In Conversation With #217 - DICE
Australian indie-rock quartet DICE have just released of their second album ‘I Thought The Altitude Would Make It Worth The View’.
They recorded the new album at the legendary EastWest Studios in Los Angeles alongside Grammy-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli (The Strokes, The White Stripes), and experimenting with abstract layering and punchy synths, the band brought in Jay Watson (POND, Tame Impala, GUM) to add his signature melodic depth and texture on keys. With a sound that aligns raw garage-rock energy and sophisticated pop-rock refinement, there is some real punch to their needling guitar twists and sticky vocal melodies.
For this album, DICE pivoted away from the grit of their debut album Midnight Zoo, toward a more expansive, blissful, lighter, euphoric world. The result is a 10-track album that is a windows down anthem for radical self-reflection and liberation, capturing a band finally flying at their own altitude.
They took a moment to talk to us about how the album came together.
Hey there DICE, how are you? So your album is out now – how does it feel to have it out
there?
It’s pretty surreal, we’ve been working on this record for over a year now so for it to be out in the world, it’s a nervous but awesome feeling.
It is called I Thought The Altitude Would Make It Worth The View what is the difference meaning behind that?
I’ve always struggled stick to one kind of script when explaining the album’s meaning however
I like to think of the record as a reminder when things don’t go your way that everything will be okay. A lot of these stories revolve around this theme and our message is that when life gets you down, it’s not the end of the world and sometimes it’s best to accept things and move on.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories you are willing to share with us?
The majority of the album was recorded in East West Studios in LA which was awesome. We were definitely a small fish in a big pond but with that came a lot of inspiration. We did meet Michael Buble in the studio next to ours which has now become a core memory in the world of DICE.
What are the key influences behind the album?
Our music has always been parallel to our personal stories so we were really driven to capture those experiences. Working with Joe Chiccarelli at East West Studios was also very influential in building each track from its core. We definitely pushed into a more experimental world.
If the album could be a soundtrack to any film – which one and why?
It’s funny because a part of my writing process does often include using films as a visual aid. I’d like to think Mr Beans Holiday is actually a pretty spot on film for the record. Our first single ‘Cooler’ was written with inspiration from the final scene of the film. It’s also about getting out of your comfort zone and enjoying the simple things.
Do you have a favourite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
“I thought the altitude would make it worth the view” was always a highlight lyric for us, after all the title for the record came from the lyric. It’s got a certain beauty about its ambiguity. You don’t really know if it was worth the view but it leaves you to interpret it for yourself and acknowledge it’s about the journey.
Now the album is out there – what next for you?
Nothing is quite as motivational as going on tour for 3 months across the world so I’d safely say we’re gonna carry that on with a lot more writing but we’re gonna keep any dates under wraps for now.
