19 November 13 - 19, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents The new album was recorded with Mi- chael Smith at Sunland Studios in Dallas and mixed by Nolan Theis in New York City. Smith, a multi-instrumentalist and relatively young producer for such a high- profile project, had seen Flickerstick as a teenager and was excited to work with the band on their much-anticipated comeback album. For Smith, making the band com- fortable in the studio was paramount to the success of the recording sessions. After an initial meeting with Lea and Wagener, he was enlisted to both record and produce the album, and also contributed synthesiz- ers to the final mixes. “Beau casually mentioned back in 2023 that they wanted to do the record at my place,” Smith says. “He had brought it up, and I told him that I was definitely inter- ested. They put a lot of trust in me, and thankfully, I got along really well with ev- erybody, and that’s really important to me. As a producer, I want to make sure that the musicians are comfortable, inspired and able to give a good per- formance. We’ve always got time, and I think we were able to cap- ture that larger- than-life sound that I witnessed as a teenager.” Through Smith’s efforts, the band was able to both distill and refine their signature sound, as synthesizers, along with Thomas and Harwell’s rhythm section, provide a flawless padding to enhance both Ewing and Wagener’s swirling guitars under Lea’s soaring vocals. That being said, Su- perluminal just may be the record that cat- apults Smith and Sunland Studios into the spotlight as one of Dallas’s premier re- cording studios, although the space is situ- ated in a building behind the producer’s home. “I’ve known Michael for a very long time,” Wagener says. “I was really excited when he started doing production work because he’s always been fantastic at ev- erything he does. It’s a gift in life to be playing music with your friends and he- roes and I’m glad to be part of it.” For Flickerstick frontman Lea, he couldn’t agree more with Wagener regard- ing the meaning behind the creation of Su- perluminal and the process of making arguably the band’s best album to date. “Every day that this band plays anything, doing it for the second time, I’ve realized how special it really is,” Lea says. “For peo- ple to get together and make music, and to make a record the way that we did, it’s just all that I really know how to do. I want peo- ple to know that we just made our best re- cord and that I’m just happy to still be doing it with this band.” Flickerstick will also be featured in an upcoming documentary from indepen- dent filmmaker Crystal Vasquez. Superlu- minal will be made available on both vinyl and CD formats. “EVERY DAY THAT THIS BAND PLAYS ANYTHING, DOING IT FOR THE SECOND TIME, I’VE REALIZED HOW SPECIAL IT REALLY IS.” -BRANDIN LEA Hand built not bougHt. Franklins TaTToo and supply 469-904-2665 • 4910 Columbia ave, dallas, TX 75214 proFessional TaTToo supply For pros only Call for your appointment or design commissions today! SCAN HERE TO ENTER TO WIN TICKETS
