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Dave Matthews Band’s Away from the World : A Preview

According to guitarist Tim Reynolds, who has guested with the band on several occasions, and has been with them since 2008, “Since it’s Steve Lillywhite, it goes back to the old Dave Matthews Band sound, but it’s much updated. When working with Steve, he would yell out a band that he wanted a song to sound like. For example, for one song he wanted it to sound like a Pink Floyd song so he just would say ‘Pink Floyd’ and I knew exactly what he wanted and it was a great way for us to communicate in the studio.”

Looking back on the sessions, Reynolds explains, “We started off recording with two acoustic guitars (Matthews and Reynolds) and then built the rhythm section on top of that. It is very different from the last album we put out. This album has a lot of heart to it. Not that the other records have not had a lot of heart but something about this record, it just has sweetness to it.”

Part of the fun of making this new album for Reynolds, was the fact, some songs the band recorded, started one way but the finish product is nothing like how it was when the band first started recording, “I really like ‘If Only.’ It sounded a lot like Marvin Gay. You know, it came out one way but back when we were starting to record the album it sounded completely different but then over time, it evolved in the studio.”

The first song debuted off the new album, “Mercy,” was a band favorite, Reynolds says. “It was one of the first songs we had worked on and it was a very pretty song lyrically and the entire band just really loved it.”

Another source close to the band said that when the band first got to the studio, Dave surprised the rest of the band by presenting several demos that he had already written; then it was up to each individual to write their own part. This was the same blueprint the band followed in the early days. To date, the band has played six songs off of the Away From the World album and according to Reynolds, “The best material is still to come!”

One song receiving great praise from band members is “Drunken Solider.” Tinsley shares, “I really love every song on the album and so I have been hesitant to pick a favorite. To me this album is like a story and I like the whole story. There is something about “Drunken Solider” that stands out to me.” Reynolds expresses the same sentiment, stating, “Yeah that is a really epic jam. We recorded each section at different times so that we could stay focused on the song as a whole. It has a lot of dynamic transitions throughout the song.”

Fans have been very receptive towards the new material during this 2012 Summer Tour. Setlists have been a great mix of older “rare” songs, and newer material, creating a great dynamic for those long term fans and the more recent supporters. Since coming back from their 2011 summer hiatus, the band appears to be recharged and excited to be on stage again. Away From the World hits the shelves on September 11, 2012.