'We really wanted to prove we have something to say and be original artists,' member Scott Hoyen explains the group's forthcoming first album of original material.
- October 12, 2015
AceShowbiz -
After putting out several EPs, winning a Grammy, selling more than 2 millions album in the U.S. and garnering over 1 billion viewers on their YouTube channel, Pentatonix is doing something very different for their upcoming release. Best known for performing a capella covers of popular songs, the group is dropping their first album of original material.
Titled after the group's name, the record is scheduled to come out on October 16. Most songs off it were done by the members along with some top songwriters/producers like Taylor Parks, Audra Mae, Martin Johnson and Kuk Harrell.
"All of us always like to write music," Scott Hoyen said in a new interview with Songwriter Universe of the band's decision to make an album of original tracks instead of doing another one filled with covers.
However, their songwriting skills and help from the big names in the industry weren't the only things they needed for the forthcoming album. Hoyen explained, "We built a following doing covers of songs our fans had already memorized. So the challenge was to take our established sound and create tunes that they've never heard before and make them so memorable that within a few listens, they're familiar to them."
He continued, "We know we've already got a lot of people on our side that are willing to listen to fresh material. I'm sure there are those who will always see us as the group that does mash-ups but aren't real artists for whatever reason. But we felt it was time to get progressive and move outside our usual comfort zone while keeping the integrity of our core sound. We really wanted to prove we have something to say and be original artists. Original material is virtually unheard of for an a capella group, and we're really excited about it."
Hoyen also teased what the album would sound like, adding, "The concept is pretty cool because we all have different musical tastes. It was only natural that the result would be an eclectic mix of folky and soulful stuff, all sharing the common ground of our sound. As it evolved it became like a retro throwback album with a 90s vibe."
