Long Read // Plain White T’s have achieved an outstanding body of work with this one
Plain White T’s have been on the music scene for an admirable length of time, producing some monster hits along the way. The group have a serious arsenal of albums in their possession, and they’ve never once showed signs of slowing. With the release of their upcoming self-titled record just around the corner, I sat down (virtually) with front-man Tom Higgenson on Tuesday 14th November, with the release date being the 17th, to discuss all things PWT’s, from the new album to their life on the road. His enthusiasm for the “new chapter”, as he labelled the upcoming period, was evident. It seems fairly certain that listeners will share this enthusiasm when they hear the new record in full.
The record-release period is hectic for all artists: with interviews, promotional gigs and the rest taking up a great deal of time. Higgenson explained the fullness of the group’s schedule, with a “Hometown takeover in Chicago for the new record” in sight, after various other gigs, including a college show in Iowa.
His excitement for this upcoming period was great to see. It felt apt to ask of the mood in the Plain White T’s camp just days ahead of the release. Higgenson explained the group’s good spirits, seeming truly proud of the work that fans are set to receive in the form of the new album. The front-man then labelled this self-titled release as a “Defining album.” Having heard the record, this feels so accurate. The record showcases all of the band’s talents, mixing a variety of sounds, yet never straying from their identity. Higgenson stated that, in writing this record, the band “wanted an album no one else could write but Plain White T’s”. They certainly achieved this, with a seriously impressive body of work.
With Plain White T’s playing gigs ahead of the release of their album, I wanted to understand their feelings as they move into a new ‘era’. Higgenson marked period ahead of the release as “The end of an era”, before coining the upcoming period a “new chapter”. Fans and group alike are excited of what’s ahead.
Being a ‘new era’, Higgenson delved into the thought process behind the record: from its title to its artwork. The front-man offered eye-opening insight in telling me that the simple, yet effective title of the record came from a photoshoot for the body of work. “I steamed a plain white t shirt to wear for the photoshoot and hung it up”, he explained. This revealed to the group what would be the title of the record. The image encompassed everything that they wanted. Seeing that iconic image would explain, instantly, whose record people were faced with. This felt really unique, that the band had stumbled across the ideal title for the record based on a moment during a photoshoot. The simplicity is what makes it so pure. This really is reflective of the group’s art. They have made a name for themselves over the years with honest work that really holds a strong identity. This beautiful story of the titular origin was described by the front-man as “everything fitting into place.”
The build up to the new record has been suspenseful, with some real fan-favourite tracks being released along the way. One that has caught the eyes and ears of many is ‘Red Flags’. Tom Higgenson explained the origins of the track, and how he came to the lyrics. The track came to life in a writing session with Dev Lemons, who labelled some traits of a love interest of the PWT’s front-man as ‘red flags’. This brought about the track, and Higgenson spoke on it saying that there are situations where you may “see all the colours but ignore the red flags”. He went on to tell the tale that the track flowed from that point, with the released version being almost an identical match with the demo recording. This instinctive song-writing process has led the group to release an incredible track, which really showcases their talents.
It felt apt to gain an understanding of how the new record has come to feature such a variety of styles, whilst never straying from the classic sounds we all know and love from the PWT’s. The front man spoke on his love of bands like Smashing Pumpkins, who have records that range from “thrashing guitars” to softer, melodic pieces. Higgenson and co have nailed this on their latest record. Two contrasting sounding numbers are the heavy, loud ‘Would You Even’ and solely acoustic ‘Spaghetti Tattoo’. This ability to range sonically, while maintaining authenticity is extremely difficult to achieve, and the PWT’s should give themselves a great deal of credit, since they have this quality in abundance.
As the interview closed out, I asked Higgenson some final questions about life after the release. He spoke of the group’s plans, with lengthy touring periods in store across the US. A busy period is ahead for the PWT’s, for sure. Higgenson seemed to be relishing this, though, saying it’s “all exciting stuff. We’re really proud of it [the record].”
Things concluded with the difficult question of whether the band have any immediate favourites on the album. “I love it from start to finish”, Higgenson said proudly. Rightly so, the record is a great piece of music as a whole. He did pick out a few, with ‘Young tonight’ and ‘Fired Up’ being mentioned.
Fans should be excited ahead of the new record. Plain White T’s have achieved an outstanding body of work with this one. It was a pleasure to speak to the front man, and I-for sure- will have a keen eye on the band going forward.
Feature by Matthew Caslin
