In Conversation With #207 - Tenacity
Dream-pop four piece Tenacity - who have just released their debut album ‘Long Faint Lights’, which is a pure cinematic soundscape experience.
Originally a solo project for multi-instrumentalist Ula Wodarz, the band came together after Ula and bassist Tim Burghaus started collaborating at the BRIT School. It was here that they crossed paths with proghead guitarist Daniel Lazenby and fusion master Simba Jindu. Since then the group have become a staple of the London live music scene thanks to their signature self produced sound, previously heard on their previous EP ‘There/Gone.’ Practice makes perfect, and after all this experience, the group are looking to release their most complete work yet.
The band took a moment to talk to us about how the album came together.
Hey there Tenacity - how are you? So your album is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Dan: Good, thank you! Hope you’re well too. Having the album out is honestly a massive relief after having worked on it for so long, and there’s a range of emotions in it for me - it’s always a bit scary putting yourself out there emotionally and shedding light on personal situations through music, but we’re very proud of how these songs have turned out and hoping that people can relate to them in their own special way.
Ula: Yeah, it's great to know it's out. It's been such a long and bumpy road. We've been getting lots of positive feedback so far as well which feels amazing!
It is called ‘Long Faint Lights’ - what is the meaning behind that?
Ula: It's a lyric from the song 'Where No One Finds Me'. The line is "I need some rest, no analysing, the long faint lights on the dark horizon."
Dan: Without giving away too much about what it actually refers to, we wanted it to evoke nostalgia and a longing for something distant. It’s the feeling you get when you look out at a city skyline in the night and find yourself drawn to those lights ahead of you. You want to run towards them, but they’re so far away that they almost seem unreal.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
Dan: We recorded it across a few different locations, but most of it was done in our bedrooms and university music studios. I’m fortunate enough to have an amp simulator, which was what we used for most of the guitars, and that simplified the process a lot for us. It also made it a little too easy for me to be obsessive with my takes since I had so much time to work on them!
Some songs had a bit of a staggered recording process because of the delays we had with the pandemic; ‘Way To Know’ is actually built on a guitar recording from back in 2020, with a drum recording from last year, and some other elements recorded this year. We’re very proud of how it turned out, but we’re hoping to do some more full band studio work in future.
Ula: Oh there are too many behind the scenes stories haha. As Dan said, these songs have gone through sooo many stages and were constantly changing. There were some tracks that we kept thinking were almost ready and then one of us would say "actually I need to rerecord my part" and the whole process would start again and again. Whenever we thought we were getting to the end, one of us would always find something that needed more work, and that's partially why it took us so long to finalise it, but I think we eventually got to a stage where we’re all happy with the sound.
What are the key themes and influences on the album?
Ula: I'd say overcoming your fears is the topic connecting all the tracks. I see these songs representing different stages of dealing with anxiety and difficult situations in general.
Dan: I think the past few years have been a period of change for many people, and that’s really what the songs on the album are based around. They’re about the misunderstandings we face as we grow as people, the personal issues we run into with those we love and care about. I think it’s something that almost everyone has experienced recently, especially young people like ourselves. It’s about denying that, and later learning to come to terms with it.
If the album could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
Dan: That’s a very good (and very difficult) question! It’s sonically all over the place, so I feel like it would be difficult to match it to one specific film. Each song seems suited for something different. ‘False Warning’ is the spy thriller, ‘Navy Morning’ belongs in a chase scene, and our Bandcamp bonus track ‘Grótta’ was partially inspired by Robert Eggers’ film The Lighthouse.
Ula: Yeah, I agree. A lot of the tracks are very tense with big climactic resolutions, so some kind of crime or action film would suit it best.
Do you have a favourite lyric on the album - if so, which one and why?
Ula: It's weird trying to think about my favourite lyric written by me haha. I feel like anything I write expresses my emotion at the time really well. I especially love the flow of the lyrics in the bridge of Navy Morning. It's really satisfying to sing hah. My favourite bit is "There's four hands and just one button to pause and start, no one to keep it all from falling apart" with the drop out on "falling apart". It always feels so cool when we’re doing it live haha.
Dan: ‘Sometimes even bravest voice questions its own choice, smothers all that it enjoys.’ There’s something about that line which I love. It’s just very relatable to me, and I imagine it will be to anyone who is experiencing doubts about their future in any respect.
Now the album is out there - what next?
Dan: We’re sitting on a lot of music and I feel that’s going to be making its way into the world in various ways - we’re planning on releasing a lot of bonus material from the album through our Bandcamp subscription, and will be getting onto new things soon enough. At the moment, though, we’re just resting and recovering from a troubled few years, and enjoying the feeling of having completed our first big release.
Ula: Yeah, I think it's going to be a break from big releases for now as this one (as much as we love it and it feels amazing to finally have it out) took a lot of work, energy… and money hah. But we're excited to just sit down and write new stuff and play lots of gigs!
