Carpa – New release Caprais six-and-a-half minutes of unstoppable force, and the band are on pure fire right now. This ought to whet your appetites, if fun-loving metallic hardcore is up your street.
Interview conducted on May 14, 2020
by Dan Locke
Violent fun with a vital message – a succinct summary of fresh faces Capra from Lafayette, southern Louisiana. With only two releases under their belt, they’ve already made waves in their immediate surroundings, and it’s clear why. Their metallic hardcore twist is infectious, bursting with creativity and vigor as though they are still riding the high of having already played with Today is the Day, Eyehategod and The Number Twelve Looks Like You.
Band Members
Crow Lotus – Vocals
Tyler Harper – Guitar
Jeremy Randazzo – Drums
Ben Paramore – Bass
What is your upbringing?
Crow: I have been a performing artist since I was 13 years old, starting first by dancing then by picking up bass guitar when I was about 15 years old. I didn’t start doing vocals until I joined Capra about two years ago, and I truly wonder why it has taken me so long to do it because it now feels so natural to me.
How did you discover music?
I’ve always been a lover of music, I couldn’t possibly pinpoint where it all began… But I do remember finding my mom’s Scorpion CD in the TV stand and it changed my life.
How did your band start?
Tyler and Jeremy have been playing music together for several years now and have been friends for much longer than that. I started doing vocals with Capra about 2 years ago, and Ben joined a few years before me.
How did you get Crow to be in your band?
Through Facebook! Tyler sent me a message asking me to try out a few practices with them, and it worked out from there.
Crow- You are by trade a belly dancer. Have you put so belly dancing into your live shows?
I’ve tried it with previous bands, but it’s always been a disaster. People can’t seem to keep their hands to themselves, and it’s often awkward to transition into during a metal or hardcore show. I would love to be able to find a way to incorporate it more into my music career, so that’s something I’ll have to put some thought into!
Crow- Are you into video games. And what is your favorite game and system? Basically are you a gamer at heart?
I’ve been playing video games for as long as I can remember. My favorite game is Age of Empires for PC, and I find myself playing mostly on PC lately, but I still believe that the Playstation 2 was one of the best things to happen to gaming. There was a ridiculous variety of games offered on that console, and it perfected everything that the first Playstation fell short on. I’ll never forget sitting in front of my TV for hours after school eating string cheese and playing Playstation.
How do you define your music?
Fast and hard and angry. And absolutely authentic.
How did you start to write music?
I’ve always loved writing poetry, and it’s just a matter of making that poetry fit the rhythm of the instrumentation. I wasn’t particularly good at writing at first, but I find that my writing improves the more I practice, just like with playing an instrument. Now it comes much more naturally to me, thankfully.
How the band did get its name?
Tyler named the band after the Capra Demon boss in the game Dark Souls. Don’t get Tyler started on Dark Souls.
What is DIY Music?
Being a DIY band means you don’t rely on other people to do anything for you. We book our own shows and tours and we make our own art. We appreciate any help we receive, but we definitely don’t feel entitled to any handouts.
You opened for bands like Whores and the Number 12 Looks. Did they teach you anything about music that you would like to share with our readers?
Tyler says, “Whores and Number 12 are masters of their craft. If anything, they taught me personally to stay humble, work hard, and play every show like there’s 10,000 people in the audience.”
Who give you the award The Best Band Ever?
Tyler says, “The world.”
How do you stay healthy while touring?
I try my best to eat something other than fast food every chance I get. I also do my best to chug as much water as possible, because touring can really take on toll on you, and the last thing you need is to be dehydrated, especially if you are spending hours riding in a van in the hot sun and sweating through performances almost every night. I also travel with resistance bands so I can do some calisthenic exercises in lieu of weights or other equipment.
What is your favorite track on the album?
My favorite track on the album is definitely Locust Preacher. For the lyrics, I wrote about my sleep paralysis and night terrors, which have plagued me since I was a child. In writing about it, it feels as though I have almost demystified something which has bothered me for so long. I actually don’t have as much trouble with sleep paralysis anymore after taking the time to pick it apart and confront it in an artistic way.
Tell me about your latest video Torture Ship?
I wrote the lyrics for Torture Ship about how it feels to overcome something terrible and becoming stronger in the process. Shooting the video for it was quite the experience. In fact, I’d had a bit of a stressful day, so the frustration I felt while filming was 100% real. We were also all sweating our butts off in that warehouse, so that help with the look of desperation!
We chose to take a more straightforward approach, doing a sort of no-thrills live performance for the video. I’m very pleased with the shooting and editing done by Jai Benoit, as well. I don’t think there’s a thing I would change about it, and it showcases the tone of the song well.
On the video for the song did film it before Covid-19?
We recorded the video several months ago before most people had become aware of the severity of the virus. We were just waiting for the best time to release it.
I see you are still selling Merch, by using Bandcamp. And they are waiving all fees?
Bandcamp waived fees on March 20th and May 1st to help bands which have been affected by the pandemic in some way, which is really great. Many bands rely on merchandise sold at live shows to make up a huge part of their earnings, but since live shows have been cancelled until further notice, selling merch online is one of the only ways to make up for that deficit without endangering the safety of others. They’ll be waiving fees again on June 5th and July 3rd, so those are great days to support your favorite artists by buying merch online!
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
I think streaming services are a good way to explore new bands and to listen to bands we already know and love. Many people would argue that it prevents bands from being able to sell as many CDs, and though I acknowledge that this is a valid concern, there are other ways@@@
Digital vs. vinyl?
I acknowledge the significance of vinyl and its bearing on the culture of music, but I grew up listening to CDs, so I’d have to choose digital. I do have a small vinyl collection, but I’m not exactly a connoisseur.
Any plans to tour?
We absolutely are ready to kick everything back into high gear as soon as bands are able to go on the road again without endangering the health of others! We thrive on live music — not only with playing our own shows, but being able to watch other bands perform as well.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? And what is the meaning that song means to you?
“Shine On You Crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd has always been one of my favorite songs, but I find myself listening to it more than usual lately. It especially rings relevant right now, as I worry about people who are spending more idle time at home due to COVID-19. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for certain people to keep from resorting to old habits, namely substance abuse, in a time in which everyone feels particularly hopeless or alone.
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Hopefully everyone will be more willing to attend live shows after having been stuck inside for so long. I predict that concert attendance will skyrocket after the stay-at-home order is lifted, and hopefully this will help people fall in love with live music again.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
I’ve been reading several novels and playing a lot of video games. I read Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler and Severance by Ling Ma, and I’m now reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, all of which are apocalyptic novels, which are my favorite genre right now as you can probably imagine. As far as video games, I’ve been playing 7 Days to Die, Age of Empires, and of course, Animal Crossing.
Lots of people are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Are you planning to do something like that?
We often livestream our practices, but it is difficult to hear everyone because we only record with our phones. We have discussed putting something together that involves a bit more production, but we want to involve as few people as possible for social distancing.
There was an article in the New York Times this week talking about concerts may not start again until fall of 2021.
Really hoping that isn’t the case, but worst-case scenario, we’ll find ways to make it work. None of us are interested in putting CAPRA on the backburner.
Your logo is classic. All of you have masks on. It is great. Who come up with the idea?
Tyler is usually the mastermind behind our art and memes.
How do you see yourself in the next five years?
I see myself continuing to share my art with everyone I meet and doing whatever it takes to make up for the deficit we may unfortunately feel in the touring world over the next year or so.
Anything you would like to say in closing?
Now is the time to take action. If you’ve been looking for a sign, this is it. Get after it.
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