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We All Get Lighter

We All Get Lighter is the tentative title for Raine Maida's 2nd studio album. At least 15 new songs have been recorded and a collection of songs will be release on February 20th at RaineMaida.net. The full record will follow in 2012.

The album promises to be 2 big steps forward from Raine's first solo record, 2007's The Hunters Lullaby. While The Hunters Lullaby was recorded using only acoustic instrumentation, We All Get Lighter will reportedly feature diverse instrumentation including electric guitars, Moog synthesizers, and electronic drum beats. For the album's inspiration and lyrical themes, Raine is exploring beauty and hope within social injustice. Musical influences for the album include James Blake, Youth Lagoon, Active Child, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen.

Songs

The tracklist for We All Get Lighter has not yet been announced, but titles for several new songs have been revealed:

  • We All Get Lighter
  • How Far Will You Go?
  • At the Scene of a Riot
  • Itchy
  • Bury Me with a Gun
  • S.O.S.
  • Not Done Yet
  • This Is Gonna Hurt
  • Sleep
  • Science and Technology

Recording Timeline

We All Get Lighter has been a work in progress for over two years. Several release dates have been announced and retracted while Raine's ideas for the album have grown into something more ambitious. Meanwhile, he has been contemplating the best way to release the solo album without interfering with plans for the new Our Lady Peace record.

2009

Raine began work for the album in November of 2009. The first two songs recorded were We All Get Lighter and How Far Will You Go.

2010

Nothing further was heard until April, when Raine announced that he was working on new solo material during time off between the two legs of Our Lady Peace's Clumsy/Spiritual Machines tour. He initially suggested that some new music could be ready to release as early as May. Later that month Raine revealed another song title, At the Scene of a Riot, inspired by Bill Mandel's historical testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1960.

In July, Raine announced that a song titled Itchy would be released within a few weeks and another new song following each week until the record's release. However, this was not to be. On August 4th, RaineMaida.net was updated with a clip of a brand new song titled Bury Me with a Gun, with Raine tweeting that this was the beginning of a fully interactive, integrated, artistic collection accompanied by music. A week later he revealed that the first single would be the song S.O.S. But this was not to be either.

On August 24th, Bury Me with a Gun was released as a single on iTunes, followed by a music video on youtube. A couple weeks later Raine announced plans to release a new song each month leading up to the full album in January, 2011. But plans changed once again, Raine's focus shifted to work on a new album with Our Lady Peace, and 2010 came to a close with no further updates on the solo record.

2011

Throughout 2011, updates about We All Get Lighter have slowly trickled out between OLP recording sessions. In February, Raine indicated that the song Not Done Yet (played live a couple times in 2010) was one of his favorites, and confirmed that it would be on the album. Throughout March, Raine tweeted a few lyrics intended for the album: "This is gonna hurt more than we both know, this is gonna hurt right into our bones," "I'm afraid of everyone today, the poets, priests and govt's have strayed," and "I gave you everything, you always gave me more."

In September, Raine revealed a few details about an achingly beautiful new song called Science and Technology. Although announced via twitter, the lyrics aren't in praise of technology -- rather they are a slight against it. In late November Raine reported losing his voice for a few days and spending some time programming a new track for the solo record. Raine also recently announced that the new record will be released in 2012 following two EPs of songs that will be available for download sooner.

Follow @MrRaineMaida on twitter and keep your eyes on RaineMaida.net for all the latest breaking news about We All Get Lighter.