WIDESPREAD PANIC REDISCOVERING THEMSELVES IN NEW ENVIRONMENT

(VIDEO) Widespread Panic are back with a brand new album. Bassist Dave Schools and Guitarist John Bell talk about how the band is rediscovering themselves in a new environment, right here.

Georgia’s own, Widespread Panic are back with a brand new album, titled ‘Earth to America’ and this album finds the band recording outside of their friendly confines of Athens, Georgia for the first time in many years. For ‘Earth to America’ the band enlisted the producing skills of the legendary Terry Manning, who has produced the likes of ZZ Top, Celine Dion and Lenny Kravitz to name just a few. The band didn’t just record the album at Manning’s studio in the Bahamas, they also all shared the same house right on the beach during the recording sessions. It was at the house and after the recording was done that the band could relax and be a band without working and Dave Schools admitted how much fun they had.

With so many years using long time producer John Keane, this was the first time the band had used a new producer and it was Dave Schools who had met Terry Manning during sessions for his side project, The Stockholm Syndrome. Althougth, John Bell admitted he was a little nervous at first using a new producer, the band just fell back on the lessons learned from John Keane.

“So we sort of been planning to try and go somewhere else. Anywhere, France, Alabama again, you know just to be together as a band and record. I did a recording at Compass Point Studios with Terry Manning, who wound up producing ‘Earth to America,’ a few years ago and it was a really great experience. We have a friend there who has a house right on the beach that we could all stay at. So we discovered we could go into the studio and after the session instead of going back home or splitting up we all went back to this house and we could all sit around and be a band without working and that was a lot of fun. “

Widespread Panic’s first single on ‘Earth ‘Second Skin’ is now available on iTunes and Widespread Panic are currently touring the US in support of their latest release, ‘Earth to America.’ The tour will hit 35 dates in 21 cities and will stop at such locations as Winterpark, Colorado, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Indianapolis, Ohio, Virginia and extending until three sold out shows in Chicago, Illinois August 11th, 12th and 13th.

“Yeah, that’s right and our years with John Keane, he really taught us how to be good little studio people. So Terry had somewhat of a disciplined group to work with. We knew what was going on. But Terry was great. I was nervous about working with somebody brand new who I’ve never met before. But again, like Dave said we were determined to do something different. It’s a good way to rediscover yourself, just throw yourself in a whole new environment.”