Bringing the Album to Life
From September to December, the studio work kicked into high gear. We chose to record at 38 North in Falls Church, Virginia, with Sean Russell engineering, a pivotal decision that brought the album to life.
Bringing this project to fruition demanded immense mental, emotional, and financial energy, but every session carried a strong sense of purpose. The recording process was both challenging and exhilarating, filled with moments of pure magic. After months of writing, refining, and pre-production, we were finally capturing the songs in their fullest form, turning vision into reality.
As the album took shape, it became clear that the SHINE story didn’t end with the core tracks. There was so much more music created around this project that it felt natural to open the vault and share even more of the journey. THE SHINE SESSIONS expands the world of the album with a collection of bonus studio recordings, alternate takes, and unreleased material that grew out of the same creative period. It also includes select live cuts from the first run of live-in-the-studio events where these songs were tested, capturing the energy, grit, and emotion of the performances as they evolved. This expanded release is meant to offer a deeper look into the creative process, showcasing how the songs transformed over time and highlighting moments that didn’t make the main album but still hold meaning. The SHINE era was an incredibly inspired chapter, and releasing these additional tracks feels like the right way to honor the work, the band, and the listeners who want to experience the full arc of this music.