What inspired the story behind “Mr. Rubinstein”?
Thomas: The song is based on a true story. It describes a feud which happened a long time ago. A clash of egos. It´s about a discrepancy between an artist and a critic but from the artists´point of view. It´s an argument which is more subtle and tense than heated or rich in words. It´s something many people can relate to, I´m sure. Because we have all tried to pour our hearts into something valuable, something we feel good about, only to be met with misunderstanding or disbelief. Describing this particular event, I only had a few known direct quotes to rely on and a few accounts of what really happened. Thus, I had to use my imagination for the full picture – to fill out the empty spaces so to speak. It was one of those rare moments in which I wrote both the music and lyrics in one setting.
How did you approach capturing tension and ego clashes musically in this track?
I´m glad you mention the tension which I really think makes this particular song. It´s a tension which can be found in the, perhaps, underplayed nature of the lyrics. There´s a tad of an eerie vibe which comes from what is NOT being spoken in the song. The argument never really explodes and perhaps even ends with some kind of settlement. But it´s also a tension which had to be expressed in the music. It needed to have some kind of nervous energy while sounding majestic at the same time. We decided on letting the strings handle that certain expression.
Can you tell us about collaborating with Bebe Risenfors and Christian Ellegaard on this song?
Yeah, we´ve worked with both of them previously so we knew what they’re capable of which is quite a lot by the way! For the aforementioned string parts, we needed Christian’s playing to express certain emotions. We needed the strings to provide an unsettling mood in the texture of the song, if you like. He really nailed that! And on the contrary, the wind instruments of Bebe Risenfors had to bring some much needed sense of relief and mutual understanding to the sound picture while maintaining a vision of two stubborn egos who are likely to go their own separate ways. It´s hard to describe without words but he did a magnificent job. They´re both amazing musicians. Fantastic experience.
How does “Mr. Rubinstein” signal a new chapter in Vinyl Floor’s musical evolution?
Well, I guess it´s a complex song in many ways. Both regarding the harmony, the arrangement but also regarding the subject matter. It explores some darker territory and aspects of human relations which we haven’t really delved into that much before. The song is actually quite ‘classic’ Vinyl Floor in many ways. Vocal harmonies, traces of rock and pop with symphonic elements. But I think it´s more refined, more mysterious and perhaps better fully realized than our previous efforts and I think the new album reflects that as a whole.
What should listeners expect from the full “Balancing Act” album when it arrives?
‘Mr. Rubinstein’ is definitely one of the more mellow tracks. I think you need to listen to the full length album version in order to appreciate the storytelling even more. The rest of the album is a mixed bag, really. Some of it is quite rocking, some of it even a bit proggy, some of it is mellow and acoustic and some of it leans a bit to the more experimental side. It´s an album filled with melodies, stories about different types of people and many kinds of moods. It won´t satisfy everybody but I think many will find something to like. Especially if they appreciate melodic rock and vocal harmonies. It´s our best album so far and i’m really excited for people to hear it.