From the early ’90s into the early aughts, Shiner was the best post-hardcore band that Kansas City, Missouri, had to offer. But, ironically, after most of the four members who comprised the band dispersed to other cities, and then resurrected their melodious project in the mid-2010s, they’ve generated arguably the best two records of their career: 2020’s Schadenfreude and BELIEVEYOUME, which arrived last Friday.
The undeniably stronger vibrancy of Shiner’s last two records should largely be credited to bassist/backing vocalist Paul Malinowski, whose day job is working as a producer at his Massive Sound studio in Shawnee, Kansas—and who produced Schadenfreude and BELIEVEYOUME. During the 10 years that Shiner were dormant, Malinowski was upping his game behind the boards, which has benefitted the band immensely since they got back together.
Last week, we touched base with the distinctly mellow Malinowski—who was at his studio, of course, where he spends 10 or so hours a day—to pick his brain about the new record he crafted with guitarist/vocalist Allen Epley, drummer Jason Gerken, and guitarist Josh Newton. Oh, and he also disclosed the rather surprising dream bands with whom he’d like Shiner to tour.
What were the best and worst shows you’ve ever played?
You’d think the worst show would be one where there were, like, five people in attendance. But I remember us really delivering in a city I can’t recall for five people who came out to watch us play. As for the worst show: We played Milwaukee one time and I got way too high before the show started. When we got onstage, I completely forgot how to play. Now that I think of it, the final show we played in [January] 2003 here in Kansas City at the Madrid [Theatre] was definitely a high point. But we’ve had so many great shows since we’ve gotten back together—they just keep getting better and better.
So you didn’t expect your comeback shows would be as well-received as they have been?
Hell no! I didn’t even think we would get back together. It wasn’t because we had these horrible, tarnished relationships. I think we just all felt that we had closed that chapter.
Your new record sounds like you spent five years perfecting it. Was that the case?
Because of us all living in different places, we were basically getting together for, like, four-hour sets during four-day sessions at my studio, where we had everything all set up and miked and we were all sharing the main room together. We tried to get four solid arrangements each time we got together, and that’s pretty much how it played out. Most of the tracks are the basic live tracks we recorded as they were being written. Some of the arrangements were maintained, and some of them we did longer just because we knew we’d edit it down. But overall, it fell together like that, and then we got all the basic tracks and took them home. Allen worked on vocals at home and Josh would send me some extra tracks here and there that he would work on at home. It all fit together real nicely, pretty quick.
The biggest difference between the way we used to write and the way we do now is probably that, back then, when we were touring constantly and rehearsing three times a week, we were always writing, and Allen would sing while we were rehearsing new stuff—even if it was just mushmouth, whatever phonetical vocal ideas. But on this new stuff, there were no vocals [getting worked out] while we were writing and recording. Everything was written instrumentally, and we had zero idea of what the vocal melodies would be like. So I think that may have had a little bit of bearing on how the melodic part came together. We were just trying to make stuff that felt good and stood alone Instrumentally, and then, when [Allen would] write the vocals, my mouth would drop to the ground. I’m not sure where it comes from and how he comes up with it. In the end, there were tons of melodic hooks on the record.
Another aspect of BELIEVEYOUME that I appreciate is that the record sounds like it was made with ease—almost casually. There’s a tendency these days to clutter songs with way too much instrumentation, and you didn’t go that route.
Yeah, I see bands all the time throwing everything but the kitchen sink [into their recordings]. There are merits to that approach, but generally I spend a lot of time subtracting and building from the subtractions, if you know what I mean. With the exception of some atmospheric stuff, the parts stand on their own, and that’s what we sound like as a band. It’s not like we’re relying on a ton of studio wizardry or backing tracks or layers upon layers of music.
Is there a band that you haven’t yet toured with that you really want to?
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. I would love to do some shows with those guys sometime. IDLES is another one. I’m not the biggest Tool fan, but I think it would be cool to tour with them. I think their audience would appreciate what we do.
