While they may have been “built out of the depths of heartbreak,” Capitol Affair are anything but shattered. In fact, they are hoping to shatter some personal records this year – and are off to a great start. The Sydney pop rockers have released two compelling tracks in the last year, in anticipation of their second EP, Rose-Coloured Glasses. We decided to catch up with the band during this exciting time, chatting with them about their journey thus far and what lies ahead.
Photo courtesy of Capitol Affair
Capitol Affair is (from left to right):
Ricky Szuch, Tom Doré, Ben Mills, Jarrad Riley
Melodic Mag: Could you introduce yourselves and your roles in Capitol Affair?
Capitol Affair: Hey! I’m Jarrad. I sing and play guitar. We have Ricky who plays bass, Tom who plays drums, and Ben who also plays guitar and trumpet. Everyone can sing 🙂
MM: What has your day been like so far?
CA: I’ve had a good day! I’ve been working on music for after the EP!
MM: The opening line on your Spotify bio, “Built out of the depths of heartbreak,” is so gripping! If most of you weren’t coming out of relationships at the time, what do you think the songs on your first EP would have been about?
CA: That’s a really good question; maybe politics? It sounds so different to the themes of the City Lights EP, but filled with youthful angst; it’s hard to know what else we would have wrote about.
MM: The tracks on the City Lights EP go from trying to reconcile these relationships to recognizing that they are over. When you released the EP, did you have thoughts that these tracks would rekindle anything, or was this more of a “last goodbye” for those relationships?
CA: I think you’ve hit the nail on the head by calling it a “last goodbye.” Acceptance of all that had happened was easier after these songs were finished. “It’s Too Late” was probably the moment in the EP where it sums up the feeling best of it being good enough and recognizing that your relationship is over.
MM: Your sound kind of lives in that pop punk/alt-pop universe, which is where a lot of artists are gravitating towards at the moment. Is it tricky to find fresh or unique ways to represent this genre in your songs?
CA: For us, not really anymore. We try and push ourselves out of our comfort zone by using instruments or sounds not typically found in the genre. “Will You Go” has trumpets, the title track “Rose-Coloured Glasses” has music samples from what sounds like the 40s, as well as a vocoder. So as long as we keep it fresh, I don’t think we’ll run into that problem too much.
MM: How long does it usually take to create a track?
CA: Our process is, someone has an idea for a song. We jam it. If we like it, I’ll go home and throw it into the computer and get started on it. Then, once enough body has been put into it, the other guys will come around and add anything else. Once that is finished, we send it to our producer, and if he likes it, we’ll book studio time. It takes about three days for a single track in the studio.
MM: What can you tell us about your upcoming EP, Rose-Coloured Glasses?
CA: “Rose-coloured glasses,” the track, is very emo. It reflects on the City Lights EP lyrical content. The EP, as a whole, is our lives over the past year or so. It’s about falling in love, being judged by people, and the realization that someone isn’t who they say they are. It’s a bit of a roller coaster.
MM: Your new single, “Will You Go,” does a great job of blending the music with the lyrics, where they are both so complementary of one another. When you listen to songs in general, do any of you connect more with the lyrics or with the music?
CA: I think everyone varies, but we can all appreciate good lyricism. Personally, for me, if the instruments back up what’s happening with the lyrics, that’s what will make a strong song.
MM: Any fun facts or hidden talents you would like to share?
CA: A big misconception is that the trumpets on our new single, “Will You Go,” are made by a computer. It’s actually Ben, our guitarist, who plays them. Slowly, people are starting to figure out Ben plays trumpet really well.
MM: How are you feeling about 2021, generally speaking and music-wise?
CA: Very optimistic. We’ve spent time making good music and we can’t wait to show everyone. In Australia, they are starting to vaccinate people. Couple that with 35 days without a Covid case in NSW (the state Sydney is in), and hopefully, we should be able to have shows again at the back end of the year.
MM: Any final thoughts or comments?
CA: Please go check out our new single “Will You Go.” We appreciate all the support we’ve had so far with it! 🙂
Thank you so much, Capitol Affair! We look forward to hearing more from you this year.
You can check out Capitol Affair on Spotify and Apple Music.
Keep up with Capitol Affair: Twitter // Facebook // Instagram // Website
