Interview with Classic Rock Gods WHITE SKIES about their new album 'Shouting at the Hurricane'
- snaphappypixie
- May 9
- 6 min read
Interview by Pixie
Today we had the incredible opportunity to sit down with classic rock icons White Skies to discuss the electrifying legacy and creative process behind their latest studio masterpiece, Shouting at the Hurricane. The band opened up about the raw inspiration behind their driving anthems and the sonic evolution that has allowed them to capture the high-octane energy they are famous for. It was a fascinating conversation that peeled back the layers of their songwriting, revealing how they managed to channel the chaotic spirit of a storm into a record that feels destined to stand alongside their greatest hits.
Alongside this yesterday was another milestone in their legacy as they released the video 'I Cant Make This Alone', released from their latest album 'Shouting at the Hurricane'.
Hi guys thanks for chatting with us today!
I'm fascinated by how the sound of your new album 'Shouting at the Hurricane' came together, and I’d love to hear the story behind it—could you walk me through the recording process for this?
Mick: There was a clear vision on Shouting At The Hurricane to not make Black Tide 2 and move away from the total AOR sound of the first album but try to keep the melody, soul and anthemic choruses that are such a big part of the White Skies sound. We toured an awful lot in 2024 as we were determined to take Black Tide out live and give it the audience we think it deserved and we learned a lot about which songs were working the most. The consensus was to bring Ray (guitarist) more to the forefront for the SATH album and to not write to any particular formula. We wrote a batch of songs including One Life, Control and the title track which were a little ballad heavy and in the next batch we got If This Is It (Get Ready). Once that song was in the bag we knew the direction we wanted to go and the next batch of songs was 88 Crash, Money To Burn, The Girl's In Love and Those Days which completely transformed the album.
Have the lyrics come from personal experiences, or feelings?
Mick: There's a mixture to be honest. The lyrics range from my take on the state of the world in If This Is It (Get Ready) and the title track to very personal and honest reflection in I Can't Make This Alone and One Life. I made a conscious decision though to not be too heavy across the whole album so you've got some real fun lyrics like 88 Crash and Money To Burn, there's a tribute to all the fantastic female artists out there in The Girl's In Love and a even an autobiographical celebration of the eighties in Those Days.
Tell me about your songwriting process.
Mick: We all live in different parts of the country so generally the process starts with a demo backing track coming from Ray (Guitarist) or Pete (Keyboards) which I then work on the lyrics and vocal melodies. Once I have something that we're happy with, the process of putting the track together really starts with the arrangements being tweaked and instrumentation fine tuned until we have a song that is ready to record properly. The difference on this album from the first was that we were able to take the songs into rehearsal to put a band stamp on them before the final recordings which is why the SATH album has more of an edgier, heavier feel to it than Black Tide.
Which studios/recording space did you choose, and why did those environments feel right for the music you were creating?
Pete: Other than convening together to jam through and flesh out demos in a band dynamic, each individual band member has recorded parts in their own personal studio environments. A collaborative pile on that was ultimately engineered, shaped, mixed and produced once all the key elements were in place. The mixing aspect and the production process with each song are then treated separately so each song has its own identity. Often tracks are performed and lived with for a time before any adjustments are made to help understand what’s working, what’s not and where fat could be trimmed or where embellishments could be made.
Which gear and software played a pivotal role in shaping the textures and tones we hear, and were there any unconventional techniques or experimental setups that helped you capture those moments?
Pete: Multiple instruments and mic setups have been dragged into the recording process alongside countless plugins helping shape and hone the sound into something we hoped would carry that live recorded energy onto the record whilst at the same time sounding a million bucks. The lads each have a wealth of experience picking their individual sounds and instruments from years of recording and performing in the music scene. For example I have always favoured my Korg synths.
Mick: During covid I set up my home studio and began writing for White Skies and my solo album. I have a Presonus DAW which I record all my vocals with and have become quite used to producing myself. All the vocals on the SATH album were recorded with a Shure SM7B which I like because what you put in is what comes out. I then have a bunch of plugins that I use to mix my vocals which I then send to Pete for him to do the final mix. I did go a bit Mutt Lange (laughs) on the backing vocals on 88 Crash and Money To Burn, basically multilayering the gang vocals and slowing down the track before recording some of the takes.
I’m also curious about the collaborative dynamic in the booth: how did you and your producers, engineers, and your band mates interact to translate your vision into the final tracks?
Pete: We’ve tried to capture that live feeling on this record. It’s not mechanically perfect and it’s not over-processed. It’s an honest reflection of several visions that have come together to create a record. We were all responsible for our own recorded parts and much like a patchwork quilt, they were then arranged together in the mix and produced as a whole with a clear vision in mind.
Mick: As on Black Tide we put a lot of faith in Pete for the final product and to say he came up trumps would be a minor understatement. There's a lot of mixes going backwards and forwards, arrangements get tweaked and a few minor disagreements but the sound on SATH is incredible. To hear 88 Crash on Planet Rock alongside some of the greatest produced songs in rock history and it more than stands up is testament to how good a job Pete has done on the mixing and mastering.
Finally, were there any unexpected challenges or happy accidents that ended up defining the album’s character, and how did those experiences influence the overall narrative you wanted to convey?
Pete: Sometimes, it’s better to have too much than not enough giving you options. We’ve tried to avoid the kitchen sink method however and streamlined if anything what stays and what goes for the final mix. The song ultimately is key and we tried to make sure what we’ve ended up with is as impactful as can be but also leaving enough little bits here and there for the avid listener to discover over time. “Shouting at the Hurricane” (the song) for example has perhaps the biggest crescendo of instruments, vocals, ad libs, solos and orchestration that we’ve committed to thus far and we hope it conveys the dramatic nature of the song as intended.
Do you all feel happy with the end product?
Mick: Yeah everyone is buzzing about the album, we've delivered a record that we think is the best of what we are as a band right now. People don't make albums like SATH anymore so we did and we're unashamedly proud of that. The reaction to the album has been unbelievable with brilliant reviews across the UK and Europe, massive radio support and now we intend to get out and play as many shows as we can to promote over the coming year.
We look forward to catching you guys out on the music scene soon! Thanks for stopping by to chat with us today!
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