Green Envy goes preaux with new album

Green+Envy+released+its+latest+album+%E2%80%9CNeaux+Instruments%E2%80%9D+on+Nov.+6.+The+album+includes+covers+of+Sam+Smith+and+Sheppard+songs.

Green Envy released its latest album “Neaux Instruments” on Nov. 6. The album includes covers of Sam Smith and Sheppard songs.

Heather Andelsman, Staff Reporter

It was one thing for “Pitch Perfect” to make a capella seem tolerable (which honestly owes a lot to America’s quirky girl sweetheart Anna Kendrick), but now Tulane’s own Green Envy is stepping into the big leagues and showing Kendrick, and the world, what’s good.

Green Envy has already made itself known for its vibrant live shows and strong vocals. Now, the group’s taking it to the next level with the release of its professionally produced album, “Neaux Instruments.”

The album is available through major distributors like iTunes and Spotify. It’s a combination of the crowd favorites from the past two to three years of Green Envy’s shows. Some of the tracks include covers of chart toppers like “Stay With Me,” “Geronimo” and “Rather Be.”

The creation of “Neaux Instruments” was a long ride, going back almost three years. The album was recorded at Loyola University New Orleans’ studio with student technicians and the help of an a capella producer.  

“It’s a really intense process because we are very close to this music and it’s such a personal project for us,” Green Envy’s Musical Director Ethyn Samuels said. “We just wanted to make sure that everything was exactly the way we envisioned it.”

This is the first professionally produced project that Green Envy has released. In the past, the albums were burned on CDs without any real equipment.

“What we’re hoping this album does is that it gives us a tool to show the world how far we’ve come and the level that we’re playing at,” Samuels said.

The move from live shows to recording in a studio was a big change for the a capella group. Green Envy’s top priority was meeting the expectations of the people that have heard their live material.

“One of the inherent problems of recording anything is you lose quality, and even recording with these exceptionally high quality microphones,” Samuels said. “You don’t get the same warmth like someone’s singing right in front of you. We really wanted to create this experience where we were just surrounding you with our sound.”

The quality of the vocals was not lost. “Neaux Instruments” displays not only the talent of the students in Green Envy, but also the heart that was put into making it.

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