When North Carolinian songwriter Jeremy Squires started Production on his new album Hymnal, it became apparent that it needed a spare approach as “true stories” that he “wanted to tell without any clutter”. The album was recently released by Blackbird Record Label.
Squires recorded his parts at his home studio and sent them over to violinist and vocalist Autumn Rose Brand to add her contributions. Though the process may sound simple, the events, trials, and tribulations that led up to Hymnal center around Squires’ dissolving marriage, and the music, reflecting the subject matter, is scaled back compared to his previous full-length efforts. Writing and recording Hymnal was a “magical but bittersweet” experience for Squires.
He shares:
Most of the songs are about my marriage falling apart. The opening song, ‘Don’t You Cry,’ is like a letter to my wife. I was feeling vulnerable and helpless but trying to be strong. I also delved deeper into writing about mental illness, and the song ‘Moon Coin’ is about a childhood friend of mine who was brutally murdered. It was a way for me to acknowledge what happened, process it, and still question why these things happen.
Squires handled almost all aspects of the album, including the recording of his vocals and string instrument parts, Production, and mixing.
