BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER

The Kiwi rock band set up camp in Nashville to record a new album. Guitarist Charlie Wallace shares how they spent their downtime.

Where did you go and for how long?

Nashville, Memphis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Mexico City. All up, we were away from home for four months.

What was the occasion?

Recording our new album with Foo Fighters/Alice In Chains producer Nick Raskulinecz in his Rock Falcon studio. We’ve just released the debut single, The Way Down (with a music video filmed on top of Auckland’s Sky Tower).

Where did you stay?

We had two trips in Nashville and both times we stayed in an Airbnb. We managed to book the same place both times so returning for trip No 2 was just like going home.

What was the best thing you saw?

The south is so rich in music history. Visiting Elvis’ house was a huge highlight. The place has such a vibe and you can still feel his energy there when you’re walking around. It was almost like a spiritual experience – one that I’d definitely recommend to anyone.

The best thing you did?

Definitely recording the album. But when we had a day off, sneaking off to Memphis for an NBA playoff game (a couple of times) was definitely up there.

The best thing you ate?

I got addicted to the queso cheese dip from the Mexican place down the road from the studio – I’m sure I ate enough of that to fund their business for a whole year.

Did you do any shopping/buy any cool souvenirs?

Buying a Gibson Les Paul 1959 replica from Gibson Garage was awesome. I played almost every guitar in the building until me and Andhe, our tech, found the best one. It took quite a few hours but it was worth it finding this beautiful guitar.

Any holiday hiccups/did anything go wrong?

Well, we did get stuck in Mexico without our passports. In between trips to Nashville, we popped home for some shows and had to renew our US work visas. The US consulate here in New Zealand was so backed up from applications through Covid we had to get ours renewed in Mexico and simply hang out there until we got our visas issued and passports handed back. It felt like we were trapped for a while there but it made for some good memories exploring the place.

Share your top travel tip:

If you have a long-haul flight, set your phone to the time zone you are travelling to before you take off, and then rest as much as possible on the flight. I’d much rather make the most of the destination once I get there than watch five movies and then need to rest as soon as I get off of the plane.

Where to next?

We’ll be touring our soon-to-be-released new album, Horizons, through New Zealand and Australia in April 2024.

PHOTOGRAPHS TOP TO BOTTOM Strolling through Memphis on a day off. Songwriting in Nashville.