Q+A INTERVIEW: Will Putney – Fit For An Autopsy

Relentlessly crushing and unflinching in its purpose, the music of New Jersey’s FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY has long ticked the proverbial boxes for fans of extreme metal. Since the release of 2011 debut The Process Of Human Extermination, the band have become synonymous with combining raw, filth-laden deathcore with hardcore swagger and and atmospheric grooves. Distorted Sound recently had the opportunity to speak to Will Putney on the sextet’s fifth album The Sea Of Tragic Beasts (subscribe to our Patreon Page to read that feature).

Whilst he may wear many proverbial hats within the band (guitarist, principal songwriter and co-founder), Will Putney also happens to be an accomplished and sought after producer. As the owner of Graphic Nature Audio, he’s worked alongside some of metal’s most prolific and high profile bands. This year alone, Will Putney has arguably produced three of 2019’s biggest and most ridiculously brutal records – some of which are likely to be gracing those album of the year lists come December. We had a chat with the man himself to get the lowdown on his life as a producer, including his working style and working relationship with bands, as well as getting his views on the current health of extreme music.

You’ve ticked THY ART IS MURDER, KNOCKED LOOSE and AFTER THE BURIAL off the list this year as far as production duties go. Not too shabby! We know you and the THY ART guys know one another already. Was it just a no brainer when it came to working with them?

Will: We actually go even further back with the THY ART guys as I’ve done two records with them. Their first trip to the US was to our studio. Over the years, we’ve become really good friends and made a lot of music together. The Depression Sessions just happened naturally. It was something we talked about doing for fun and one day we just made it. I really like it when bands don’t compete with one another and just do stuff together. That way, everybody wins in the end.

Does it feel less like work when you’ve already got that established relationship with a band?

Will: We have a job to do and at the end of the day, I wanna make sure I can help those guys make the best record they can It’s definitely not the easiest job – it does get difficult and it does have its challenges. But we do have a lot of fun and it doesn’t always feel like work. I have a pretty cool job – that I have to admit!

What do you think it is about those records that resonates so hard with the fans?

Will: With THY ART and KNOCKED LOOSE specifically, I think that we’ve been able to capture the kind of raw live energy that doesn’t normally exist in these kind of genres. I do feel like that in a lot of modern production, a lot of that can get stripped away. Even though these records might not be as sonically polished as some of the stuff that’s out there, there’s just something about them that makes you feel or react a certain way. It’s just got this energy and life to it. Even though these bands are very different to one another stylistically, we did make a point of making those records feel raw and alive and it just worked. I think that’s a huge part of why they translated so well.

What’s your working style and approach when it comes to production?

Will: I feel like nowadays I try to entertain every idea, and at the end of the day we always say that the best idea wins at the studio. No egos or selfishness and personal opinions aside, we just try to remove all that and go for what everybody thinks is the best song we can do. It’s been good for me in that most of the bands I’ve recorded with it’s been really easy for me to say when something isn’t working and no one gets offended. I think it’s being open minded to changing your music and trying to do your best with it. Bands that are the most receptive to change and embrace new ideas in the studio are usually the same ones who come out with the best records.

You developed and released some guitar software earlier this year with STL Tones. How did that come about?

Will: I’ve known the company for a while – we’ve worked together on some other projects and developed a friendship from there. I think he just knew from our working together how hard I would go at the idea if we could pull it off the right way. We spent a ton of time on it and it was nice to work with people who were down to see this design and development through without cutting any corners or sacrificing quality. At the end of the day, I hadn’t been interested in doing this until I found someone who could see my whole idea through. The end result was great and I really could not be any happier with it.

And finally, what are your thoughts on the current state of extreme music – deathcore in particular?

Will: It always comes in waves for me. I’ll fall out of it for a little bit and there won’t be bands that get me all fired up. But recently there’s been a lot of younger bands that have made it on to my radar and got me excited about them and extreme music again. I think deathcore has definitely evolved and that a lot of the bands that we came up with are pushing stuff stylistically to different places now which is exciting. I think that’s just how it’ll always be. There will always be these peaks and valleys in what’s hot and what works. And then there’ll be this generation of bands who just run out and copy stuff. I’m just stoked to be part of it and see it all go down.

The Sea Of Tragic Beasts is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.

Like FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY on Facebook.