Superchief’s newest trophy

It’s been a busy year already for Superchief. For starters, the band nearly lost its drummer, when Ryan Marcum was offered the chance to be the touring drummer for Collective Soul. (He turned them down.)

Meanwhile, the band has been putting the finishing touches on a new record deal with New York-based Magnetic Eye Records. The two-album deal gives it the support needed to put the finishing touches on the next album, “Trophy Room,” which is due out this fall.

The band members are glad Marcum decided to stick around, and they’re excited to play some shows this summer (including this week), but the album is what has them really humming.

Superchief plays Vaudeville Mews on Sunday, July 13.

“It’s 100 percent done,” Marcum said, speaking about the album’s recording process. “Now (we’re) mixing it.”

At this point in its career, Superchief knows its sound. While the band members are always looking to add new wrinkles, they’re not going to try and reinvent the wheel, sonically. So with the new album, they’re focusing more on the actual “album experience.” And to the boys in Superchief, that really only means one thing.

“It’s literally been (guitarist Jason Monroe’s) lifetime goal to have something of his on vinyl,” Marcum said. “Likewise for me, too.”

Why?

“Um, because it’s cool,” said front man Haldor Von Hammer.

“There’s something about opening an LP,” Marcum agreed. “Having a big album with awesome artwork.”

It’s more than just about aesthetics, though. Superchief is firmly in the “vinyl sounds better” camp. Superchief recorded the album at Red No. 7 Studios with Kevin Neal, who’s made a career out of making local bands sound amazing. They give him a lot of credit for the finished sound that will be on display on “Trophy Room”, mainly through his ability to enhance their sound without putting too much polish on it.

“It’s going to sound (great) on vinyl,” said bassist James Segovia. “You’re going to hear that noise from the vinyl, and it just adds color to the album.”

“It’s got so much more dynamic range,” added Monroe. “On a CD, they compress the hell out of it, so the wavform of these things just looks like a solid black bar. But when you mix things analogue for vinyl, you’re going to get some space between the notes. If you want it louder, you can fucking turn it up.” CV