s ▁writing ▁partner ▁Anders ▁Gra hn , ▁collabor ated ▁in ▁a ▁room ▁in ▁Hollywood . ▁ ▁After ▁an ▁impress ive ▁session , ▁Fl ann igan ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁help ▁complete ▁the ▁album ▁with ▁Mc M ah on ▁and ▁Vi ola . ▁When ▁the ▁tri o ▁met ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁Mc M ah on ▁ca ution ed ▁them ▁that ▁he ▁might ▁have ▁to ▁leave ▁at ▁a ▁moment ' s ▁notice ▁as ▁his ▁wife ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁give ▁birth ▁any ▁day . ▁His ▁daughter ▁Cec ilia ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 4 ; ▁despite ▁this , ▁sessions ▁continued ▁into ▁April . ▁After ▁half - to - three - quarters ▁of ▁album ▁had ▁been ▁recorded , ▁Mc M ah on ▁and ▁his ▁manager ▁contact ed ▁V angu ard ▁Records ▁( who ▁Mc M ah on ▁knew ▁through ▁friends ), ▁and ▁started ▁working ▁with ▁them . ▁Mc M ah on , ▁Fl ann igan ▁and ▁Vi ola ▁worked ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁production ▁areas ▁and ▁stud ios ▁all ▁over ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁to ▁finish ▁off ▁the ▁album , ▁namely ▁B are b ones ▁Studios , ▁Big ▁Ev il , ▁Rus k ▁Studios , ▁L AF X ▁( with ▁engineer ▁Sp encer ▁Guerra ), ▁Sp end lo ve ▁Studios , ▁and ▁Lim bo ▁Studios ▁in ▁the ▁UK . ▁ ▁Mc M ah on ▁handled ▁piano ▁and ▁singing ▁while ▁he ▁and ▁Fl ann igan ▁played ▁key boards , ▁and ▁Vi ola ▁added ▁bass . ▁Vi ola ▁and ▁Fl ann igan ▁s ung ▁backing ▁vocals ;