The Temper Trap

Hi Lorenzo, how is your second album shaping up?

Lorenzo Sillitto: We’re recording in Hollywood so we’re much more isolated than before. When we did the first one in Melbourne we would go to work or go home when we weren’t in the studio but we can’t here. Being away from our loved ones is good; it enables us to focus on the job at hand. The weather is amazing compared to London; it’s sunny, blue skies. We’re 10 songs in; we want to get 17 done so we’re over halfway. It’s exciting.

How will it differ thematically from the first one?

Lorenzo Sillitto: We’ve used experiences that we’ve had over the past two years and classic themes like love, loss and heartbreak. One song is about the London riots. We were right in the middle of it in Hackney. Where I live there were gangs of kids everywhere, even outside my house, so it was intimidating. There were people getting mugged on their bikes. It’s us commenting on what happened from both sides, from the rioters’ side and the political side.

Has the band’s dynamic changed at all?

Lorenzo Sillitto: We’re a tight knit group, when we moved to London we all lived together and we’re living together in LA too. We stick together, like a gang I guess [laughs]. That has always been the same. The biggest change is that Joseph [Greer] is a permanent member now. He brings a different element. There are definitely more keyboards on this record, we all have different styles and his has contributed massively to the expansion of the sound.

What will the new record sound like?

Lorenzo Sillitto: It’s more of a concise record than the last one. Working out here with an American producer has given it more of an American feel too. We have a clear-cut idea of how we want things to sound. We’ll be here for the mixing stage so we’ll be hands on throughout. We’re definitely trying to progress as a band and step up a gear. The sound has changed, but there are songs that are, I don’t want to say the word, but ‘signature’ sounding. They’re more in line with the last record. We want to change and move forward, but we’ve kept our sound in mind, we don’t want to alienate our fans, it’s a very fine line that we have to tread to move forward.

What’s been the hardest thing about the process?

Lorenzo Sillitto: Self doubt. There was a lot of it in the middle of the writing stage; it really got under our skin in the studio. It’s the ‘dreaded second record’; you’ve got to nail it, it’s so important to come out with something that eclipses your first. We weren’t consciously thinking about it but it was always there in the back of our minds. You know people are talking about you from Twitter and stuff, people say they hope the record is as good as the first and you ask yourself ‘Will it be a success, will it be as good?’ We always try to better what we’ve done before. You’re unsure where you’re going sometimes. I think we’ve done a good job but only time will tell.

Bonus Factoids

Lorenzo sees celebrities “all the time” in Hollywood. He recently ogled Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon

The band witnessed a double shooting near the studio. “It was pretty hairy”, Lorenzo admitted

They have found time for partying too, a recent night out with Florence Welch was “awesome”