanhwile Devin is also working on a new Ziltoid album and mobile app as well as another Casualties of Cool album, and who knows what else. 2019 and beyond are going to be very rewarding years for his fans.
More updates as we get them, of course.
Just been writing and writing. I start tracking three drummers at a studio in the UK in just over a month. Written about 30 songs I really like, but whittling it down to 10 or so for the album.
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 16, 2018
Art is coming along nicely, doing a 5.1 mix as well as a visual counterpart for some great bonus material. Photos turned out really well I think. May start a video ahead of time to coincide with release
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 16, 2018
Have hired a phenomenal bassist for the session and Keneally will be heavily involved. Tracking women’s choir next week and orchestra in October.
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 16, 2018
The Music is a collision of basically all I’ve done, which seems like it would be the equivalent of putting ‘all the fountain soda in one cup’ but actually has a real identity I didn’t see coming. For some songs, all three drummers play in different sections
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 16, 2018
The gear I’ve been sent over the years from some really forward thinking companies has been exhaustively used. The work has been distributed between Protools, Logic x, and Ableton with the Push 2
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 16, 2018
So I have not been thinking about live shows yet. There is no ‘band’ or anything, it is all strictly the best people for the songs in a recorded sense, plus Mike has been a big help with helping me sort through the chaos of it all…
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 16, 2018
Here’s some of the recording personnel: Mike Keneally https://t.co/8l3bLhz5tR Morgan Agren https://t.co/QQDqCxcBGQ Anup Sastry https://t.co/dgxJA1No4s Samus https://t.co/hJqe8Ut9Ng Nathan Navarro https://t.co/TzTsVI5lNF
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 16, 2018
Nolly is tracking all the drums in one mammoth session at Monnow Valley in the Uk. Zim is doing a documentary.
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 16, 2018
The theme of the elbow, in a nutshell, is twofold: 1) in a society where empathy is often viewed as a weakness, it’s about learning to feel what others do in order to have compassion.
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 16, 2018
Album, (clearly) not elbow… the theme of the elbow is to make the arm groovy :) ok, tweet storm truly finished now :)
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 16, 2018
I’ve been struggling with which songs to include as I enjoy a great deal of them, but my enjoyment is juxtaposed by my real dislike of double albums. I always feel like ‘who has that sort of time?’ And ‘could you not have edited this down?’ I always tune them out…
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 16, 2018
In terms of touring, it’s going to be much different for me from this point for the foreseeable future. If I’m not responsible for a band, it means touring to pay the bills is not a hing, and therefore I don’t have to grind it constantly. I’m more than fine with that…
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 17, 2018
I will start next year in a bunch of places doing essentially a ‘one man show’ that will be a combo of acoustic, electric, q&a, and spoken. It will kind of combine with a promo tour around he release of the album (March) …the parameters of this are being discussed…
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 17, 2018
I still have ideas and options for big shows with crazy production, but it’s important for me to have a life amidst all of this. Music is so important to me, but balance is more so. I am not making any decisions regarding that stuff currently. I just want the best album possible.
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 17, 2018
Empath will be under my name. It’s representative of a turning point for me. It’s a leap of faith, but I do have faith in it. Cheers for the support. :)
— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) August 17, 2018
