Deserter's Songs - Writing & Recording

Writing & Recording

By this time, Donahue and Grasshopper had relocated to the Catskill Mountains, where the writing and recording of Deserter’s Songs would ensue over the next six months. Two of the first songs written, “Opus 40” and “The Hudson Line”, referenced their new Catskill surroundings. “The Hudson Line” in particular detailed Grasshopper leaving New York City (and its temptations) to spend a month in a Jesuit retreat house in upstate New York. The Catskill influence was only solidified when Garth Hudson and Levon Helm from The Band - who lived in the area - joined the recording sessions.

The song “Goddess On A Hiway” was originally written by Donahue in 1989 while he was still a member of The Flaming Lips. The song had been largely forgotten until it was found on an old cassette tape during the Deserter’s sessions. Donahue was reluctant to work on the old song, and had to be convinced by Grasshopper to resurrect it for the album. "Goddess" would later be released as a single.

Thematically, the songs written and recorded for the album explored the act of leaving - of “walking away”, as Donahue explained. And indeed, with the band members sensing that the end was near, the album was intended to be something of an farewell from Mercury Rev.

Midway through recording, the band signed to V2 Records. Their new record label, fully aware of Mercury Rev’s unpredictable and chaotic past, cautiously began funneling money to the band piecemeal to complete the album.

After laying down the basic tracks for Deserter’s, the band then spent two months at Tarbox Road studio, recording string arrangements and mixing the album with one-time band member Dave Fridmann. It was at this moment that the band’s sound was completely re-imagined. Whereas on previous albums, the band would flesh out basic tracks with layers of distortion and guitars, this time classical music instruments - strings, horns, and woodwinds - were used instead of guitars.

The album was mastered to 35mm film for fidelity purposes. Producer Fridmann explained that this unique process gave the music an intentionally “weird sound”, while enhancing the “cinematic bent” of the music.