Manchester Orchestra - FUV Live - 2015

For anyone who has experienced unexpected life challenges (and who hasn’t?), a common discovery is that it can be the best gift we could have hoped for. It can bring about accelerated growth, opportunities to try new things, and ultimately strengthen us. Andy Hull and his band, Manchester Orchestra, have clearly benefited from a forced restructure in the last couple years. After almost a decade, three albums, and relentless touring, they lost both their record label and their rhythm section, but it all set in motion a number of positive changes for this Atlanta, Georgia-based band.

In a very relaxed Studio A visit, Andy and fellow founding member (not to mention high school friend, and now, brother-in-law) Robert McDowell talked about going completely independent, how new band members upped their game, and how this all culminated in recording the same collection of new songs twice: the original rock version, COPE, and the newer, acoustic-based HOPE. They are apt dual titles for what has been a game-changing time in the band’s career.

Hear two of the songs stripped down as they appear on HOPE as well as my interview with the band. 

[recorded: 12/9/14]