Interview with Calling All Captains: Luc

Calling All Captains is a band from Canada that is breaking through the pop punk scene and changing the way we should define the genre.  The band is comprised of Luc Gauthier (Vocals), Brad Bremner (guitar), Connor Dawkins (guitar), Nick Malychuk (bass) and Tim Wilson (drums).  The band is singed to Equal Vision Records and released their EP “Nothing Grows Here” in February 2019.  Calling All Captains is in the midst of preparing for their first album release.  We spoke with Luc and had a wonderful conversation about the insides into the life of a budding signed musician.  ​

Gauthier has lived in the same city for his whole life, he likes to say he is 25 but looks forever 16. He has been playing music with his friend Connor Dawkins together for a long time.  Gauthier and Dawkins started jamming together when Gauthier dropped a guitar pick in math class and the rest was history.   They had known their bass player, Nick Malychuk, for about 8 years which was before Captains was even a band. The band has been together for about 6 years and was signed to Equal Vision Records a year ago.
 
If it speaks to you, you don't really have to do much writing
 
Most of the band’s songs were written in Gauthier’s basement, which he likes to call the tone zone. He said that a fan once told him that the band has really awesome second verses. This is an aspect that sets Captains apart from other pop punk bands since the second verse is normally the point where listeners will move along or keep listening—it’s the make or break section of a song. Gauthier said he was recently writing a song and working on the chord progressions as well as the vocal hook and some leads since he was bored in his basement, he continued on by saying that sometimes the best songs are written in a space that feels right to you.  For Gauthier and Dawkins, the song writing process focuses on the emotions or feelings placed behind what they are attempting to convey.  They have to feel something.  The two of them would often talk to guitarist, Brad Bremner, who is their resident music theory buff.  This makes for some interesting chord progressions and composition in the band’s EP.  When recording their EP, “Nothing Grows Here,” the band wanted to get the fullest guitar sound possible. An example of this is seen in the song ‘Out of My Head’ specifically the outro where they used a baritone guitar (a 7-string guitar that adds a deeper fuller bass sound to the track).
 
We asked Gauthier to describe the band’s sound in three words, a tough question in and of itself.  He first stated that the band is a hard-punk band, a combination of post-hardcore and pop punk.  He later added that he would have to choose “Calling All Captains” to describe their sound, which is fitting.  The band has their own unique sound that is different from others in the same genre.
 
I wish music was treated like a profession like how it used to be instead of as a commodity
 
When asked but one thing he would change about the industry is, Gauthier said, “you're big or you're not.  While touring we can have no comfort on the road and can end up showering at truck stops.”  After being singed, Captains has experienced a more stable side of the industry where they are even able to be fed by the venue.  His favorite venue that he has played in is The Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia.  “It was one of those yes we made it moments.” When we got there the crew came over and loaded up all our gear and brought it to the venue and did all the heavy lifting and all we had to do with soundcheck. It was even crazier since we were eating dinner at the table next to the band You Me At Six.
 
Raw exists out there
 
When he's not writing music, Gauthier is working on his clothing brand Worthless Streetwear. He's also a youth worker where he speaks to indigenous kids from the ages of 10 to 16 to teach them about their culture.  His culture and upbringing are very important to him. As he said, “being a kid is hard and I hope to be a success story for some of these kids like how my brother was for me. These little differences can make a big difference in the end.”
 
Thoughts become things
 
A fan once told Gauthier that Captains is sad music without bringing you down. The new album will explore deeper topics not just relationships. “The writing process for this album is a medium for us to talk about our lives it's freeing these lyrics need to be written, it's for the people.”  The direction of their new album will focus on adding more flavor and flow to the staple Captains sound.  As Gauthier said, Captains is not going to be a typical pop punk band it will be pop punk influenced. Pop punk in a segue to other pieces that make our music stand out, it is a medium we use to express ourselves. The band will be hitting the studio to record the new album in February.