On April 4th, Yep Roc Records will release Less and Less, the new full-length from Little Rock, AR’s American Princes. The album documents a marked period of artistic growth for the band. The Princes depart from the raw, dual-guitar attack of their Yep Roc debut, Little Spaces, and move to a more nuanced, pop-influenced territory, with stronger instrumentation, more personal lyrical themes, and a bolder production aesthetic.

Not to say it doesn’t rock. From the blistering opener, “Stolen Blues,” to the ardent fervor of “Never Grow Old,” the album pulses with exuberant crescendos and driving progressions. The frantic, propulsive rhythms of “This is the Year” and the earnest, anthemic “Simple Life” show the Princes’ fiery passion and genuine love of rock and roll.

The band enlisted the talents of producer Alan Weatherhead (Sparklehorse, Denali) at Sound Of Music Studios in Richmond, VA. With his help, the Princes (David Slade, rhythm guitar and vox, Collins Kilgore, lead guitar, keys and vox, Matt Quin, drums and Luke Hunsicker, bass guitar) were able to expand upon their musical vocabulary and find new ways of rendering their songs.

“When we recorded Less and Less, we wanted to go beyond our previous songwriting processes,” says Kilgore, “Al was really nurturing. He was always able to see what we were trying to do and would help us get there in a way that didn’t feel obtrusive or overbearing. He became a really good friend who happens to double as a musical genius.”

David Slade elaborates, “I think this record was our attempt to peel away our defenses. You cut away a scream here, a guitar line there, pare back the lyrics a little to make them more autobiographical. Instead of trying to present ourselves as some kind of larger-than-life rock machine, we wanted to make a more vulnerable, humanizing statement. But with badass guitar solos, of course.”

2005 was an extremely busy year for the Princes: A punishing tour schedule for the latter half of the year culminated in a two week leg with punk/country icons Lucero, as well as a scorching set at CMJ with other Yep Roc faves. It was a year of pushing all the limits, of learning the ropes of what it takes to be a full time touring band. 2006 brings Less and Less, and finds the band wizened and confident, with their live show perfected and their best material before them.