Spring Break
The Used shows off their Artwork
Hilary Saskin
Issue date: 10/12/09 Section: Culture
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Those lyrics could not have been more accurate for The Used. Coming from "The Taste of Ink," a single off their self-titled debut album, the line foreshadows the band's success.
Now, seven years and four full-length albums later, The Used is thrilled with where they are.
"We're just having more fun now than we ever have," Quinn Allman, guitar player for The Used, said.
The Used is made up of Bert McCracken (lead vocals/piano/keyboard), Jeph Howard (bass/backing vocals), Dan Whitesides (drums/percussion) and Allman.
The Used has only changed for the better since the release of their first album.
"We've changed as people and as artists," Allman said. "We've kind of learned to see the bigger picture. And the songwriting, I think, has gotten a lot more fun and a lot more of a craft."
While they have always had their own sound, Allman believes their years of experience have taught them to fine-tune it.
And, contrary to the seemingly popular belief, this Utah-based rock band does not use much outside help when it comes to their music.
There are "misconceptions" the band uses co-writers in the studio, but Allman said this isn't true.
"Bert writes every lyric," he said. "Sometimes we pitch in with suggestions and stuff. But Bert's an amazing writer … amazing."
And McCracken's writing abilities go beyond his lyrics. Allman described him as "an incredible poet and writer," even from back when he was in school.
Working with Warner Brothers Publicity (WB) has also had its benefits for the band, allowing them the opportunity to have one of their recorded songs in a feature film.
"Warner Brothers was releasing a cover album, celebrating 50 years of their catalog of artists," Allman said. "They wanted us to be a part of it."
After choosing from a short list of available songs provided by WB, the band used some of their leftover studio time in San Diego to work on recording something.
Once they got to work, it all came together smoothly. The final result was a unique rock version of "Burning Down the House."
"We literally did it in like four or five hours," Allman said about recording their song. "We just wrote the structure down how we liked it and kind of talked about what we liked. And the song just kind of came together real quickly. We didn't really try too hard - maybe that's why it came out so cool."
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