It Doesn't Take Long For The Old Soul To Find Gold

"Next time around will be even more retarded."

This is the claim that multi-instrumentalist and core The Old Soul member Luca Maoloni printed in the liner notes of his band's self-titled debut disc when it was reissued in 2005.

Maoloni warmed up his chops last year with an EP called She's Got Party Davis Eyes, but now the time has come for him to put his money where his mouth is. He's responded accordingly with a settle-for-nothing-but-the-best pop epic titled Gold, a 12-track disc that takes The Old Soul in unexpected directions.

"I knew someone was going to ask me that," Maoloni says of the promise, while stifling a conciliatory laugh. "It's more retarded in the sense that: a) I don't think the people that know us expected this, and; b) I personally don't think that too many people have attempted to do something like this. So, yes, it's a lot more retarded."

While much of his debut disc's aesthetic remains intact on Gold, Maoloni is quick to call the new album "more accessible." He purposely did away with the guitar and horns this time around, effectively creating a disc that has a darker, less garish feel, while maintaining a hint of the '60s pop sensibilities that made his debut such a fun ride.

"I don't think about what people are going to be listening to," Maoloni says matter-of-factly. "I care about how I'm going to be listening to it, because I love listening to myself."

While that statement might seem standoffish coming from another person, Maoloni is completely sincere when it comes to his love of his own music. While one might expect such sentimentality to be a result of a lengthy labour of love, it seems that Maoloni is capable of producing sprawling, piano-driven masterpieces with very minimal effort.

The tracks on Gold, he says, were arranged in his head long before he stepped into a studio, and recording usually required only one or two takes. If it weren't for post-dub tinkering, he might be able to release an album every week.

"The actual recording was done fast," Maoloni explains. "But the little things took a lot of time because I wanted it to be perfect in my mind, but it was hard to speak it out to my hands."

Maoloni and his band are just as meticulous when it comes to producing a memorable show for their audiences.

"All the bands that I really like and that I go back and see would always screw things around and make it entertainment — make it something you'd want to go and see again," he says. "People are coming out of their houses to see a band — you have to do your best to woo them. There are so many bands nowadays, it's tough competition."

Though the 30 year old is more than anxious to show off his new wares, he's not quite ready to start his Gold tour yet.

"We're just waiting for the right opportunity to come up. We've played quite a bit. We just want to make sure that it's done right. We're not young. We're not in our early twenties, ready to go play all over the place for no personal or career gain, so we like to play our cards right."

Gold hits store shelves on Oct. 2 via Grifter Music.