Behind the Scenes with Bad Books
"Every band (if it's lucky) spreads its strengths and duties around internally. In Bad Books, to this point, drummer Ben Homola has been the principal studio photographer, and I'm glad he has; he's good at it, casual and perceptive, with a knack for capturing the spirit and mood of the sessions. This record was differently focused and, as a result, more fully realized than the first (we think, anyway). Ben's shots reflect that development. They also make us look thoughtful and cool, which is no small feat. Enjoy."
-Kevin Devine
-
Band Pictures
"At one point, we decided to take a few 'band' pictures. Nick Day, who helped engineer some of the record, used my camera to take a few pictures of us just acting natural. I think we took five or six and every single one is ridiculous in the best way possible."
-Benjamin Homola
-
The Best Muffler
"We were recording a song that needed a muffled snare sound, so of course a Manchester shirt with Chris Freeman's face did the trick. It was very comfortable being able to look at Freeman's beautiful face while I gently tap the snare drum… being extra careful so I didn't hit him too hard."
-Benjamin Homola
-
The Bounce Couch
"Andy and Kevin have the ability to bounce ideas off one another seamlessly. Sitting on the couch, they bounced lyrical ideas back and forth, structure, or chord progressions. A lot of Bad Books' song-creating happens very quick, but we've all had a chance to work with one another in some fashion over the years… I think that lends itself to how well we all come together and create music for a band like Bad Books."
-Benjamin Homola
-
Tracking
"The tracking setup picture shows a few of the microphones and preamps we used for the record."
-Benjamin Homola
-
Breakfast
"Every good day starts with a good breakfast."
-Benjamin Homola
-
‘Bad Books 2’
"Our friends in Death on Two Wheels photoshopped us into the Ghostbusters 2 movie poster and put it as the desktop background."
-Benjamin Homola
-
Freeman
"It's hard to take a bad picture of Freeman… It just is."
-Benjamin Homola
-
That’s a Wrap
"Everything happens pretty quick, and with a short amount of time we sort of set it and press record. Bad Books is definitely an in-the-moment sort of sound. I think that's what makes this group different from many other bands… It's a very honest sound and the pictures show that honesty, I think."
-Benjamin Homola