Earlier this month our friends in His Dream Of Lions released their spectacular new EP, Part Two. We have written about the album at length already, as have many of our friends in the blogging community, but until now no one has had the stories behind the music. Today, with help from the band members themselves, Under The Gun is excited to share an exclusive track-by-track breakdown of the latest material from His Dream Of Lions.

Some of you may be browsing the site right now with no idea who this band is or just how much great music you have been missing, but that’s okay! Below, just before you get to the album commentary, we have included a sample of Part Two for everyone to enjoy. If you like what you hear, please head over to the band’s online store and grab a copy of the record for your personal collection. In fact, with Christmas right around the corner you might as well grab two copies and gift one to a friend in need of audio goodness. They will thank you later.

SUMMER SONG: “Can we take this car, and take you home” truthfully, this is a song written about saving your best friend. The initial spark came from Lana Del Rey’s “Ride”. You get this certain sense of freedom when you listen to her, that was something we we’re eager to capture on this record. Initially “Summer Song” was a very slow, down tempo sort of jam, but we quickly discovered what it needed to be once the intro guitar riff was written. Once it kicks in, you know you’re in for a ride.

THE PACE CAR: One of the defining songs for this record, we knew that if we could pull off some of the thematic elements that happen in this track people would know that we aren’t here to be pigeon holed as just another pop punk boy band. This was one of the last songs to come together before it was recorded, and was actually written in the studio. Every day on the way to and from recording Seth would listen to Queen in his car, it definitely rubbed off on the vocal production and performance. There are some very operatic and grand moments near the end. Lyrically, “The Pace Car” wears the message of the EP on its sleeve “I wanna’ I oughta’ rob the world and sell off all the rest.”

NEXT STOP, FALL CITY: Stands with “The Pace Car” as one of the defining songs on the EP. We’ve shown the listener that we can do loud and hard, but to pull things in, have an intimate moment, and still make it powerful, that’s what this song is here to accomplish. “Is this who we are this week?” We’ve all probably been there with someone before. In the context of the story, we envisioned “Next Stop, Fall City” as told from the perspective of someone our main character left behind.

DREAMS EQUIPPED: Musically its one of our crazier songs. “Dreams Equipped” comes straight from when the band was formed. Its all over the place, which is fitting because so were we two years ago. Lyrically it represents an internal dilemma we faced in the early days of the band. How do you contend with your dreams when you don’t have slightest clue as to how they could be realized? As musicians climbing our way up in the business, we know a lot more now than we did when this song was written. Now it serves to remind us how far we’ve come.

THE ORDINARY: Another very old song. Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen was on a lot when “The Ordinary” was being put together. The goal was to bring the listener on a journey between the verses and choruses with very dynamic highs and lows. Lyrically the verses are very somber, but when that first chorus hits, the intent of the song is made pretty clear. “All that was meant for me wasn’t coming down I had to cut it free, I’m taking all that’s mine.”

ALL THE SALT IN THE WORLD: We really shy away from writing about band itself. It can make any artist seem pretty self-involved, but when the lyrics to this song started coming there was no hiding what “Salt” was supposed to be. It’s an anthem for the band, like a song you sing to keep yourself going, “We click our heels and wish for fame”. Musically, Salt was written around the three-note melody that reprises again and again through out the song.

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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