These Songs Are Cursed was written and rehearsed in a tiny basement practice space in Halifax and recorded in a little basement studio in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The studio session was a step-up from their first release “Elements of an Incomplete Map”, a 10-song EP, yes they called it an EP, which was a 4-track recording with punch-ins and punch-ups released in 1998. Following the Eric’s Trip/Sloan formula, popular at the time in Halifax, with four singers/songwriters the material was flowing and “cursed” could have easily been a double album with hits like “We’ve Got It Sussed” and “In-Scituate” left on the cutting room floor. But the 13 songs and four interstitials that made the cut were made purely from the energy of wanting to be in a band, wanting to tour, and wanting to write songs together. Songs like “Central Port of Equal Times”, “Speech Is An Experiment”, “Rough Draft Korea” and “Route of Sorts” came together quickly in the basement, but others like “Built Sought Destination”, “Wall Monument” and “Extent of the Apse Outstretched” were flushed out in the studio. Soon after its release on Matlock Records a German label, Rewika Records, signed the band and soon they were off touring Europe in a tiny Renault with a member of Trumans Water as their driver and de facto sound tech. The album has been remastered by Lacquer Channel Mastering for reissue on Record Record Label.
