| America, Location 12 | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Dispatch |
| Cover: | Dispatch-america-location-12.jpg |
| Released: | June 2, 2017 |
| Genre: | Indie rock |
| Label: | Bomber Records |
| Producer: | John Dragonetti, Mike Sawitzke |
| Prev Title: | Circles Around the Sun |
| Prev Year: | 2012 |
| Next Title: | Location 13 |
| Next Year: | 2018 |
America, Location 12 is a 2017 album by United States indie/roots folk band Dispatch. It is their sixth full-length studio album, the first recorded in five years.[1]
The band began working on the album nearly two years before its release.[2] Before recording, Chad Urmston told the other two members of the band that he wanted to be the "captain" for the upcoming album, a proposal they readily accepted.[3] He had retreated to a cottage for a winter and wrote 25 to 30 songs,[4] which differed from their previous material so significantly that a manager asked Urmston whether he disliked their old songs.[5] The songs' material concerns "veterans coming home, childhood memories, [and] being a parent."[6]
The band recorded the album in Panoramic Studios at Stinson Beach, California, which was built in the 1960s and features vintage analogue gear.[7] The album was produced by John Dragonetti of The Submarines and Mike Sawitzke of The Eels, and was mastered by Dave Cooley.[8]
A short series of videos was recorded with OurVinyl to document the making of the album.[9] Much of the focus was on the improvement in the bandmates' interpersonal relations compared with their breakup in 2004.[10]
The album was announced in February 2017 along with tour dates.[11] Between the announcement and the release, the album was made available for pre-order with various rewards, including merchandise, concert tickets,[12] and Skype interviews and pick-up basketball with band members.[13] [14]
In March, three months before the album's release, Pete Heimbold announced on the band's public Facebook page that he was taking a leave of absence from the band, including from the tour dates, as he was battling chronic depression.[15] Guest musicians have been present at live performances and on tour.[16]
Five songs were released in advance on YouTube between the announcement and the release,[17] as well as live acoustic performances.[18] This resulted in other artists covering songs even before the album's release, something the band encouraged.[19] On the day of the album's release, the band uploaded the full album to be streamed for free.
"Only the Wild Ones", the first single and the first pre-released track, reached No. 9 on Billboard's AAA chart,[20] marking the band's highest position to date on that chart and their first top 20 track on the radio.
| Chart (2017). | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[21] | ||
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[22] | 15 |