Photo by Tom Hines

This article originally appeared as the cover feature in the October 2012 issue of AUX Magazine. Download and subscribe for free in the App Store.

Grizzly Bear have had a big hand in the shape of not only other indie rock aspirations in the past decade, but pop music at large. In a recent SPIN article, they’ve been accused of representing “youth gone mild,” their influence being painted with wide gentrification strokes. But what’s missing is the acknowledgement of just how much the Brooklyn band has to do with the overall sound and scope of music in 2012—its advances, its landmarks, and its potential.

The success has surprised no one more than the band. After the success of 2009’s Veckatimest, and the gruelling tour and press schedule it brought, the band needed time apart before regrouping for the rawer, more direct Shields. We went backstage at the band’s Toronto show at Massey Hall to talk about the awkward initial album attempts, the importance of time away, and challenging themselves to make Shields.

Shields

Chris Taylor and Christopher Bear explain the origin and intention of Shields’ artwork, excluding, however, the irony in the title on their least guarded album yet.

The Romance of Recording

“The more you know each other, the harder you have to work to find the new layers,” Taylor says. Here they discuss how they challenged everyone’s habits in the studio.

First Failure

When it came time to get back together after their hiatus, the band found it wasn’t as smooth as hoped, and they ended up ditching almost an entire album’s worth of material. Here they talk about their awkward first re-encounters.

Stay Positive

Taylor and Bear discuss the difficulty of the initial sessions and their process for getting through it.

Laying the Shield Down

A big part of Shields was focusing on narrative as opposed to impressionistic lyrics, and how to make the music reflect that as well.

Crutches

In the same way the band wanted a more open lyrical approach, they didn’t want to rely on their production crutches on Shields. “We knew we could build a big arrangement,” they explain, and say the goal was to bring the listener closer.

Homecoming

Taylor and Bear explain how their outside interests contribute to the band. “Grizzly Bear is my home,” Taylor says. “And the things I do outside of it help improve me, and I can contribute more.”

Time Well Spent

From recording solo albums to growing vegetable gardens, the time away from the band was well spent and, in the end, made Shields possible.