How Many Instruments Does it Take to Make a Mr. Vertigo Record? Veteran Rockers Spill on the Value of Studio Time & Their 7th Release

Download 'Dreaming on the Left Side' for free.

Spin a recent Mr. Vertigo record and be prepared to hear a project that might include up to dozen people, about 20 instruments and roughly a decade of collaborative experience. The alt-rock band (existing in one form or another since 2002) will be celebrating the release of their 7th official record entitled ‘Dreaming on the Left Side’ Friday, July 8th at O'Brien's Pub in Allston.

“We like to look at the studio, itself, as an additional instrument."

Each Mr.Vertigo record is composed with the mentality of a rock opera. With an orchestral pit-sized arsenal of instruments, the band is not opposed to sharing the studio with cornets, clarinets, a double bass, glockenspiel and an ambitious array of keys like a mellotron and wurlitzer funmaker. “We like to look at the studio, itself, as an additional instrument,” guitarist/bassist Matthew Hajdys tells Bishop & Rook. “The songs have energy and that energy, along with our wonderful producers, decide what instruments we use to make each track sound as good as they possibly can.” Their wonderful producers are Brian Charles (The Sheila Divine, Dear Leader, The Field Effect) and A.J. Mogis (Bright Eyes, Cursive, Rilo Kiley), working out of at Zippah Recording in Boston and ARC Studios in Omaha, NE. In some instances, a song will call for outside help such as with the track “No Predicate” featuring fellow Boston musician Abbie Barrett. “We honestly just love the studio and would probably live in one if we could.”

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As intricate and advanced as a Mr. Vertigo record may sound, songs are never written with the intent to be seven-layers deep. Rather, the band takes an avant-garde approach to recording. “We just write and produce the music that we want. What makes [recording] so fun is the fact that no one’s idea for an arrangement or an instrument is too out there to try,” says Hajdys. He goes on to explain the band tends to “genre jump” quite a bit so as to not limit the creative process. ‘Dreaming on the Left Side’ explores several different areas from straight up power pop “Hi Auntie”, to americana “No Predicate”, garage “Bootprints”, and more experimental tracks such as “Diminishing Light”.

“Sometimes it’s a wall of sound with a real string section, organ, omnichord, optigan, six guitar tracks, and sometimes it’s just an acoustic guitar, vocals, and the flute patch on a mellotron. I would like to think that if there is one song that may be too intricate for a listener. There is hopefully another song that isn’t so complex that they can enjoy.”

With so much to experience, and such a deep catalog to sift through, we can only hope that the next Mr. Vertigo project has then lending their powerful sound to a music video. Any takers? Hit up the band at mrvertigomusik@gmail.com.

Otherwise, follow Mr. Vertigo on Facebook and Twitter, download ‘Dreaming on the Left Side’ via Bandcamp, and see them during their record release show Friday, July 8th at O'Brien's Pub with Gene Dante and the Future Starlets, The Gala, and The Life Electric, presented by Lysten Boston (details).