From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Anson is back.

“So fast?”

Lily's first reaction didn't seem very welcoming.

Of course, that wasn't the case.

This is also something that makes people laugh and cry.

Moreover, they originally thought that after Anson left the recording studio to film and produce a movie, he would still need to rest and adjust for a while after the filming was completed, and the recording work might need to be postponed.

As a result, it didn't.

As soon as he came back, Anson came up with a brilliant idea, quickly completing a seamless connection from the set to the recording studio, from Portland to Los Angeles.

“Summer.”

“The concept of the entire album is a summer.”

“Youth, growth, dreams, eighteen years old, that summer that is always burning and running wildly.”

Not only Anson, but Lily, Connor, and Miles were immediately captured by the new album theme, and their memories instantly returned to the summers of these years.

They are like this—

Always stubbornly and wantonly, always lonely and crazy running, when everyone says "This road is blocked", when dreams continue to hit walls in reality, when midnight dreams start to doubt themselves, their summer is always burning.

Maybe scarred, maybe exhausted, maybe more bitter than happy, but they still don't regret it, and still miss those summers:

Like fools.

Their youth and growth are all released without reservation in the summer.

This is not only the soul of the album, but also the soul of the band.

In an instant, the entire concept and theme became clear and three-dimensional.

Moreover, this is still not all.

“The album… starts with ‘Wake Me Up’, that's early summer; it peaks with ‘Viva la Vida’, that's midsummer; and finally ends with ‘Wake Me Up When Summer Ends’, that's late summer.”

Even the album tracks are clear at a glance, and the whole concept stands out immediately.

Lily and Connor were immersed in the shock and couldn't extricate themselves, but Miles noticed the details and asked Anson if the last song was a brand new inspiration.

Anson shared the fragments of inspiration he had captured in Portland.

Miles suggested a supplementary idea, if the concept of the whole summer is too straightforward, repeating it over and over again, it will not only seem straightforward, simple, but also seem superficial and boring, destroying the texture of the theme.

“Maybe, incorporating the concept of summer into the arrangement, so that listeners can feel the curve of youth growth in early summer, midsummer, and late summer, it would be very good.”

Anson agreed with this.

So, “Wake Me Up When Summer Ends” was changed to “Wake Me Up When September Ends”, and the album concept was subtly integrated into it.

One inspiration sparked a series of inspirations.

Lily couldn't help but rub her hands excitedly, eager to try, “Summer, summer, summer, then let's just call our band Summer, summer never ends.”

Connor raised his hands high in agreement, and actively participated in it, “Thirty Seconds to Midsummer, how about that? Our band is called ‘Thirty Seconds to Midsummer’.”

While saying that, Connor stood up, muttering to himself.

“How do the Backstreet Boys greet each other?”

“Hello everyone, we are Thirty Seconds to Midsummer!”

Connor raised his right hand and stretched it out, straightened his arm, opened his palm and flipped his hand, and then deliberately winked at the front.

Anson almost burst out laughing, barely managing to control himself, “You're not the Backstreet Boys, but the Spice Girls, right?”

Pfft.

Miles couldn't help but laugh.

Lily fell off the chair, “Connor, where are you looking? Are you okay, are your eyes twitching? Oh, God, it's a good thing you didn't put on lipstick.”

Laughing aside, Anson did spark a different spark of inspiration.

“August 31st, how about this name?”

After the laughter, everyone's eyes refocused on Anson.

Lily asked, “Does this day have any significance?”

Anson spread his hands, “No special meaning. The last day of August. That's all.”

“August 31st”, the last day of August, means the end of summer vacation, means the beginning of a new semester, and also the tail of summer, they seize the afterglow of youth, go all out in the last chance, and indulge themselves in the last willful run for their dreams.

It has no meaning, that's because Anson doesn't want to give it any meaning, just like summer, dreams and youth have different shapes in everyone's heart and life, and the band name also leaves room for imagination; but, for every listener, it naturally has a special meaning.

Miles, “I vote yes.”

Connor, “I have no opinion.”

Lily, “Surprisingly, I like it.”

Opinions, reached a consensus like this—

The band name is there.

The album concept is there.

The track list is there.

The consistent track arrangement and creative core are also there.

So, they returned to the recording studio—

The entire creation and recording became smooth again, and a continuous stream of inspiration continued to erupt.

However.

Sometimes, too much inspiration is not a good thing, because it means the collision of different ideas, different professions, different perspectives, and different colors trying to find a fusion point with each other, sometimes it is pleasant, sometimes it is not.

Today, as soon as they pushed open the door of the recording studio, the tense atmosphere in the work room rushed towards them.

Dustin Thorn, the music producer who personally came to persuade Anson to sign with Warner Records, personally served as the album producer for August 31st.

Just as promised, Dustin hoped to maintain the band's color as much as possible, which was the fundamental reason why they signed the band, but in the actual professional level of operation, Dustin and the band members still had many differences—

Without personal feelings involved, purely professional discussions based on the matter.

Especially Miles.

A bit, unexpected.

Miles, who is usually a good guy, comes from classical music, and his professional knowledge is definitely not inferior to Dustin. The styles and colors of the two people are both distinct and different, and sparks can always be seen in the back-and-forth collisions.

That's right, the recording early in the morning started with the two people's tit-for-tat.

Anson, stopped.

Holding coffee, standing at the door with a well-behaved face, he was still worried that he had overslept and was late for recording, but now it seems that being late is not so important, avoiding being provoked by the sparks in front of him is the top priority.

On the sofa at the door, a chubby little fat man with round cheeks, about twenty years old, sat upright on the sofa, straightening his back because of the quarrel in front of him, with a look of bewilderment, his embarrassed expression looked a little pitiful:

Wanting to escape but seeming to have missed the opportunity to escape.

His eyes were full of innocence.

Just right, Anson and the fat man noticed each other, and the two exchanged a look.

Anson was stunned, “They are not arguing.”