Sister Hazel's "Chasing Daylight" Album
Cris Cohen: First off, the focal point of this interview is the 20th anniversary of the album “Chasing Daylight.” And you had a post just a couple of days ago where you wrote, front to back this is your favorite Sister Hazel album of all time. And you guys have like 13, 14 albums. What makes this your favorite?
Jett Beres of Sister Hazel: Oh, wow. Right off the bat, big question. <laugh> Well, obviously the collection of songs. But more than that, I think it was kind of where we were in our career, the creativity that we had as a band, the collaborations with the writing. We were really strong.
We had just come off of “Fortress,” which was our second record under Universal Records. And then we parted ways after that record with Universal. So, this was our first independent record. And there was a freedom that came along with that. It was kind of how we started Sister Hazel, where there were no rules. And then all of a sudden, with the big machine, there were (rules) and there were expectations.
The first record (with Universal), “Somewhere More Familiar,” did big things, opened a lot of doors for us. And we had been writing and playing those songs (for a while).
The second record, we had to create (the songs) and we had to follow up a platinum record. And there was a lot of pressure with that. We spent a summer out in California with all the things that a platinum band gets from the label. We had our pick of producers. We chose the coolest producer that we could find at the time, regardless of whether he fit with us or not. Because he did Guns ‘N’ Roses and Metallica. And the label was saying, “We need a little more rock.”
So there were a lot of pressures on us with the “Fortress” record. There were some great songs on that record, but it was a difficult experience to say the least.
Now at the tail end of that, after spending a summer in LA, we moved back to Atlanta and we had about four tracks done. We had intended to go back to LA, but we went into a studio with Don McCollister. And Atlanta at the time was kind of our hub. Three of us lived there. Management was there. So, it felt like a home away from home (being from Gainesville, FL) way more than LA did. We kind of dug in, hit our stride, and finished that record in Atlanta.
When it came time to record again, we knew there was some good vibes, good energy there. So we picked back up Don McCollister for the “Chasing Daylight” record in a place called Nickel and Dime Studios.
We were newly independent. Everyone was kind of rising as songwriters within band. I listen to the songs and I just feel the freedom and the energy we had. Every song to me… it's got a purpose. We were purposeful with that record. There was no fear. It was just creating music. And we had a fully supportive fan base. We were excited about being independent. And I think it shows. It shows in the songs. It shows in the playing and the way that we recorded that record. I'm really proud of it.
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