Skeleton Sessions arrives May 8.
This project started because we wanted to hear what some of our older songs would feel like with less production surrounding them.
When Folded Paper Hearts began, we used whatever was available to finish the music. That included loops, virtual instruments, harmonizers, cloned vocal layers, software and so on.
Some rough recordings had background noise, echoes or timing problems. We cleaned them, stretched certain sections and changed whatever we needed until the parts worked inside the song.
Those tools helped us turn unfinished ideas into actual releases ... and people still connected with them.
But we wanted Skeleton Sessions to feel different.
These versions are slower, more open and closer to the feeling of hearing the songs performed in the same room. There are fewer layers covering the vocals and more space for the lyrics to actually sit with you.
The recordings arent completely untouched. We still used editing, apps and audio software where they helped.
The difference is that we used those tools to support the emotion ... instead of filling every empty space.
One of the songs we returned to is Monster.
That song is personal because it deals with addiction, manipulation and realizing how much damage I caused to the people around me.
For a long time, I thought addiction was mostly destroying my life. I didnt understand what everybody else was being forced to carry because of my choices.
Monster was written while trying to understand what my son’s mother must have seen when she looked at me.
With less production surrounding the vocal ... those words become alot harder to avoid.
We also reimagined Quiet.
That song is about realizing you can still be functioning without really living.
I spent years believing I was okay because I could work, have conversations and finish whatever needed to be done.
From the outside, I probably looked fine ... but inside, I was mostly trying to survive without anybody noticing.
This version gives those lyrics more room. The quieter moments are allowed to stay quiet instead of being covered by another sound.
We arent trying to replace the original songs.
Those versions represent what we could create at the time and how Folded Paper Hearts began. They still matter to us, including the mistakes and limitations inside them.
Skeleton Sessions is simply another way of hearing those songs ... with fewer layers, more space and a more real feeling behind the words.
Skeleton Sessions arrives May 8.
The pre-save link is available now.