After six years in the local music scene, Chapel Hill’s The Old Ceremony still believes in the beauty of spontaneous live music.
In keeping with its influences, the local favorite will release its fourth album, Tender Age, on Friday at Cat’s Cradle with the Lifted Praise Gospel Singers.
For Django Haskins, the band’s founder and front man, the new album marks a change in the recording process.
From a group sing-a-long in Raleigh to a small number of studio overdubs, the album’s songs emphasize the instrumental bleeds that result from infusing a live aesthetic with a traditional studio process.
“Every record has been kind of a step in a new direction in some ways, and in other ways there is definitely a thread that goes through all of them. The goal of this record was to really get as much of the live energy from our shows onto record as possible,” said Haskins.
Although multiple influences are prevalent throughout The Old Ceremony’s discography, some less-expected artists find their way into the group’s music.
On Tender Age, the band was influenced by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti, whose music garnered frequent listens during the Old Ceremony’s tour.
Crafting a live energy on Tender Age was important for the band, allowing it to transmit the excitement that accompanies a show.
“I think it is a really common problem with making records that once you get in a studio, the microscope is out and the lights are on, and a lot of the spontaneity can go away,” said Haskins.
