The Making of MIC CITY SONS by Heatmiser - featuring Neil Gust, Tony Lash and Sam Coomes

Life of the Record

For the 25th anniversary of Heatmiser’s third and final album, MIC CITY SONS, Neil Gust, Tony Lash and Sam Coomes talk openly and in detail about the unique circumstances around how this record was made. When Heatmiser embarked on recording their third album, it was a huge turning point for the band, as they signed a deal with a major label and began building their own studio. Elliott Smith was starting to have success as a solo artist and was coming into his own with songwriting and recording, which led to a lot of tension over the direction of the band. Neil Gust talks about forming his close friendship with Elliott and bonding over music, but how that was changing rapidly in the wake of Elliott’s success. Tony Lash describes butting heads with Elliott in the studio since they were teenagers and how it was reaching a breaking point. Sam Coomes gives an outsider’s perspective as he talks about never officially joining the band and attempting to play peacekeeper during the fraught sessions. As the tensions rose, Neil, Tony and Sam describe the decision to bring in Rob Schnapf and Tom Rothrock as outside producers to help get the record finished. From drastically changing the sound of the band mid-tour to writing songs about interpersonal band dynamics to guys in their twenties being unable to communicate to the contractual obligation that ultimately ended the band, we’ll hear the stories around how the record came together.