A SOLO BREAK
John Nolan treks through country alone before heading back to Taking Back Sunday
It’s important for John Nolan to keep releasing music.
This is the reason he’s on a solo tour supporting his album “Abendigo.”
“I’m really proud of the record and if I don’t get out there and tour, then the record comes and goes very quickly,” he says. “It’s easy for people to forget about it. Going out on tour is a way to share the music in a more personal way. I try to do it regularly, as my schedule permits.”
“Abendigo” is Nolan’s third solo album. He began working on it a few years ago, and went into the studio with producer Mike Sapone and engineer Brett Romnes.
All the writing and recording was in between his time spent touring with rock band Taking Back Sunday.
Nolan was writing songs for “Abendigo” for nearly two years.
“When I was writing the songs, I didn’t really know they were going to be on the album,” he says. “It was as six-month process of demos at home. Then the actual recording was done in less than three weeks.”
Nolan tries to stockpile ideas for lyrics and work on musical ideas when it comes to writing.
As the song begins to take shape, he’s conscious about letting the direction lead him to the final product.
“I used to not work on anything until I was struck with inspiration,” he says. “Then there were stretches where I didn’t work for weeks or months. Now I’m trying to be more disciplined because it makes it easier for that process.”
Nolan got introspective during the writing process.
After listening to the songs, he needed some that were upbeat.
“I needed some good rock songs,” he says. “I reworked some of the slow ones to have more grit and power. Each track tells a story and I really am looking forward to seeing how it connects to the audiences.”
Aside from his solo work, Nolan is also able to pull songs for his set from both Taking Back Sunday and his other band, Straylight Run.
“I’ve been touring for a long time,” he says. “The first tour I did, I just had one album and it’s a nine-song album,” he says. “It was short and sweet. Now I have 30 songs from my solo stuff, but I’m able to fill in the gaps with material from the other bands.”