Written by Jamie Glenn
With two EP’s under her belt and a few recently released singles within the past year including “Waste My Time” and “Tension,” rising indie-pop artist CAPPA is officially out of her funk. After an almost year-long hiatus away from the industry, CAPPA is back stronger than ever both creatively and musically.
Capturing success as an artist in the modern music scene can be something of a challenge, CAPPA shares what her grind is like as an emerging name in music. “If I release a song/video/campaign, within a couple of months it’s time to put out new music again. The time and money it takes to do that, especially as an independent artist, is definitely a big challenge.”
Sometimes we practice for days, months and even years for an opportunity to share our talents with the world and sometimes the stars a line and opportunities fall into place! CAPPA talks about scoring her first performance after tons of hard work trying to find a gig. “One of my first performances was opening up for “Who Is Fancy.” My band and I had been practicing for an upcoming show… and the night before we got a call that the opener had dropped off of the Fancy show and they needed an opener,” says CAPPA. “It was a big deal for me because I had never really even performed a full show before! I was definitely nervous, but when you get opportunities like that you just go for it!”
Artist collaborations are always a keystone for many musicians. When it comes to her own collaborations, CAPPA would love to be alongside an artist like Pharell. “Collaborating with Pharell has always been a dream of mine! I think he would be one of my top picks, CAPPA says, “…he is so talented, but also a great businessman, I think I could learn a lot from him.”
Let it be known that talent and hard work must be present for someone like CAPPA to rise to the top, her songwriting process may sound a bit unique and free-spirited to some, but every music artist does things differently. When asked if she has a specific routine when creating songs, CAPPA tells us, “I don’t actually! It’s always so different. I just always shoot for the best. Songwriting is weird because some days it works, some days it just doesn’t and you never know why.”
CAPPA recently released a song called “Tension” (check out our review here). She talks to us about her favorite verse within the single. “The second verse – “now we’re here face to face, I need to know are you gonna do it, listening to your old band in my car are you gonna do it.” It’s a very light-hearted song but every time I hear that part I laugh a little because I’ve been through it a few times. I always date musicians because that’s the world I am, so everyone is always showing me their band from high school.”
Being in the studio versus being in front of a live audience is entirely different. Singer CAPPA tells us her routine before she hits the stage. “I try not to talk to a ton of people before ‘cause sometimes I get in my own head. I like to just chill out before and do some vocal warm-ups. Her favorite song to perform is killing it because of its fun and upbeat energy.
Being in the game for quite a while now, CAPPA has a few words of wisdom she follows on the day to day. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams; live the life you’ve always imagined” by Thoreau. The singer is so dedicated to the saying that she even has it tattooed on her!
Her advice to her younger audience in pursuit of a carrier in the music industry? “It’s a lot of work! It’s not for the faint of heart. You have to REALLY want it,” says CAPPA “Also, don’t take things people say too seriously – no one knows what they’re talking about. You do you.” She goes on to explain how inspiring it is when people admire her dedication to her craft. “I kind of tear up every time,” she says.
So much of the art you create is influenced by where you call home, CAPPA shares how living in LA has shaped her as an artist. “It’s been great! I sort of wish I moved a little earlier. I LOVE Nashville, but I hit a bit of a wall there. There’s a lot coming about in the pop scene in Nashville, but LA has just been doing it for so long. It’s definitely more difficult but I am enjoying the challenge.”
Looking forward, CAPPA has some big goals in motion for fans following her journey and talks about what’s coming up in regards to her music. “I have a few songs I love right now, and if it makes sense, I’d love to release them on an EP. If it doesn’t make sense, I’ll just keep doing singles for a while until it feels right.”
When it comes to her ultimate goal as an up and coming music artist, CAPPA mentions the idea of playing at the Super Bowl or perhaps Madison Square Garden or even overseas! “To be honest, I’m not sure when I would feel like “I’ve made it, [but] I think I’ll know when I get there.” She then goes on to say that if Paramore just happened to be in the crowd, then that would totally play a big part in her “making it.”
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