''A Black Mile to the Surface'' is the fifth studio album by American
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band
Manchester Orchestra
Manchester Orchestra is an American indie rock band from Atlanta formed in 2004. The group is composed of rhythm guitarist-singer-songwriter Andy Hull, lead guitarist Robert McDowell, bassist Andy Prince and drummer Tim Very. Former drummer Jer ...
. It was released on July 21, 2017, through
Loma Vista Recordings
Loma Vista Recordings is a record label founded by Tom Whalley, former chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Records and Executive of A&R at Interscope Records. The label was initially a joint venture with Republic Records and is based in Beverly Hill ...
and Favorite Gentlemen. Recording for the album took place from the summer of 2016 onwards with producer
Catherine Marks. The
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
, "
The Gold", was released on June 9, 2017, alongside a
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
directed by Mike Dempsey and Johnny Chew. Two more
singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
, "The Alien" and "The Moth", were released later in the summer.
Inspired by their work on the soundtrack for the 2016 film ''
Swiss Army Man
''Swiss Army Man'' is a 2016 American absurdist black comedy film written and directed by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan (in their respective feature directorial debuts). The film stars Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, and Mary Elizabeth Winste ...
'', band members
Andy Hull
John Andrew Hull (born November 7, 1986) is an American singer, musician and songwriter. He serves as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter of the indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. He also has a side project, Right Away ...
and Robert McDowell set out to create an album that was a reset from the band's previous studio albums ''
Cope
The cope (known in Latin as ''pluviale'' 'rain coat' or ''cappa'' 'cape') is a liturgical vestment, more precisely a long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colours, litu ...
'' and ''
Hope
Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large.
As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...
'' (both 2014). ''A Black Mile to the Surface'' is an
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
and
Americana
Americana may refer to:
*Americana (music), a genre or style of American music
*Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States
Film, radio and television
* ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
record, interweaving a
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
set in a
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
mining town with reflections on Hull's young daughter. The album received generally positive reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
, who praised Hull's storytelling and the album's cinematic stylings. Commercially, it performed well, debuting at number 33 on the US
''Billboard'' 200.
Background and production
In 2014, American
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band
Manchester Orchestra
Manchester Orchestra is an American indie rock band from Atlanta formed in 2004. The group is composed of rhythm guitarist-singer-songwriter Andy Hull, lead guitarist Robert McDowell, bassist Andy Prince and drummer Tim Very. Former drummer Jer ...
released two companion albums, ''
Cope
The cope (known in Latin as ''pluviale'' 'rain coat' or ''cappa'' 'cape') is a liturgical vestment, more precisely a long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colours, litu ...
'' and ''
Hope
Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large.
As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...
''. Following the release of the two albums, keyboard player Chris Freeman departed the band, leaving vocalist
Andy Hull
John Andrew Hull (born November 7, 1986) is an American singer, musician and songwriter. He serves as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter of the indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. He also has a side project, Right Away ...
and guitarist Robert McDowell the only original members.
In 2016, Hull and McDowell collaborated on the soundtrack for the film ''
Swiss Army Man
''Swiss Army Man'' is a 2016 American absurdist black comedy film written and directed by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan (in their respective feature directorial debuts). The film stars Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, and Mary Elizabeth Winste ...
''. The experience of crafting an
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
soundtrack inspired Manchester Orchestra's approach to their next album, with McDowell saying that it "flipped the reset switch" and inspired Manchester Orchestra to "make every little second interesting".
The first three songs to be written for the album were "The Alien", "The Sunshine", and "The Grocery". Hull says, "
ce those were written and connected like that, we started to be like, 'Oh you know it'd be cool to do that for the whole thing and actually commit to it'". Many of the songs were reworked over periods of several months, with Hull estimating that "The Moth" took about four and a half months to reach its final form.
Hull said that "The Maze" and "The Mistake" both took the longest to perfect, and that producer
John Congleton
John Congleton is an American Grammy Award-winning record producer, engineer, mixer, writer and musician.
In addition to his production work, Congleton has fronted the alternative rock band the Paper Chase, and writes music for a newer project e ...
came up with "one more push" that perfected those two tracks.
Manchester Orchestra recorded ''A Black Mile to the Surface'' with "a small battery of well-known
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
producers", among them
Catherine Marks, John Congleton, and Jonathan Wilson, as well as longtime collaborator
Dan Hannon
Dan Hannon is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixer, songwriter, and musician. He has produced, co-produced, co-written, and performed on albums that have sold over 4.5 million copies, that have been streamed over one billion time ...
.
The recording process began at Echo Mountain Recording in
Asheville
Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous ci ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
in the summer of 2016.
Marks and Manchester Orchestra had begun collaborating over the phone several months prior, and after a week of pre-production, Marks described the two-week studio recording process as a "sonic discovery", during which she and the band experimented with ideas for how each song should sound. Manchester Orchestra traveled to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
with Marks for
mixing, and
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
for additional production with Congleton, before finishing production at their headquarters in
Alpharetta
Alpharetta is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States, and is a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 US Census, Alpharetta's population was 65,818 The population in 2010 was 57,551.
History
In the 1830s, the Ch ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, a suburb of
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
.
Composition and themes
''A Black Mile to the Surface'' has been classified as
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
,
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
,
and
Americana
Americana may refer to:
*Americana (music), a genre or style of American music
*Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States
Film, radio and television
* ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
, with comparisons to
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes is an American indie folk band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2006. The band consists of Robin Pecknold (vocals, guitar), Skyler Skjelset (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals), Casey Wescott (keyboards, mandolin, backing vocals), ...
,
Band of Horses
Band of Horses is an American rock band formed in 2004 in Seattle, Washington. Led by singer-songwriter Ben Bridwell, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes, the band's current line-up also includ ...
,
and
Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, key ...
.
It began life as a
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
set in the mining town of
Lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
,
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
, the home of the
Sanford Underground Research Facility
The Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), or Sanford Lab, is an underground laboratory in Lead, South Dakota. The deepest underground laboratory in the United States, it houses multiple experiments in areas such as dark matter and neutrino ...
(SURF).
As the album developed, the South Dakota narrative began to interweave with Hull's complicated emotions about the birth of his daughter, and his associated feelings of life and death.
The opening track, "The Maze", was written a month after the birth of Hull's daughter. While the first four tracks set "a light and dark theme", the narrative part of the record begins on "The Alien", which follows a boy from his childhood abuse into his adult life.
Sonically, Hull and the rest of the band sought to divert from the "heavy, crunchy guitars" that marked other Manchester Orchestra releases. Hull was influenced by the "minimalist aspect" of
Alabama Shakes
Alabama Shakes were an American rock band formed in Athens, Alabama, in 2009. The band consists of lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, and drummer Steve Johnson.
The band began its career touring ...
' 2015 record ''
Sound & Color
''Sound & Color'' is the second and final studio album by American band Alabama Shakes. It was released on April 17, 2015 via ATO Records.
''Sound & Color'' debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 in the U.S., giving the band their firs ...
'', as well as the bands
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently dur ...
and
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
. He challenged his bandmates to "
y and do the opposite" of "whatever you're instinctively going to want to play".
Marks' vision for the album involved wanting every song to sound like a different room, "Like you could understand where you were in the room and identify where each particular sound was coming from."
This process involved physically recording in different rooms of the studios to utilize their different
reverberation
Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abso ...
s.
The penultimate track, "The Parts", for instance, was recorded in a studio's bathtub, due in part to a
hangover
A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects usually following the consumption of alcohol, such as wine, beer, and liquor. Hangovers can last for several hours or for more than 24 hours. Typical sympto ...
from which Hull was suffering.
Hull has said that the central theme of ''A Black Mile to the Surface'' is "family, and the circle of life, the significance and insignificance of yourself". The repeated motif of ''There's nothing I've got when I die that I keep'', Hull explained, means: "When this life ends, all you can do is hopefully affect and influence what happens after you."
The title of the album derives from a line in "
The Gold", selected by a friend of the band as he read through the lyrics.
Release and promotion
Manchester Orchestra announced the name, track list, and cover art for ''A Black Mile to the Surface'' on June 9, 2017. The announcement was accompanied by the album's
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
, "The Gold", and a
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for the song, directed by Mike Dempsey and Johnny Chew. The second
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
, "The Alien", was released 13 days later on
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
, with a video directed by Dempsey and the
Daniels. The final pre-album single, "The Moth", was released on July 10, 2017. ''A Black Mile to the Surface'' was released on July 21, 2017, through
Loma Vista Recordings
Loma Vista Recordings is a record label founded by Tom Whalley, former chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Records and Executive of A&R at Interscope Records. The label was initially a joint venture with Republic Records and is based in Beverly Hill ...
and the band's own
independent label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...
Favorite Gentlemen.
On June 12, 2017, only a few days after the album's announcement, Manchester Orchestra announced a fall 2017 headlining tour. In July, they added support from
Tigers Jaw
Tigers Jaw is an American rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania, formed in 2005. Their first album, ''Belongs to the Dead'', was released in 2006. They released a 7-inch single, "Spirit Desire", in 2009, on Tiny Engines. They released two more ...
and
Foxing
Foxing is an age-related process of deterioration that causes spots and browning on old paper documents such as books, postage stamps, old paper money and certificates. The name may derive from the fox-like reddish-brown color of the stains, or ...
to the bill. This was followed by a coheadlining tour with
the Front Bottoms
The Front Bottoms are an American rock band from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Brian Sella and drummer Mat Uychich.
History
The group formed in 2006 in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. In August 2007, after ...
in November and December 2018, and a winter 2019 tour with
Oso Oso
Oso Oso is an American rock band from Long Beach, New York. Jade Lilitri (vocals, guitar), formerly oState Lines is the only permanent member. The last name Lilitri is a pen name. The band has released three studio albums and two EPs. Their 2019 r ...
and Foxing to celebrate Manchester Orchestra's 10th anniversary of ''
Mean Everything to Nothing
''Mean Everything to Nothing'' is the second studio album by the Atlanta-based indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. It was released on April 21, 2009 through independent record label Favorite Gentlemen Recordings and produced by Joe Chiccarelli a ...
''. On February 12, 2021, the band performed ''A Black Mile To The Surface: The Global Concert Film'', a
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
livestream
Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but no ...
of the album in its entirety recorded from Echo Mountain Recording studios. Hull described the concert film as "the perfect way to close the Black Mile chapter".
Reception
Critical reception
''A Black Mile to the Surface'' was met with generally positive reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
.
Review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, gave the album an
average
In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
score of 79,
while aggregator
AnyDecentMusic?
AnyDecentMusic? is a website that collates album reviews from magazines, websites, and newspapers. Primarily focused on popular music – covering rock, pop, electronic, dance, folk, country, roots, hip-hop, R&B, and rap – albums are adjudg ...
similarly bestowed an average of 7.6 out of 10.
In a positive review for ''
Alternative Press
Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'', Brian Shultz wrote that Manchester Orchestra "forge a newly lush, cinematic sound, unraveling detailed tales of characters with abstractly personal references", and highlighted the album's musicality: "Layers upon layers, from
acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
s to programmed beats, create a gorgeous and restrained, immersive landscape, culminating in beautifully serene moments like 'The Alien' and 'The Sunshine'."
Adam Feibel of ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' praised the album's "sonic story arc — a story about love, marriage, fatherhood and life's constant way onward — complete with an introduction, rising action, climax and falling action that finally wind down to a conclusive, satisfying end".
''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' writer Chris Ingalls remarked that the album's sound "doesn't derive from the airtight punk influences of decades past; rather, there's an anthemic, widescreen feel to nearly every song
..inviting comparisons to altruistic, mid-period
U2, or even
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...
".
Other critics were less enthusiastic. Randall Colburn of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' found that despite the band's stated intent to "strip back" their sound, "they seem to have gone in the opposite direction—with all the layering,
samples, and shout-alongs, ''A Black Mile to the Surface'' is bombastic to the point of exhaustion".
Carl Purvis was also critical of the album in his review for ''No Ripcord'', writing that, "For a band where constructing songs into rocket-fueled crescendos is their biggest strength, too often does ''A Black Mile to the Surface'' fail to take advantage of any momentum it builds, often taking the wrong fork on an ascent to a splendid finale."
Ian Cohen of ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'', meanwhile, was critical of the album's storytelling elements, saying that the "more overtly personal material sits awkwardly among the familial drama that served as the original concept".
Commercial performance
''A Black Mile to the Surface'' debuted at number 33 on the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart.
The album also appeared on the US
Top Alternative Albums
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
and
Top Rock Albums
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
charts, peaking at numbers six and seven, respectively.
In the United Kingdom, ''A Black Mile to the Surface'' peaked at number 93 on the UK
Official Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
and number 59 on the
Scottish Albums Chart
The Scottish Albums Chart is a chart compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) which is based on how physical and digital sales towards the UK Albums Chart fare in Scotland. The official singles chart for Scotland, the Scottish Singles Chart, ...
.
Elsewhere, the album appeared on the
Swiss Hitparade
The Swiss Hitparade (german: link=no, Schweizer Hitparade) is Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.
The Swiss charts include:
* Singles Top ...
Albums Top 100 chart at number 73.
Track listing
Personnel
Manchester Orchestra
*
Andy Hull
John Andrew Hull (born November 7, 1986) is an American singer, musician and songwriter. He serves as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter of the indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. He also has a side project, Right Away ...
–
lead vocals
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
,
producer
*
Robert McDowell – guitar,
keyboards
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
,
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...
,
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
, producer
*Andy Prince –
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
*Tim Very –
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
Additional musicians
*
Nate Ruess
Nate Ruess is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known as the founder and lead singer of the indie pop band Fun, and of The Format. As of 2015, he also performs as a solo musician.
Early life
Ruess was born the second child of Larry ...
– additional vocals
*Christian Zucconi – additional vocals
Technical
*Paul Blakemore –
mastering
*
John Congleton
John Congleton is an American Grammy Award-winning record producer, engineer, mixer, writer and musician.
In addition to his production work, Congleton has fronted the alternative rock band the Paper Chase, and writes music for a newer project e ...
– additional production
*The Daniels – package design,
photography
Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...
*Mike Dempsey – package design, photography
*Jim Georgeson – assistant engineer
*
Dan Hannon
Dan Hannon is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixer, songwriter, and musician. He has produced, co-produced, co-written, and performed on albums that have sold over 4.5 million copies, that have been streamed over one billion time ...
– additional production
*Brian Manley – layout, package design
*
Catherine Marks – engineer, producer, mixing
*Clay Miller – assistant engineer
*India Watne –
artists and repertoire
Artists and repertoire (colloquially abbreviated to A&R) is the division of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists (singers, instrumentalist ...
*Ryan Whalley – artists and repertoire
*Jonathan Wilson – additional production
Credits taken from ''A Black Mile to the Surface'' liner notes.
Charts
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black Mile to the Surface
2017 albums
Manchester Orchestra albums
Loma Vista Recordings albums
Albums produced by Catherine Marks
Concept albums