The latest track from their upcoming LP, ‘Sometimes Sunshine’, ‘Cruel World’ is an ode to a past relationship, that, despite all intentions to make it work, has sadly not. Painfully poignant and relatable to anyone who’s been there, it’s nonetheless given a delicate, stirring treatment, with Porter Block’s customary nostalgic sound. We speak with the band.
Were there specific experiences or emotions that influenced the writing and production process?
‘Cruel World’ was a song we co-wrote with Andy Paley. I had started it with lofty goals in an attempt to communicate something close to absolute frustration on top of a smooth Burt Bacharach set of chord changes. Very quickly it became clear that the complaints in the “cruel world” were normal boy-girl frustrations not any cosmic realization of empathy for the world gone wrong. We did a big orchestral-type production but it’s just another lonely guy missing his girl. So in the end, the title overstates the case of the “blues”.
What message or sensation were you aiming to convey through ‘Cruel World’?
In the end, the message of the song is to “stop complaining” and accept the world as it is. We can all howl at the moon for various reasons but it rarely changes outcome. Life is just as it appears not better or worse. I often tend to put more meaning into things. Losing love is a painful reality but not a very convincing argument that the world is in fact cruel.
What inspired the visual storytelling for ‘Cruel World’?
We felt the production was reminiscent of something Roy Orbison might have done so we chose the look of his great TV special “black and white night”, which had a stage and dramatic lighting.
Did any unexpected challenges or highlights arise during the production process?
The production process was done initially with Andy and then Caleb finished it off after the fact. Even the call and response line “keeps turning around without you”, we got Andy to sing the falsetto response. It sounds great.
What techniques or visuals did you use to convey the energy of ‘Cruel World’?
When we started down the production path we fell in love with what Andy likes to call “dead bass”, which is when you take old wound strings and really pluck the bass guitar. Like a deep Harp. Carol Kaye used that technique on Brian Wilson Productions all the time. Even better, we used a Baritone guitar so it was something in between a bass and a guitar.
How do you approach the creative process when crafting songs and conceptualizing music videos?
The creative process for us when writing is always to allow our first instinct to at least get a voice in the writing direction because it’s often from a more genuine innate place than a carefully thought-through melody and chord chart. This is an area where using technology like ProTools and digital editing can make a big difference. if I’m writing at the piano, I will often record vocals simultaneous to a digital piano track and just spew place holding words but attempt a melody with phonetic rhythm.
What benchmarks or achievements hold the most significance to you in your artistic journey?
I’m not really in a position to correctly answer that question. Having the energy and will to make what is our 9th record is achievement enough for me.
Do you plan to continue exploring similar themes or venture into new artistic territories?
Going for something different both stylistically and thematically has been our strength and downfall. The next project is different. Go figure.
Watch the stunning video for ‘Cruel World’ below and follow Porter Black online for more about the band and their music on their official website, YouTube, and Instagram.
