Features

We caught up with William Cremin, one half of the creative force behind indie-pop band Cumulus. With their fourth album We’ve Got It All out now via Share It Music, Cumulus marks a new chapter in its evolution. Once the solo vision of Alexandra Lockhart, the project has grown into a full-fledged collaboration, with Cremin stepping into the spotlight as co-writer and co-producer. Read on to find out about the making of the new record and what this next phase means for the band.

PRT: "We've Got It All" is already the fourth album since you started writing together in 2018. Has the way that you approach songwriting changed over time?

William: The first Cumulus album was actually in 2013, but our collaboration has evolved a lot over the two albums we’ve worked on together. On Something Brighter, Alex brought in fully written songs, and my role was mainly in preproduction, helping to shape the overall direction of the arrangements before passing them along to our producer, Andrew Vait. This time we dug into the writing together, so I was contributing some lyrics and helping to structure things as well.

PRT: Is there a comfortable routine that has been established between the two of you when it comes to writing? Or do you try to find ways to keep challenging one another?

William: We do have a little bit of a routine; we usually get together at my little home studio and Alex brings in an idea, or sometimes she’ll send me voice memos ahead of time. We naturally challenge each other whenever we try to distill an idea down to the most essential parts. There’s a lot of analyzing to figure out what the heart of the song should be, and what we really want it to say. Those conversations tend to result in new or revised lyrics that we wouldn’t have found without putting our heads together in that way.

PRT: You've said that the songs on “We’ve Got It All” form "a shared story of resilience, and a refusal to let the darkest parts of our mind prevent us from moving forward, building connection with others, and sharing the most vulnerable parts of ourselves". Was that the idea from the start? Or did you realize at one point that all of the songs shared that trait?

William: I think that theme was something we started to notice once we had a batch of songs that felt like they belonged together. Although the songs touched on those ideas from several different angles, we found a common thread that started to make it feel like an album. And it seemed very natural, almost inevitable, that we would end up making a body of work about those themes of resilience/connection/vulnerability, because they’ve been so present in our thoughts for the last few years.

PRT: When it come to sharing the most vulnerable parts of ourselves, are there ever any doubts whether or not you are giving away too much about yourself in your lyrics?

William: There is always some artifice and curation involved, so I think that element of craft and the fact that we’re writing together leaves enough healthy space that we’re not crossing any personal boundaries. For example, Alex might have a specific idea of where a song came from, and then I might add a verse from my own experience. The result is an aligned sentiment that pulls from different experiences.

PRT: Once you had written all of the songs, you brought in Aaron Guest to help with the arrangements. Is there one song in particular where you were taken aback by what he added?

William: Aaron’s piano playing is one component that we think really sets this record apart. We knew we wanted to feature the piano on After All and Lose Your Mind, and we were completely blown away by his proficiency, his ear, and his taste. He makes major contributions all over the record, but those two songs are really built around his playing.

PRT: You then brought in more people, had just two practices and then live tracked the entire album in just four days. Which seems like quite the feat. What made you decide to go about it that way?

William: The previous record was a very in-the-box style of production, so we wanted to take more of a classic live band approach this time. Part of the quick timeline was a product of necessity due to scheduling, but it was also a nice way to avoid the paralysis of overthinking. Going in, these songs felt strong enough to us that the best look would be a simple and straightforward presentation. We did go back and add overdubs later, but it felt important for the foundation to capture the raw energy of a band playing together.

PRT: How did this lineup come together, and what was the chemistry like in those first two practices?

William: The lineup came from people Alex knows from different times and places, mostly based in and around the Bellingham area (I’m the exception, being in Seattle). She’s such a great connector, she could envision the ways everyone would bring something special to this project. The chemistry felt good; we had the benefit of getting in separate rehearsals with the drummer, Aaron Ball, and the aforementioned Aaron Guest ahead of time, so we weren’t starting completely from scratch when we all got together. It’s kind of a blur in retrospect, but we came out of that rehearsal feeling like we knew what we needed to do in the studio.

PRT: "We've Got It All" is being released via Share It Music, who are firm supporters of the idea of musical artists giving back and supporting their own communities. Was that the main reason why you decided to go with them?

William: We had a great experience working with Share It on the previous album, and we love their mission to support community orgs with every release, so it was a no-brainer. We’re really excited that MusiCares will be the beneficiary for this record.

PRT: What is up next for Cumulus now that the new album is out?

William: We’re playing a few festivals around the PNW this summer. More shows are in the works, and we’re already starting to formulate ideas for the next record!