Interview With 'The Captured'
Firstly, introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about the band and how you came to be?
Live band: Jonn Walker: Vocals/guitar; Steve Walker: Lead guitar/vocals; Mike Carpenter: Rhythm guitar/vocals; Louis Morgan: Bass and Jack Nelson: Drums.
Myself (Jonn) and Steve are brothers, and we met Mike at college back in 2003. Over the next couple of years we played shows all over England and released our debut album "Enough Said" in 2005 nationwide. In 2006, we continued writing music for a follow-up album, but instead of recording, we split. I went on to write music and jam with other bands, but nothing took off. Almost a decade later, when 2015 arrived, we decided enough was enough, and it was high time to record the album we started writing back in 2006. By now we'd become more competent song writers and musicians and we began adding to the songs we had from 2006. By November 2015, we had amassed 15 new songs. What were you all up to prior to the band, was this always the chosen path or did you have other dreams and aspirations? We met at college, so we were pretty much using college as an excuse to chill and jam. I think I speak for everyone in the band when I say it was always the dream to become a full time touring band, but unfortunately, other things took over. In 2015, when we began recording our new album, we all agreed that if the right offer came along we would pursue music, but we all have families to look after and bills to pay, so we have to be reasonable. Tell us about your latest Album and why our readers should check it out.
"Medicated City" is our new album and it is so diverse I can't imagine anyone not liking at least one song on it. We have virtually every genre on it, and that was all what just naturally flowed. We didn't sit down and say "why don't we put some classical on it," or "we haven't had any acoustic yet, let's write an acoustic song". The Captured has always been about doing what we think is right, and I think this album sounds so unique because we didn't try to copy anyone. With "Enough Said" we were all really into Rancid and AFI and we had a real immature attitude, we were just like "Let's play it raw and however it comes out, that's what we'll stick with". Now, we want to make a record that sounds good, like someone who has taken their time to produce a masterpiece, a piece of art, not just used raw passion to get their point across. I played the drums to a click-track and we tried to get sounds for each individual guitar part. I think it's a masterpiece.
Who would you say is the bands main song writer or is it a group effort and where do you draw your inspiration lyrically and musically from?
I suppose I'm the main song writer in the band, although that was perhaps more so on "Enough Said". With the new stuff, I think there is definitely more of a group effort. Usually, one of us would come up with a riff or a chorus, show the others and then the song would just build from there. Songs that take too long to work on often don't amount to anything. We usually know pretty quickly if we have a good song. There are only one or two songs where I've had to really push to find lyrics, most of the time the lyrics just happen. When I was younger, lyrics from my favourite bands used to inspire me, but now I tend to feel inspired by things that have happened to me, by personal events, relationships. As a band what do you believe is your greatest achievement to date and why?
Releasing "Enough Said" in the shops was a big thing for us. Going in to HMV and seeing your album in the rack was pretty exciting.
Have you ever come face to face with someone within the music scene who has left you awestruck and why?
My brother and I met Lars from Rancid in 2003. He was super kind and was happy to hang out. I asked him if he would speak to one of my mates on my mobile and not only did he speak to him, but Lars asked him if he was coming to the show. My mate told him that he didn't have money for a ticket otherwise he would have been there and Lars told him to come down and that he'd put him on the guest list. As a man of his word, he did it and my mate got to see Rancid for free!
What do you enjoy most about touring? The excitement of getting to see new places and meet new people. When you've been driving all day, it's amazing to arrive at your destination and see the town/city on the approach. If we were to head out to one of your live shows what can ourselves and others expect? You'd see nothing but honesty. We work super hard and as music fans, we try to think about what we ourselves enjoy when we go to see a band, and then better it. When we're performing, we play hard and enjoy ourselves. We always try to give things away, whether it's guitar picks, set lists, t-shirts, whatever. And after a show we're always happy to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Intimate shows are so good for getting to hang out with fans and getting to know them.
If you had one artist/band that you could go on tour with tomorrow who would it be and why?
For me it would be Jimmy Eat World. They just seem like fun, respectable guys. Their musical abilities are amazing and their music is just so honest. Steve would most likely say he'd like to tour with Extreme. He's seen them loads of times and owns dozens of Nuno's guitars. Nuno is also the reason Steve began learning to play guitar. You can spend an hour with a musical icon living or dead, who would you pick, why and what would you speak about? It's a toss-up between Tchaikovsky or Dennis Wilson from the Beach Boys. I'd possibly go with Tchaikovsky. He's from a totally different era, country, culture and the man wrote Swan Lake. What a legend. I'd ask him what he thinks of the world and see if he wanted to collaborate.
And finally and most importantly is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?
Well, its family-themed story is perfect for a Christmas night in with the kids, but I wouldn't say it should only be watched at Christmas. It's certainly a film for any day of the week. Welcome to the party, pal!
