Our Long Road Home
Encyclopedia
Our Long Road Home is the sixth studio album
and third independent album by alternative metal
band Taproot
and was released on September 16, 2008. The album is Taproot's first independent release since 1999's Upon Us
and was released through Velvet Hammer, the label founded by the eponymous management company that has worked with bands such as System of a Down
, Deftones
, Alice in Chains
. This album also marks the drop of producer Toby Wright
who had worked on the band's previous two studio releases.
The album's lead single
would be "Wherever I Stand"; although, "You're Not Home Tonight" has received radio play as well. The title Our Long Road Home suits the band's roots in Ann Arbor area in which it was recorded. The track "It's Natural" includes a female vocalist, which is a first for the band. "Stethoscope" and "Hand That Holds True" are the OLRH Teaser #1 clips that Taproot released on YouTube
; these were followed by "Path Less Taken."
The album debuted at #65 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, with first week sales of 7,700.
. This led the band to "try doing something different" and release Our Long Road Home independently. The album was recorded at The Loft, a barn converted into a recording studio in Saline, Michigan
. Richards, living 10 minutes away from the studio, considered this convenient due to various band members now having families and wanting to stay close to them. He noted "For the first time, instead of being thousands of miles away and being forced to be creative, we were at home, inspired by the things we know and love." Guitarist Mike DeWolf wrote one of the songs and Richards played drums during the recording process. Our Long Road Home was originally scheduled for release on August 5 but was pushed back due to mixing problems and the addition of two "heavier" songs.
Taproot has since noted the mixed fan reception toward the progressive sound of Our Long Road Home. In March 2010, when discussing the band's upcoming Plead the Fifth, guitarist Mike DeWolf stated:
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
and third independent album by alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
band Taproot
Taproot (band)
Taproot is a four-piece rock group from Ann Arbor, Michigan. They are most known for their hit single "Poem" , as well as a number of other singles from 2000 to the present.-Pre-formation:...
and was released on September 16, 2008. The album is Taproot's first independent release since 1999's Upon Us
Upon Us (album)
Upon Us is the second album by the rock music group Taproot. It was released in 1999. This album is notable for featuring highlights of material from their first album ...Something More Than Nothing and the hard-to-find EP Mentobe...
and was released through Velvet Hammer, the label founded by the eponymous management company that has worked with bands such as System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
, Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
, Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
. This album also marks the drop of producer Toby Wright
Toby Wright
Toby Wright is a record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with artists such as Alice in Chains, Metallica, Sevendust and Korn. He is currently in Nashville, Tennessee working on Kara Clark's latest Ep.-Producer:...
who had worked on the band's previous two studio releases.
The album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
would be "Wherever I Stand"; although, "You're Not Home Tonight" has received radio play as well. The title Our Long Road Home suits the band's roots in Ann Arbor area in which it was recorded. The track "It's Natural" includes a female vocalist, which is a first for the band. "Stethoscope" and "Hand That Holds True" are the OLRH Teaser #1 clips that Taproot released on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
; these were followed by "Path Less Taken."
The album debuted at #65 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, with first week sales of 7,700.
Production
"Budget cuts and political shifts," according to Taproot vocalist Stephen Richards, cost them their label support with AtlanticAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. This led the band to "try doing something different" and release Our Long Road Home independently. The album was recorded at The Loft, a barn converted into a recording studio in Saline, Michigan
Saline, Michigan
Saline is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,810.The city is popular for its annual Celtic Festival, which attracts people from all over the United States and its sister cities Brecon, Wales and Lindenberg, Germany...
. Richards, living 10 minutes away from the studio, considered this convenient due to various band members now having families and wanting to stay close to them. He noted "For the first time, instead of being thousands of miles away and being forced to be creative, we were at home, inspired by the things we know and love." Guitarist Mike DeWolf wrote one of the songs and Richards played drums during the recording process. Our Long Road Home was originally scheduled for release on August 5 but was pushed back due to mixing problems and the addition of two "heavier" songs.
Taproot has since noted the mixed fan reception toward the progressive sound of Our Long Road Home. In March 2010, when discussing the band's upcoming Plead the Fifth, guitarist Mike DeWolf stated:
- "I think it threw a lot of fans for a loop. But at the time, we were willing to lose some people to gain some more. In general, I guess ... I don't know. But we're definitely getting back to it. I think a lot of people appreciated the progressive nature of what we were trying to do but at the same time, a lot of people are just fucking meatheads and only want heaviness. I guess some bands are pretty good at sticking to one thing and working that their entire career. Say ... AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
. But that wasn't us."
Track listing
Singles - Billboard (North America)| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Wherever I Stand" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | #34 |
| 2009 | "Path Less Taken" | - | - |