“Vinyl represents an appreciation for artistry that certain people really value and pursue.”
“As modern culture gets more fast paced, quality can easily be drowned out by convenience or immediacy. Vinyl is a medium that makes patience, artistry, and intention a necessity.
Friends Divide is a very personal collection of songs, so Jeremiah and I wanted the vinyl release to be as personal and analog as possible. The design process was a true collaboration that started while we were in Mexico writing and recording. Jeremiah did the initial drawing for the image in the center of the cover, and I drew the text and symbols for the back and front.
For the vinyl release, I took these layouts and carved them into 9″ x 12” linoleum blocks. I did a couple of test-pressings on paper (see video), then printed the images directly on blocks of pine. We hand wrote the lyrics for the songs and photographed them, along with photos taken in the studio. These were arranged on some aged wood that we found on our property. The final images make up the 8-panel booklet included in the album sleeve.
All of this care really comes down to making the analog form of our music as connected to us as it can be. It would be easier to do many of these steps digitally, but they wouldn’t mean as much. Sometimes you want a cheap beer, and sometimes you want a finally crafted cocktail.
For me, the records of Simon & Garfunkel and Cat Stevens are very special. I was given a huge box of vinyl by a family friend when I was young. I went through all the records, and landed on some gems that blew my mind. Among these were Mona Bone Jakon by Cat Stevens, Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme by Simon & Garfunkel, Abbey Road by The Beatles, and Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. I still have a hard time listening to these albums in a digital format.
Today my go-tos are Fear Fun by Father John Misty which is my perfect rainy day record. It takes you on an amazing journey even if you are curled up on your couch with a cup of tea. Al Green Gets Next To You by the Reverend Al Green is my go-to party starter. Nothing gets a sexy dance party going like this album. It’s impossible to sit still while listening to it. Celebration, Florida by the Felice Brothers is the record that I would play on a first date to secure date #2. If a lady falls in love with that album, I am likely to fall in love with her.”
—Josh Zimmerman
“There’s a history to vinyl and a connection to the beginnings of recorded music, which is an era we take a lot of our musical inspiration. The process of taking out a record and putting it on the turntable connects you to the music in a different way than listening to a CD or MP3. The sound is real analog sound and not a digital approximation which, though it’s abstract to some, makes it a little more human.”
“Just having more area to work with gives the opportunity to use designs that would otherwise be too cramped or difficult to render on a 5″ X 5” CD. Whether it’s the record covers we’ve designed ourselves or the ones we’ve commissioned from other artists, the CD’s limits are always frustrating. From a sound perspective, not having a file compressed to MP3 is so much more pleasing to the ear.
The first records I remember choosing to listen to on vinyl were Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison, Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde, and Fleetwood Mac Rumours. Those records in particular for me sound so much better on vinyl. And since they were recorded with analog gear from start to finish, it’s the closest you can get to sound of those performers in their prime. I still love those records. Today, my rainy day record is Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco. It’s so perfect for a reflective cloudy day and still a compelling record after a thousand listens. Blake Mills’ Break Mirrors is a record that sounds amazing and it’s mellow enough to be accessible but still challenging.
To get the party started I would look to The Very Best of T-Rex if I want a seventies feel, or Jay Z and Kanye Watch The Throne followed by J.U.S.T.I.C.E (Cross).”
—Jeremiah Zimmerman
The Silent Comedy’s Friends Divide is out now. On vinyl.
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