The second album from
six-piece Kopecky, Drug for the Modern
Age takes the many shake-ups the band’s endured over the past few years and
turns them into inspiration for groove-driven, melody-heavy alt-pop that’s
intensely emotional and strangely exhilarating. “The album was written in this
weird time of so much pain but also happiness, and that really informed the
writing and recording,” says vocalist/guitarist Gabe Simon, who co-founded the
group with vocalist/keyboardist Kelsey Kopecky in 2007. “Our goal was to talk
about all these very serious things we were dealing with, but in a way that
felt nothing like wallowing and more like standing triumphantly, or even
dancing our way through it.”
In achieving that
dynamic, Nashville-based Kopecky (whose lineup also includes guitarist Steven
Holmes, bassist Corey Oxendine, cellist Markus Midkiff, and drummer David
Krohn) offer moments of symphonic grandeur alongside edgy, electronic-leaning
innovation. Meanwhile, their daringly intimate lyrics both unsettle and engage,
asking questions and encouraging reflection on the part of the listener. “The
idea behind the title Drug for the Modern
Age is that we’re all trying to find the drug that helps us get through
life and deal with the pressures and challenges that almost everyone in our
generation faces,” says Gabe. “Whether it’s love or real connection or even an
actual drug, we’re all looking for something that makes us feel like we’re a part
of something good and meaningful.”
Formerly known as the
Kopecky Family Band, their 2012 debut Kids
Raising Kids, had them teaming up with producer/engineer Konrad Snyder. This
time around they worked with Konrad again, but took a more slowed-down and
deliberate approach that allowed them to bring a new level of sophistication
and soulfulness to their songcraft. When it came time to record, the band
divided up their sessions between several different locations, including
EastSide Manor Studios (an East Nashville facility complete with an old indoor
pool converted into a reverb chamber).
Drug for the Modern Age serves up its share of intricately layered love
songs, revealing Kopecky’s endless grace in merging sweetness and melancholy. Throughout
the album, they also consider the
more shadowy dimensions of the human heart. “One of the main things we wanted
to address on this album is the fact that, in a time when we’re all so wired in
and constantly staring at our phones, we’re not engaging and hearing each
others' stories the way we should be,” says Gabe. Not only essential in helping
certain band members cope with major life changes, that telling and hearing of
stories went a long way in elevating the band’s songwriting. “We made a point
of taking a step back and being real with each other and opening up, rather
than just trying to hash our way through songs,” says Gabe. “It really helped
us to voice our feelings in our lyrics in a more candid way than we ever had
before.”
With the band forever
bound by their shared passion for purposeful songwriting, all that revelation
and sometimes-painful truth-telling ultimately fulfills something central to
Kopecky’s mission: a deeper and stronger connection with each person listening.