Ahead of their upcoming Dork show in Leeds (with Indoor Pets and Whenyoung – it’s going to be top), local boys Far Caspian introduce themselves and debut their new track, ‘The Place’; a hazy indie bop that’s far more chill than the subject matter would suggest.
“‘The Place’ was the last track we wrote and recorded for the EP so the vibe is a little bit different to the other tracks,” the boys say of the single, which arrives tomorrow, Tuesday 21st August via Dance to the Radio.
“A lot of our songs have loads of vocals and guitars so we wanted to have at least one on the EP that was based more on the drums and bass with only a few vocal tracks and then bring in a sound closer to ‘Holding On’ near the end.
“The song itself is about being too much in your own head. It’s like that place in your head that you retrieve back into when you feel awkward in a social situation. Or how you overthink things and make yourself feel more awkward by thinking you’re being awkward! Deep, I know.”
Hey guys, who’s in your band?
Joel: I’m Joel lead singer and rhythm guitarist. Alessio is our bassist, Jof is on drums, and Nathan is lead guitar.
The band started while you were at uni?
Joel: The band started as a studio project when I was studying in Liverpool. I transferred to Leeds College of Music a year later and met Alessio. We ended up moving in together, and I decided to ask him to turn the project into more of a band. Nathan joined after I had been recording his old band and we then found Jof through Facebook, so it all came together pretty easily.
When did you first realise you wanted to make music?
Joel: I’ve been playing drums since I was about seven so I’ve always been in bands but never really thought about songwriting until a couple of years ago. I had been recording other peoples music, and I just became curious about the idea of doing my own stuff. Being a drummer for so long it’s taking me quite a bit of time to become confident within myself as a singer who’s out front on stage and writing songs. But I’m getting more comfortable each time we play or put out a single.
What’s been the highlight of your time as a musician so far?
Alessio: I wrote music for a short film that won an Alexa Award and premiered at BAFTA.
Joel: When I was in secondary school, I sang ‘My Lovely Horse’ to Neil Hannon when he came to visit, and I managed to sing “My Little Horse” instead. Sorry, dude.
Tell us about your new EP, ‘Between Days’?
Joel: ‘Between Days’ is something that’s been bubbling for a while now. This is the first full project I’ve actually finished since starting writing songs, so I’m pretty excited to get it out there, especially through our label Dance to the Radio.
A lot of the tracks were written in January/February when the Seasonal Affective Disorder was in full swing. Missing long summer nights mixed with missing home and family pretty much inspired the whole thing. Between days basically means that weird limbo we sometimes feel when we’re transitioning from one season to another.
I was definitely in that transition period when writing the tracks and its a sweet feeling being on the other side of it now and sharing the result of that long winter.
Alessio: We recorded the whole thing in our dingy basement, and Joel mixed it in his bedroom, so we’re really proud how it’s turned out and that people are enjoying the tunes.
What else are you working on at the mo?
We both work as producers and tend to collaborate on as much as we can. We are currently working with a buddy called Amory Pitt and Dillon Thomas. Both amazing singer-songwriters.
Are you creative in non-musical ways too?
Joel: I love photography / videography and try to do as much of that as possible. All the promo designs and single artwork are mine, so it’s cool to have a reason to create in a different way. I also filmed and edited our music video for our first single ‘Holding On’ it’s pretty sketchy, but we had a lot of fun making it.
What do you do for fun?
Playing Rocket league and drinking Henry Westons. That’s the highlight of our week usually.
What would you most like to achieve during your music career?
Alessio: To be honest if I get the chance to write the music for a Marvel film I’ll die happy.
We’re really looking forward to your Dork gig with Indoor Pets and Whenyoung – what’s the best thing about a Far Caspian live show?
None of us are very good at singing so if you sing along you’ll feel good about your voice – a good incentive to learn the words.
What else do you lot have coming up this year?
Well, the EP comes out near the end of the year, so we’re kind of leaning towards that and doing a few shows as the singles are released. We’re currently planning our next music video so expect to see another zero-budget work of art in the near future.
Taken from the September issue of Dork, out now. Far Caspian play a Dork Live! show with Indoor Pets and Whenyoung at the Key Club in Leeds on 26th September.
Words: Sam Taylor
