“I’m not very good at being vulnerable with people, so writing songs is how I express what I’ve been protecting,” explains lead singer-songwriter Matt MacDonald. “A lot has happened. Some of us got married, had kids, started businesses, moved around. But when change happens, I tend to write it down,” he adds. As noted in the Alternative Presspremiere of “Holy Water”, How to Be Human was influenced by MacDonald researching everything from religion to science to make sense of the world, which has translated into the 12-track introspection on the human condition, in secular and spiritual considerations, and the weight and purpose of individual consciousness.
The weighty, pensive subject matter found on the record is matched by the challenge the band placed on itself to re-invent itself musically, with a sound reminiscent of Death Cab For Cutie meets Motion City Soundtrack. With producer/mixer Michael “Elvis” Baskette (from The Classic Crime’s previous records Albatross, The Silver Cord, andVagabonds) at the helm, How to Be Human was able to reach into deeper, more atmospheric territory, and do so while still earnestly representing the spirit and ethos that has defined The Classic Crime for over a decade.
| 
