With the band all set for the Bad Press Album Tour – Part 2, to support their 4th album ‘Bad Press’, we asked Captain Accident how he writes, what inspires him, and how he went from a bedroom in Cardiff to playing festivals in Europe and jamming on stage with Suggs.
Give us a potted history of Captain Accident
Captain Accident started back in 2009 as a bedroom project based in Cathays, Cardiff. It was a nickname given to me because of my lack of spatial awareness and extreme clumsiness …
I was brought up on reggae music and have had a lifelong love for the genre, so as soon as I acquired the technology and developed the ability, I began writing and recording reggae music at home. There were originally no aspirations to take it anywhere seriously but after sharing it on social media at the time (anyone remember Myspace?) I was blown away by the response I received. I was encouraged to get a band together to start playing the songs live, and that’s when Captain Accident & the Disasters was born. The very first gig was rammed with people singing along to the songs, giving me such an incredible feeling that I knew I just had to keep this thing going … and so I did just that!
Four albums later the homegrown element remains the same, but the band and the list of accomplishments has grown into something far beyond what I’d imagined and ever set out to do. Supporting some of the biggest names in the genre, touring with my musical heroes (Toots & the Maytals), jamming on stage with Suggs and playing at Europe’s most prestigious reggae festival Rototom Sunsplash in Spain … It has been the most awesome journey and I’m looking forward to whatever is to come next.
Who inspired you to start making music
My father was a singer and songwriter. He played in a number of bands, so I was always around live music. As a child I was amazed at the craft of songwriting, and I feel extremely blessed to have been brought up around such creativity. As a young teenager, I also remember how helpful and encouraging my local youth centre was. It facilitated and enabled me and some of my like- minded friends to ‘keep out of trouble’ by making music and we very quickly formed our first band.
And the one or maybe two records that inspired you artistically
This is a tricky one. Are we talking songs that inspired me to start making music in general, or songs that inspired me to start Captain Accident? I’ll do one of each …
I was a grungy teenager and Nirvana were a very big inspiration for me, so much so that I’m still rocking the long hair and baggy pants now! Haha! I will never relive that feeling of hearing Nevermind for the first time. Something about the sound of that album at that angsty time of my life just felt so good. Lithium was the first one I was determined to learn – my friend could play it and I was so envious. I just had to learn it myself too!
One album that has followed me right the way through my life and still gets regular plays is UB40’s Signing Off album. Pure genius both musically and lyrically. I can always escape into this album, and it always takes me on a journey. I love all the tracks on the album, but I think my very favourite (despite loving Ali’s vocals) is the instrumental track Adella. Something about the groove and instrumentation just gets me every time.
If you’re trying to explain who you sound like to someone that’s never heard you, what do you say
I would say a blend of soulful roots reggae, upbeat ska and a hint of lover’s rock all mashed together with a healthy dose of rock-inspired twin-guitar and plenty of vocal harmonies. Whilst rhythmically it’s very much reggae/ska-based, there’s definitely a nod to the rock guitar gods! Haha!
Tell us about your new album
The Bad Press album was self-released last year. All self-recorded and produced at home, the album is a reflection on the times we are currently living in. Some of the album was written prior to and some during Covid. Lyrically the album is quite political at times. There are some protest songs, some songs that highlight the way the world seems to be heading and some hard hitting topics, but also a few happier songs!
Where can we get hold of it
It’s available on all the regular digital and streaming platforms. Physical copies are available from a number of outlets but also directly from here
Tell us how you write
The writing process is quite unusual – I write and record the entire thing myself, playing all instruments and parts on the record. I tend to get a vocal idea into my head, sometimes just a melody or sometimes an entire hook, record the idea on the voice recorder app on my phone so I don’t forget it (song ideas come at the most inconvenient times!) then go into my home studio to build it up layer by layer into a complete song. Drums, then bass, then keys, guitars, vocals, harmonies, then percussion. I tend to write the rest of the lyrics as I am recording the song, so the writing and recording process very much merge into one thing.
Tell us about your live show
The live show is so good. Energetic and super tight!! The best part of the whole thing I think!! The band are the most incredible musicians I know and my best friends in the world. We spend a lot of time crafting the set and working on the performance, so songs lead nicely into each other, and the entire set takes the audience (and the band) on a journey. There are heavy bits, quiet bits, dub sections, rock-twin guitar breaks, faster dancehall parts and even a sneaky bit of drum & bass! A high energy performance which is guaranteed to get people up dancing!
What can we expect from you in the near future
We have a big UK tour coming up towards the end of the year which we’re very much looking forward to and are currently planning something exciting for early 2023 … all to be revealed soon.
Autumn UK tour dates are:
- 7 th Oct: Derby, Hairy Dog
- 16 th Oct: Leicester, Firebug
- 21 st Oct: Hereford, Babar Café
- 22 nd Oct: Gravesend, Red Lion
- 28 th Oct: London, Grace
- 29 th Oct: Bristol, Thekla
- 2 nd Nov: Glasgow, Hug & Pint
- 3 rd Nov: Hull, New Adelphi
- 10 th Nov: Swindon, Victoria
- 11 th Nov: Alton, Lounge Bar
- 12th Nov: St Davids, Clwb
- 18 th Nov: Bournemouth, Cellar Bar
- 19 th Nov: Shrewsbury, Albert’s Shed
Tickets are available here
Tell us your favourite records that are rocking your headphones / tour bus / stereo
Regular rotation in the tour bus and on the headphones right now includes The Interrupters, Jaya The Cat, The Slackers, The Skints, Damian Marley, Alborosie and Ziggi Recardo.
Check out the bands track Playing Field, below:
Find out more via the band’s Website or Facebook
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