Indie-pop band HATE DRUGS have just released their new EP, 'Ponderosa'. Created in the snowy mountains of Sierra Nevadas, in a warm cabin within the evergreen trees, the group set out to invent a sound that culminated with the growth and perseverance of their friendship.
The band, consisting of David Caploe, Josiah Caploe, Adrian Diaz, John Irwin IV, and Norman Lee, deliver four captivating tracks that perfectly capture their musical maturation.
Through four hypnotic tracks, 'Ponderosa' effectively showcases the musical rebirth of HATE DRUGS. Arranged and produced by the band, with additional mixing and mastering help from Cory Reyes, lead vocalist David Caploe explains that the EP:
"was a moment, perfectly captured without any of us knowing it. It's the beginning of a new chapter for us, and everyone, really."
'Ponderosa' marks the beginning of a new era for HATE DRUGS. The EP showcases their incredible talent in both songwriting and production through the atmosphere created in their songs.
We had the opportunity to speak to David from the band on the new release:
Introduce yourselves and tell us something fun about the band!
"Hey, thanks for having us! This is David.
Norman, Josiah, Adrian and John are the fun part of the band. Haha!"
Where are you from?
"We are based out of Bakersfield, CA, which is a couple hours north of LA."
How / when did you meet each other and start making music?
"We started making music together almost 6 years ago! We all have a pretty big age spread
within the band. I was 21 when we started, and Adrian had just turned 16."
Is there anyone that plays a massive influence on you guys?
"There are a lot of bands that have influenced us, from Arctic Monkeys to Local Natives, but I
think our biggest influences over the last couple of years have been our peers like Fashion
Jackson, Breakup Shoes, and HARBOUR."
Do you have any guilty pleasures or artists that no one would expect you to listen to?
"I secretly love Justin Bieber. I will admit that I’m not a huge fan of his early stuff, but the dude
has some smooth pipes."
How would you sum up the band in one sentence?
"The best band in the world. LOL!"
You’ve played at notable venues including The Observatory, The Troubadour and House of Blues. Which has been your favourite place you’ve ever played and your dream to play in future?
"We love the Observatory! It’s such a fun venue, and the SoCal fans know how to have fun. It
would be such a dream to play main stage at some huge outdoor festivals like Coachella or
Glastonbury in the early 90’s, haha"
You’ve just released your new EP Ponderosa, marking the start of a new era for the band. How has the reaction been to the new music so far?
"It’s been great! We have a strong connection with our fans, who are very supportive and
encouraging. It’s been a really strange time to release new music. It feels like there are far more important things happening in the world, but people still need an escape. There is so much negativity all around us, I think it’s necessary to balance that out with positive habits and taking care of your personal mental health. Art is a big part of that."
Tell us a little about the EP!
"The EP was recorded in one weekend in a lonely mountain cabin earlier this year. We went up
there with the intention of recording as many songs as we could in a few days, and we ended up
with 5 tracks from scratch. We’re super proud of this project because we did it all ourselves. It
was just the 5 of us up there and we came down the mountain with something that we all really
loved."
Why did you decide on the change of sound? Do you feel like this showcases who you guys are and what you want to be making more of in the future?
"I think the sound of this EP is indicative of our evolution as band and it is a step in a direction,
but we love creating projects that tell a sonic story and take the listener on a journey through a
unique sonic atmosphere. We hope to continue to create albums that show a progression in
musical maturity and have a personality of their own."
What do you hope to achieve over the next couple of years?
"We have loads of new music on the menu, hopefully followed by lots of time on the road, but we
will have to see how everything plays out. However, things turn out, we will be in our rooms
working away at the next Hate Drugs album. Thanks for listening."
Listen to 'Ponderosa' HERE Instagram: @thehatedrugs