Casey Bolles - Sound In The Signals Interview
You released your EP Freshman at the very end of last year. I thought the description of the EP what it is about and how it's supposed to be listened to very interesting. Can you tell our readers a little about the meaning of the songs and how important the sequencing is to you for the EP?
I'm super flattered by this question because it actually means a lot to me, so It means a lot that you picked that up. I've always liked records that were pseudo concept records. Things that are linear but not literally a concept album. The point of the first coup songs is to set the stage. The rest of the record is purely anecdotal, and the final song is a summary. The sequence is supposed to push the concurrent themes while still highlighting what's interesting about the individual tracks. Hopefully it feels this way.
You talk about the EP being a transition from freshman year to sophomore year of college. How had your life changed and impacted the songs from some of your previous material?
On my 18th birthday I moved from a suburb of buffalo, NY to Manhattan. It was pretty real. I kind of thrust myself into growing up without really having resolved anything I needed to resolve before leaving, both personally and in relationships. Between then and the release I dated a girl who broke up with me by telling me she was getting married to someone else, I have become more successful with music, I have lost and strengthened friendships, and pursued work and school. Luckily people seem interested in what I had to say, although it's incredibly self indulgent. Everything I wrote before was angst u high school shit that didn't really sound like any music I liked and didn't get at anything other than whining. So the music has changed a lot, from something embarrassing to something I'm proud of.
The EP starts off strong with "Potential" which is one of my favorite songs on the EP. What was the songwriting process for that song and how long did you work on the lyrics for the song?
I'm glad you like the song! That song is actually the only one that has a coolish story. Brent Martone of head north was staying with me in New York while he was in between line ups for his band, we were both pretty directionless I think. We spent a couple weeks just writing and coming up with some crazy idea for a concept record and I wrote "struggle" about he and I and our different circumstances but being young and still dealing with a lot. We'll eventually his band took off and I had a song that I realized wasn't that great. I Frankensteined that together with a guitar part I had from an unreleased track, and it fit together into something kind of cool. That was one of the last songs I finished for the record but the first one I started.
You covered The Hotelier's "Your Deep Rest" on youtube and it was pretty cool cover. Any chance we'll hear a recorded version of that cover? Why did you pick that song to cover?
Haha probably not, and I definitely butchered it. I love that record, as does everyone I know. I covered it at like every show for a while.
You just announced a big tour with A Will Away. What can people expect from the shows and how did it work out for you to be on the tour?
I literally didn't even know we were announcing tour until noon the day we announced. There was a really incredible buffalo band (please give them a listen, you'll be doing yourself a favor) cedar kites, which unfortunately had to drop the tour for personal reasons, and the booking agent was interested in working with me. I know A Will Away pretty well from hanging out with the same people, sharing a love of head north and Watermedown as well as somewhere sessions. At the shows be prepared to be blown away by AWA and hopefully sing songs from Freshman if you know them.
Do you have any plans for new music in 2015? Any chance we will hear an album from you?
Freshman has definitely not completed its lifespan quite yet. Still expect more from that. Luckily some friends have been interested in it, hopefully some more will come of it.
I guess that about wraps it up. Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Thanks so much for the interest. If anyone hasn't heard my record, check it out at caseybolles.bandcamp.com. Catch me on tour with A Will Away this spring between 3/20-3/26:
http://quietfiremedia.tumblr.com/post/108940614637/a-will-away-spring-tour-dates-event-pages-and
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