Inside the Making of “Simping for Big Toilet”: A Studio Diary from The Wonder Licks

Dec 2

Records don’t arrive fully formed. They grow. They struggle. They change shape. And sometimes, they almost don’t make it at all. For The Wonder Licks, the album session now known as Simping for Big Toilet was exactly that kind of journey — long, difficult, and deeply rewarding.

This record didn’t happen in a single room, in a clean sweep of inspired takes. It unfolded across apartments, borrowed studios, home setups, mountain hideouts, and thousands of small decisions made over more than two years. What emerged from that process is not just a collection of songs — it’s a document of endurance, trust, vulnerability, and creative patience.

The Project That Took Its Time

The earliest versions of these songs began in the simplest way possible: a notebook, a guitar slung over the shoulder, and voice memos captured on a phone. Rhythm guitar was recorded first in a New York apartment using minimal microphones. Piano, keys, percussion, synths, and scratch vocals were added as sketches — reference points for something that would later become much bigger.

The songs then moved to Corpus Christi Studio in Brooklyn for drums. From sixteen recorded tracks, producer John Jackson helped shape the album down to ten — a defining moment that gave the project its focus.

Musicians then recorded across continents. Electric guitars, slide guitars, pedal steel, bass, mandolin, violin, and piano were added from New York, the Poconos Mountains, and the Basque Country of Spain. The final vocals were captured at Penny Arcade Studio in the Poconos before moving to mixing with Tyler Reina and mastering with Pete Lyman — known for his work with Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Jason Isbell, Tom Waits, and Brandi Carlile.

The Vibe in the Room

The band described the studio atmosphere in three words: long, difficult, rewarding. Drums were joyful and focused. Vocal recording carried an entirely different weight — quieter, slower, and emotionally demanding.

Singing wasn’t treated as performance alone. It became self-exposure. Each take became a reflection of where the artist stood emotionally that day. Studios themselves added their own quiet electricity — warm, contained spaces where possibility and pressure exist side by side.

How the Songs Were Written

Most songs began either as music-first ideas or as music and lyrics forming together. Some arrived nearly complete. Others had to be refined deliberately over time.

“Beatitudes” arrived quickly and carried its heart from demo to final version.
“There’s A Place I Go” surprised everyone with what it became.
“With Feeling” grew out of gospel influence.
“Celexa Goggles” developed from a piano-first structure.
“An Aging Cowboy” leaned heavily into narrative storytelling.
“Unsupported Personality: Unknown” became the most personal track, turning inward toward the songwriting process itself.

Some songs changed completely once other musicians entered. “Like A Noose You Pull Me”, once a soft ballad, became expansive and active after new instrumentation reshaped it.

Small moments remained — including a spontaneous spoken background voice captured at the end of “With Feeling”. These details were kept because they felt human.

Letting Go of Control

Creative leadership leaned heavily toward trust. While producer John Jackson guided the overall direction, musicians were encouraged to play what they wanted to hear — not what they thought was expected.

This balance between direction and freedom became one of the central forces shaping the album’s identity.

Sound, Texture, and Recording Choices

The rhythmic foundation of the record came largely from a 1943 Gibson L50 — an instrument described as unlike anything else. Vocals were captured using an AKG C414. A warble pedal helped define the atmosphere of “There’s A Place I Go”. Slide guitars, piano, and layered background vocals became defining textures across the album.

One of the greatest technical challenges was cohesion — every instrument and vocal was recorded separately. The goal of the mix was not reinvention but translation: keeping the emotional core of each demo intact while expanding its depth.

Two Songs That Define the Album

“Beatitudes”, which best represents the emotional core of the album.
“There’s A Place I Go”, which emerged as the most fully realized song in scope and surprise.

Together, they reflect what The Wonder Licks do best: grounding their sound while still taking real creative risks.

Where to Listen and Support

You can explore the full catalogue of The Wonder Licks across all major platforms:

Tour dates, future releases, and full band updates are always available at the official site:

https://thewonderlicks.band/

Why This Record Matters Right Now

Simping for Big Toilet isn’t built for shortcuts. It rewards attention. It reflects a period of real life — long effort, collaboration, fear, trust, second-guessing, and creative belief. It’s the sound of people sticking with something long after certainty fades.

As December begins — a month that invites reflection — this record feels like the right companion. Not because it tries to be seasonal, but because it carries exactly what the season already holds: pause, memory, endurance, and quiet forward motion.

Coming next: Tomorrow’s post will focus on the story and structure behind “Beatitudes” — the song that became the emotional spine of the album.

Jacob Wunderlich