Edmonton, Alberta, pop-punk/post-hardcore band CALLING ALL CAPTAINS has been manifesting the release of their debut full-length record, Slowly Getting Better, for the past few years and are eager to finally share their creations with the world. Set for release on October 29th, Slowly Getting Better is a compilation of hardships, persistence, love, and acceptance, and is a thrilling follow up to the 2019 Nothing Grows Here EP. The band just shared “Laurel Canyon,” another new track off of the new record and yo can check it uut above!
Originating from small towns outside of Edmonton, Alberta, pop-punk/post-hardcore band Calling All Captains, consisting of Luc Gauthier (vocals), Brad Bremner (guitar/vocals), Connor Dawkins (guitar/vocals), Nick Malychuk (bass), and Tim Wilson (drums), has been manifesting the release of their debut full-length record, Slowly Getting Better, for the past few years and are eager to finally share their creations with the world.
Slowly Getting Better is a compilation of hardships, persistence, love, and acceptance, and is a thrilling follow up to the 2019 EP, Nothing Grows Here. Calling All Captains’ unique sound allows them to dip their toes in both the pop-punk and post-hardcore realms using poppy instrumental elements with a punk-like, aggressive vocal style.
After their initial recording plans were halted in 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic, the band was able to bring in their Nothing Grows Here producer, Quinn Cyrankiewicz, and safely record the album at The Audio Department in their hometown. With more demos and songs than they’d ever written before, the band got to work refining and perfecting every note of every song, taking weeks to decide which were good enough to make the cut for their first debut full length album Slowly Getting Better.
Calling All Captains has a fluid dynamic where each member holds an untold responsibility for writing and being an asset to the band. Luc and Connor are the primary songwriters. Brad focuses on the technical elements. Tim concentrates on the beat, and Nick envisions how the songs will perform live and which technical aspects will draw the crowds in. According to Luc, this collaboration “allows the song to be relatable and personable to each member of the band.”
The lyrics on the record reflect the woes of their mid-twenties and issues about drugs and mental health, while simultaneously offering the listener the comfort of someone else who understands the struggle. “Tailspin,” the first single released from the new record, is an energetic and emotional track to kick off this cycle with, and it perfectly highlights the seamless collaboration of all of the members. “We didn’t want any lull points, but we also didn’t want to give too much away about the record,” Brad stated. Connor joins Luc on vocals and takes over a verse to add even more depth to an already technical track.
Slowly Getting Better is a soundtrack for the struggling yet hopeful people out there. “We purposely put ‘I’m slowly getting better, you can make this happen if you just put in the effort’ as the last lines of the record to show people that we’re still going through
“Laurel Canyon” Lyrics:
I found your memories on the pavement
Tied up in a black bag
Why are you so hateful? (Why are you so hateful?)
And after everything I did
Why would you waste it? (Why would you waste it?)
You left me in the first place
Now you spit in my face
Said I never cared at all
I never cared at all
But now it’s every day
And now it’s everythingWell I’m searching for solace
At your place in AugustCause you knew every single part of me
And the smile that I let you see
Why was it absent inside you?
Cause when it all was said and done
I thought that you could be the one
I’m sure that I bit off more than I could chewWell I’m searching for solace
(Searching for solace)
At your place in August
(At your place in August)
Spend my nights til I fall in
I see you’ve been calling
But there’s so much here at stake
Hit me dealer I’m all in
I’m searching for solace
At your place in AugustAll I see is darkness
Is this all that there is inside me?Well I’m searching for solace
(Searching for solace)
At your place in August
(At your place in August)
Well I’m searching for solace
(Searching for solace)
At your place in August
(At your place in August)
