Ages and Ages is more than a band. It’s a collective of like-minded souls that believe in the power of music to change the world and elevate the spirit. Their music is bright and uplifting, with lyrics, penned by bandleader Tim Perry, that deliver serious introspective messages full of insight and consideration for others.
Divisionary evolved over months of experimentation at Portland’s Jackpot Studios with veteran producer Tony Lash (Elliott Smith, The Dandy Warhols, Eric Matthews), as well as the home studio of Ages bass player Rob Oberdorfer. During the process, the band suffered the loss of a number of close family members and dear friends, so the songs became a kind of road map for anyone attempting to avoid darkness, without becoming consumed by anger in the face of life’s difficulties.
Perry spent ten days on a silent meditation retreat, formulating the direction of Divisonary, and his calm, centered vision is at the core of the music. Ghettoblaster recently caught up with Perry to discuss the record, which hits streets via Partisan Records on March 25.  This is what he told us.
When did you begin writing the material for your most recent LP?
We began writing the material for our most recent LP about two years ago.
What was the most difficult song to take from the initial writing stage through recording and mixing?  Why was it so troublesome?
“Ante Up” was pretty hard, I suppose. It’s a super minimalistic song, which sometimes turn out to be the most difficult to convey. There’s so much space between the sounds in that song and I think that these spaces really bring out the nuances of each part, including their imperfections. I wouldn’t say it was troublesome though. Just challenging.
Which of the songs on the record is most different from your original concept for the song?
Probably “Calamity is Overrated.” Started off just me and a guitar. But it ended up becoming this song that gets big and bombastic towards the end.
Did you have any guest musicians play or sing on the record?
Yes. We had just about every one of our friends and acquaintances play on this record. It’s a big family.
Who produced the record?  What input did that person have that changed the face of the record?
That person was Tony Lash. I think that, aside from being a great engineer, TL helped us stay on point and keep the vision focused…which was hard at first with so many people. I am grateful for this.
Is there an overarching concept behind your new album that ties the record together?
Yes. This record is about observing the darkness, but not identifying with it. We address some sad and frustrating aspects of what it’s like to be human and yet in the end, our music is celebratory. The record is called Divisionary. It’s a made up word that means a lot of things to us…but in the end it includes a kind of “breaking off” from the status quo. All of the songs on the record are about this, in one way or another.
Have you begun playing these songs live and which songs have elicited the strongest reaction from your fans?
Yowza. That’s a great question. Yes, we have been playing a lot of these songs live. Big Idea, No Pressure, and Divisionary usually get a pretty positive response. Especially Divisionary.
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Ages and Ages Website: http://www.agesandages.com/
Ages and Ages on Partisan Records: http://www.partisanrecords.com/artists/agesandages/
Ages and Ages on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AgesandAges
Ages and Ages on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgesandAges)