PACKS, an indie rock band from Toronto, Ontario, have released their new album, Melt the Honey. The album was recorded in Xalapa, Mexico, and retains the band’s established lo-fi rock aesthetic.
Noah O’Neil, the bass player for PACKS, used his Canora 4-string bass for all the tracks. “Honestly, I don’t know much about the brand or model. I believe they were made in Japan between the ’60s and the ’80s. I’ve read it’s a Canadian company named after a small town in Saskatchewan… It was the first bass I ever owned. I had just moved from the west coast of Canada to Toronto with my first band and bought it off a friend who drove with us. I think I paid less than £200 or something. It’s nothing fancy, but I do like the tone it puts out. I’ve always had the same set of flatwounds on it, which gives it a nice thubby, dead, low end. I almost always try to round it out and give it some definition by playing with a pick. Anyway, it looks pretty cool, but it’s always been buzzy, especially playing live. The neck is a bit fat for my liking and I’m sure the intonation isn’t perfect. After a few years, I found a 1976 Rickenbacker 4001 for sale and that has been my main bass ever since.”
The recording of Melt the Honey took place in a clay and plaster house in Xalapa, Mexico, using minimal equipment. “We flew down to Mexico City for the pre-production of ‘Melt the Honey’, and from there we took a bus to Xalapa where we recorded the album. I chose to bring my cheap road bass to record with, not wanting to risk my more expensive instrument travelling around Mexico on a budget! We recorded the whole record ourselves in an untreated clay and plaster house, using only the gear we could fly with, except for the drum kit, which we were able to rent locally. So, we didn’t actually use any amps on the record, at least not for the bass. The lead guitar might have been overdubbed back home. The bass was DI’ed into a Tascam 4-track tape recorder, which we used as a pre-amp/mixer for the whole record to give the tracks a bit of texture and life. I tried to achieve some grit and overdrive using a JHS Colour Box V2 pedal on certain heavier songs and ubiquitous use of a compressor pedal was necessary to level everything out. To be honest, I’m really not much of a gearhead. I’m always borrowing the few pedals I use from Dexter, our lead guitar player, who does most of the engineering on our records. I just like to plug in and go. However, I’m in the market for a pre-amp mixer kind of pedal with some presets if anyone has any recommendations.”
Discussing his approach to crafting bass lines, O’Neil describes his method as intuitive and spontaneous. “My bass lines come sporadically and slowly. I almost always start with root notes and try to add something melodic where it fits. I never really go into a song with a predetermined sound. I just sort of wait and see what happens naturally. That being said, I do love low-key, melodic bass lines like those of Paul McCartney. I try to get into that place on songs like ‘Take Care’ from our most recent album or ‘Hangman’ from ‘Take the Cake’. Those types of songs are always my favourite ones to play live. I also really dig the style of Sydney from Wombo — the way she plays bright and melodic lines that mix with her vocal melody. I think it works so well because they’re a three-piece band, which leaves lots of room sonically for each member. PACKS can get a bit grungy sometimes and I often find my place chugging along with a thick pick driving the tempo forward on tracks like ‘HFCS’ and ‘Missy’. That’s always fun too, but if it’s been a while between tours, I lose those muscles real quick! I don’t know how those punk bands do it!?”
The band’s collaborative spirit shines through in their songwriting process. Lead songwriter Madeline Link brings initial ideas to the group, which are then fleshed out through collective input. “The longer you play with a band and the more records you make, you have to keep finding ways to feel engaged and present”, O’Neil remarks.
Melt the Honey is available for purchase and streaming.
