North Jersey’s The Bitter Chills return with their third album, Young Time Rock N’ Roll, a melody-driven blend of Americana and classic pop reminiscent of Ryan Adams, The Decemberists, and The Lumineers. Known for their catchy roots rock and witty lyrics in the vein of Fountains of Wayne and Ben Folds, the band infuses their sound with British Invasion rock, ’80s post-punk, and old-school Americana. Singer and chief songwriter Matt Cheplic shares how the album’s got made and his songwriting process:
Q: In your opinion, what are the essential qualities that make a “good songwriter”?
I think that depends on what a given writer’s strengths are. Some are just so good at writing great melodies, and it’s a kind of mystical thing. It’s hard to teach that. Others are so prolific that even if they discard 90% of their songs, they still have enough good material to release. But I think a good songwriter is the one who stays open-minded: Keep revisiting ideas; keep asking if a particular verse or a line could be stronger; keep listening to new music; don’t settle for “pretty good.”
Q: What is the basis for writing attention-grabbing music in this day and age?
Man, that’s a great question. So much about the world and the landscape of art and media has changed in the past few years. Obviously, some core musical ingredients are important, whether it’s 1951 or 1987 or 2025. But people’s attention – via the internet – is often grabbed by something extremely surprising or silly or just weird or annoying. It’s hard to predict that, and let’s be honest: a song will often go viral these days because of an association or context that has nothing to do with the quality of the music itself. So it’s kind of a crapshoot.
Q: Can you pinpoint some specific songs and songwriters that changed the way you write music?
The Beatles were colossal, which I know is a boring answer, but the truth is often boring. But I have to say, Billy Bragg was an enormous influence on me. There was something eye-opening about hearing his songs, because he managed to be clever with language but also clearly passionate and earnest. Seeing the possibility of that combination was important in broadening my mind. Certain albums were huge for me when I was just starting to write half-decent songs: REM’s Green. The first Counting Crows record. Freedy Johnston’s Can You Fly?
Q: Q: Do you find it hard to be inspired by your peers? Can you name any new artists you find inspiring? No:
I think I can find inspiration in almost anything. There really is great music all over the place.
Q: For your new album, what inspired the lyrical content, album title, and overall vibe?
I think the lyrical content is largely informed by a kind of light-hearted take on dark emotions, if that makes sense. We’ve been going through some scary, angering, sad experiences lately as a society. But it’s not in my nature to just reflect pure despair; that’s not interesting to me. So many of these songs – certainly not ALL of them – are probably born of a kind of pessimism. As for the album title, my friend showed me the photo we used for the cover – taken when he was a kid – and I knew I had to use it.
Q: Do you find that you ruminate over writing songs and hold on to them for a long time before including them on a record? Or do you prefer to write them, release them, and be done with them? Do you ever re-visit old material to do a re-write or once it’s done it’s done?
This new album of ours has a song called “You Look Like Winter.” I honestly started writing that song 10 years ago. There was something I just couldn’t quite unlock about it. That’s an extreme example, but there are songs I live with for a long time before feeling like they’re finished. Once they’re released, they’re obviously out there, but we do like reinterpreting songs when we play them live, so that’s kind of a way to revise them.
Q: Were there any lessons you learned in the writing and recording process for your current release that you will take with you into your next project?
Tim and I recorded/engineered this album, and Tim mixed it. So we definitely got an education from not relying on another producer or engineer. It was a bit unusual for us, but we definitely developed a shorthand and a way of working that now feels comfortable moving forward. For instance, we learned it’s really important to record tracks for a while and THEN go out and eat. Eating first just makes us too tired.
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