A name synonymous with the alternative rock scene they have helped build, The Used have entered into a new chapter of their lives, both musically and personally. Their seventh studio album, The Canyon, released on Hopeless Records last fall is a 17-track piece of art that takes fans on a lyrical journey through the intimate psyche of Bert McCracken. Written out of pain and loss, The Canyon is tragic and haunting while also having a sense of light and energy that is unlike anything this band has put forward. While keeping the heavy hitting melodies and gut wrenching lyrics that The Used is known for, this is the most visceral and personal piece of art the band has ever released. McCracken tells us “That’s what this record is – it’s a moment of silence for what’s real.”
The intricate musical composition displayed presented itself to the band in a way it never has before. “I’ve learned as an artist that a great idea is such a gift. If I don’t stop whatever it is I’m doing, even if while driving, if I don’t pull over at that moment, then maybe I didn’t deserve the idea to begin with. I learned to respect and worship the ideas in that way, that they are and will always be something sacred. Stopping in that moment was a brand new approach for us during this process” says McCracken.
Every musical note and vocal heard on the record was recorded entirely on tape without a click track at the legendary Valentine Studio with some songs featuring string arrangements and a choir. The process was unique and unlike anything the band has done before. They would hit record and play it as if they were on stage, without a backing track. Songs weren’t played and recorded repeatedly until the magic was gone. What you are hearing is what really took place within the recording process. Every nuance was captured and with every listen you experience something new.
Over the last 15 years The Used have released a collection of albums that have shaped the space of the alternative rock scene. High energy live shows, gut wrenching relatable lyrics, and melodies that blended pop sensibility and hard rock creating the perfect combination to make an everlasting impression on fans globally. The band put everything into writing and recording The Canyon and from start to finish you are submerged into an inescapable visceral universe with an ever-present sense of victory. There is nothing that has fulfilled this band more and that is evident in the closing lines of “The Nexus” – “Raise my voice, my heartbeats full, I said we are The Used, but not defeated.”
Since forming in Orem, Utah in 2001, The Used have released 7 studio albums, 1 live album and 2 EPs – The Used (2002), In Love and Death (2004), Lies for the Liars (2007), Shallow Believer EP (2008), Artwork (2009), Vulnerable (2012), The Ocean of the Sky EP (2013), Imaginary Enemy (2013), Live And Acoustic At the Palace (2016) and The Canyon (2017).
The Used is Bert McCracken (vocals), Jeph Howard (bass) and Dan Whitesides (drums).