MOSAIC Biography

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RADIO SINGLES / MUSIC VIDEOS:

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THE MAKING OF MOSAIC:
Both of the below videos are playlists. Multiple videos on each.

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AN INSIDE TRACK WITH NICK HEXUM

TOO MUCH TO THINK

This song is about the highs and lows of life. Seeking an escape from the every day stresses of life. Musically, it starts out with a signature 311 guitar riff. The unique thing about this arrangement is that the chorus is so sparse. Usually, the chorus is the biggest part of the song. The first time you hear “I wanna get high, but you’re keeping me low” it’s just voice and very sparse reggae guitar and bass. Then it kicks in. The song’s been described as an earworm. It sticks in your head. Coming up with something this catchy is really just luck. The more you write, the more likely you are to come up with something that really stays with you. We felt this track was a good way to introduce the album both as first single and opening album track.

WILDFIRE

It’s very adventurous to put an “epic” second in the album sequence. Over the years we’ve had a few epics, but they usually close the album. To us, an epic is a long song that goes through many movements. Songs like Sometimes Jacks Rule the Realm, Always an Excuse, And a Ways to Go, and Friday Afternoon. I wanted this one to start out blazing rather than a slow build like the other epics that we’ve done. This song features the new dynamics that we developed on Mosaic – the big musical build that raises the tension higher and higher until the big release of the drop. It was the first song written for the album. It goes through four distinct scenes. There is almost no repetition in this song. One of the sections is what we call “the beach scene” and then it ends up in a dual guitar shred-fest. Prepare to be challenged!

THE NIGHT IS YOUNG

The opening guitar tone for this one is the signature envelope filter that Tim Mahoney (311 lead guitarist) first used on our song Champagne and then later used in songs like Amber and Sand Dollars. Influenced by dubstep, this song has a big build and then a drop that uses a growling distortion wah-sound. As is common with dubstep, the chorus riff uses mostly triplet rhythms giving it a heavy, syncopated feel. In the verses, Chad Sexton (311 drummer) came up with a busy high-hat pattern that sounds influenced by trap drums. Super funky.

ISLAND SUN

Island Sun is a laid back feel-good groover that is lyrically inspired by the fun of traveling to tropic locales. We used a lot of imagery from the experience that we and our fans share when we go on our 311 Caribbean Cruise. Distinct arrangement elements of this song include the use of vocoder blended in with the live vocals – giving it a lush multi-part harmony. To me this song is reminiscent of Transistor’s Rub a Dub because I went crazy dropping lots of tricky old school dub production in there. Ear candy can be fun!

PERFECT MISTAKE

This song hits the ground running. It was meant to be a simple rocker that is going to be a blast to play live. It’s high energy throughout except for the hard left turn it takes for the nearly a cappella bridge. Lyrically, I think it’s about coming to grips with mistakes made in your past and realizing things work out how they’re supposed to. SA’s opening rap really sets the fiery tone.

EXTENSION

We wanted to have a song based on a high-energy reggae rap. I moved the key of the song up until it felt like I was really belting the vocal. What’s fun about this song is that I repeat that rap three times in the song, but each time it’s over a different bed of music. So it becomes more melodic as the song goes on. A rap that morphs into a chorus as it repeats. Lyrically, it’s about our bands ambition to keep forging into the stylistic unknown.

INSIDE OUR HOME

All five members of 311 are married. Four of us have kids. That’s a lot to leave at home when you go on tour. This song is musing on what that’s like when we’re away and what it’s like when we’re home. The heart of the song describes looking out one’s window only to turn and look and see that life’s most valuable treasure is the family there inside our homes. The verses are set to an almost spooky dub arrangement when it talks about what it’s like when we’re away from home. Then when the lyrics turn to what it’s like coming home, the choruses become uplifting to match the content of the words. Super happy with how this song turned out.

’TIL THE CITY’S ON FIRE

311 has always been inspired by the latest production techniques coming out of hip hop. Since the Music album we were one of the first rock bands to drop 808’s, samples and chopped vocals into the mix. We’ve gotten away from that lately, but this song really is influenced by the latest production techniques coming out of both Jamaica and the EDM scene. I would say it’s the most club oriented tune we’ve done. It’s about getting messed up on a Friday night. Pure and simple.

TOO LATE

This one muses about the difficult path of cultural progress in modern society. It’s a venting song. It’s got some of the heaviest and most dissonant riffs we’ve done. However, it starts off fairly chill and builds up slowly, so you’re really ready for it when the hammer finally drops. I even let out some inward breathing metal screams at the end!

HEY YO

This rocker is about how direct communication is becoming a relic. The dark side of technology is that people are staying inside their bubbles more. Musically it goes from swirling syncopated reggae in the verse to heavy riffs in the chorus. The pre-chorus that bridges the two parts features some super speedy polyrhythms from Chad’s drumming punctuated by P-Nut’s slap bass. The outro rips with a simple bludgeoning riff with no vocals.

PLACES THAT THE MIND GOES

It’s very easy to see other people’s flaws. When an artist has the guts to point to their own, it really speaks to me. Like when John Lennon sang “Jealous Guy” I was like, “wow…”. Places That the Mind Goes creates an eerie mood that matches the feeling of alienation that the words paint. To me, it’s an achingly beautiful love song that is by no means sweet.

FACE IN THE WIND

This song is Tim Mahoney’s showcase. From the ethereal lush intro guitar chords, this song has a tone of it’s own. Then, SA has some of his old-school other-worldly raps set to a hard-riff which Chad punctuates the end of each phrase with some crazy-ass drum fills. Tim’s ripping outro soloing is followed by a reprise of the intro except it’s played backwards.

FOREVER NOW

I watched Gary Clark jr. open for Dave Matthews and one song opens with a killer fuzz riff. I thought, “I’ve got to get that pedal!” In the end I used a different fuzz tone, but the slightly bluesy fuzz riff that starts this one sets the tone. It uses a funky shuffled beat that is reminiscent of our Blue album. In a nutshell, it’s about living for today because all of our time is limited.

DAYS OF ‘88

Lyrically, SA’s words paint a picture of what it was like when we graduated in ’88 and started early incarnations of 311. I think it’s about the camaraderie that carries on 30 years later. Musically, it’s based on a tuned down guitar rocker that Chad came up with. I had the idea to borrow something from Michael’s Jackson’s bag of tricks. If you listen to songs like Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, he employs what’s called a pedal tone. The bass line and guitars stay on the same chord, but keyboards superimpose alternating dominant chords to inspire the vocal melody. That motif happens in both the verses and choruses. It creates tension and release. It makes it feel kind of clubby even though the guitars are rocking a tuned down balls to the wall thing. If you ever wanted a band to combine ’87 MJ aesthetic with late 90’s alt-rock guitar riffs… we’re your guys!

ONE AND THE SAME

This song starts out with a bouncing rock guitar riff that is played higher up on the neck than most of our songs. In writing these notes on the album, I can see that a pattern has emerged. There are forces in life that make people isolated. People want to feel connected, but find it hard to maintain. We feel really proud of 311’s longevity. This song could be an anthem for staying together whether it’s about a band or a family.

SYNTAX ERROR

This song is about the failure to communicate. There are no repeats in the words. It’s the shortest song on the album by far at 2:22. Heavy Sexton riffs and harmony vocals throughout.

ON A ROLL

To have a singalong it needs to be super simple. I was walking around one day humming the main melody and it turned into this. We thought it was a good tune to close the album because it’s a celebration of the decades of fun we’ve had being in a band together. What a strange trip it has been–and here we go on another round!

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WORDS FROM THE BAND

Story Behind the Album Title:
Nick Hexum: “We wanted a title that pointed to our collective nature. Something that referred to the eclectic style of our music and the bond between the band members and our fans – and this title really captures that.”

Chad Sexton: “We wanted to include our fanbase in the concept of this record. We have a very symbiotic relationship with our fans that see us year after year. We wanted to find a word or phrase that would describe our fan base, our band, and our music. And to tie all of this into a concept that could be presented in the album artwork as well. Where we landed was perfect….MOSAIC. As one definition states: “a combination of diverse elements forming a more or less coherent whole.” We feel this word can accurately describe our band, music and fan base together. For us it’s still a celebration. For the simple fact that if people have different sets of ideas and opinions, likes and dislikes, and are able to get along and come together over the one bond they share (music) – there is no satisfaction like the joy experienced when this happens. It’s a celebration over the triumph of differences. And it’s the concept we’ve been presenting our entire 27 year journey – UNITY.”

Why 17 Songs?:
Chad Sexton: “We know the trend these days is to release shorter albums or even just singles – but this album is dedicated to our longtime fans and we wanted to give them everything. The album is 17 songs that we’re really proud of – and that really capture the musical range of 311. When I was mixing the album there were several moments that really reminded me of Transistor. This new album definitely takes some steps forward into more modern territory – but there are distinct reminders of where we come from in the songs. Something about blending an older 311 style with a newer 311 style is really exciting to us – and I think it will be exciting for the fans too.”