CAPA Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new ep?

We're already knee-deep in writing for our next album, which will probably be a full-length. We've got a few songs already close to being finished, but we'll probably end up re-writing a lot of parts and adding/removing sections until we're completely happy with them. We usually take the year to write and then record in the summer. It gives us plenty of time to get every aspect exactly how we want it. Our other guitarist, Matt recently moved to Germany for the year so writing and communicating exclusively through email is going to be interesting.

2.At the end of August you had released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I would describe The Droves as being more intricate, heavy, and detailed than our previous material. We made some big changes in the production department through working with a new engineer. The main characteristic that we wanted to display on this album that differed from our previous material was clarity. There were times on This is the Dead Land This is Cactus Land where I felt some instrumental sections got washed out. I think the change we made ended up working out.

3.You call your musical style 'tragic black metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Tragic black metal is a term we use simply because we feel it captures the tone that we hope to capture in our music.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores in the music?

Our previous 3 albums (The Road is a Grey Tape, Shallow Towers, TITDLTICL) formed a conceptual trilogy that told the story of a character leaving society to survive in solitude only to return to the society after it had burned to the ground. Conceptually it explored topics such as nihilism, technology and ego centrism, and the relationship to the natural world. The Droves is a concept album about religion, specifically it focuses on one person who learns to reject religion and find meaning and beauty in the world. We wanted the mood of the album to transition musically, lyrically, and emotionally from crushing oppression to ambiguity, and finally to acceptance.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'CAPA'?

The name CAPA was chosen by our guitarist Matt while the project was still my solo ambient music outlet. We got the name from a character named Robert Capa from the Danny Boyle film "Sunshine".  Slowly as the band transitioned in style the name stuck.

6.In your pictures you wear masks, can you tell us a little bit more about what these masks represent?

The masks we used in promos were meant to represent the character from our conceptual trilogy of albums while fitting the tone of the music and shifting attention away from the actual members' appearance. It also came about because we hate posing for pictures haha. In our album art we used the mask to represent the character. In Shallow Towers the album art is almost a portrait of the character while in TITDLTICL the mask can be seen resting on a pile of rubble. We're not planning on using the masks forever. Now that the trilogy is over we stopped wearing them in promos, and when we play live we definitely don't wear them.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

The best show we've played was also our first show. It was with Rivers of Nihil and Scorned Deity at Kungfu Necktie in Philadelphia. We're definitely looking to play live more in the future, but with our other guitarist in Germany we'll have to find a replacement which could be hard.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Sadly not at the moment. We're still looking to fill out our lineup. We had some member shifts over the last year.

9.The last few releases have been self released, do you feel this gives you more freedom to do what you want musically with the DIY approach instead of having to work with a record label?

Self-releasing our material has been mostly due to practical concerns rather than any reason concerning creativity. Ivory Antler put out our first album, The Road is a Grey Tape, and was wonderful. We are actually currently looking for a label who would be interested in releasing a physical version of The Droves. I already have some alternative artwork that I think would work well for a vinyl release.

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of black metal and other forms of underground music?

Feedback seems to be positive. It's hard to gauge response outside of reading reviews. But overall I'm happy with the response it's gotten so far.

11.When can we expect another full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Our new material seems to be expanding on the intricate and heavy elements present on The Droves. But we're still about a year away from any kind of announcement on our part and a lot can change in that time.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I've been listening to Ulcerate's new album, Vermis nonstop which I'm sure will show up in some shape or form in the material we're writing now. Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes has been on repeat also. As for direct influences on our music I would say Wolves in the Throne Room, Krallice, American Football, and probably hundreds of others.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

I am also a visual artist. I do paintings, photography, and digital editing as well as creating all of CAPA's artwork. I'm looking to get into creating album art for other bands as well. Other than art, I recently graduated from college with a Bachelor of Science degree and our other guitarist Matt just got his Master's.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you so much for the opportunity!

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