The Capollos: 'There’s not too many bands that have the vibe that we’ve got'

Kyle McDonald, singer for Aberdeen four-piece The Capollos, is happy to dig in when the moment strikes – wherever.

He recalls an afternoon in work – a city clothes shop – when he started to knock around a few ideas. They began to snowball and he was quickly grabbing sale stickers and started to scribble lyrics for a new song down.

With his pockets lined with ideas, he took his efforts to his fellow bandmates and it wasn't long before Addiction was written, recorded and playlisted. A relative 'hit' is born.

"I never sit down to purposefully write a song," Kyle says. "It normally just comes out. I was just standing at the till one day and started getting this vibe in my head. I grabbed a sale sticker; turned it over on the blank side and start writing a few lines here and there. I showed the boys – they were happy with it and we just developed it from there. It spiralled away and it did get a bit heavier. Greg was playing this beat for ages, and I just came up with the riff and took it from there.

"It was well-received and got us on a playlist as well. "Was possibly the biggest song we've released so far, at least in terms of how many people have listened to it. I still get people telling me 'that Addiction song is brilliant, mate'. I'm glad people are enjoying it."

The Capollos were formed in the Granite City a few years ago by Kyle and twin brother Lloyd. They linked up with drummer Greg Adams through Kyle's college course and recruited lead guitarist Brett Thain after he answered an ad on a music forum in the city.

It's taken a few years, but we've found our own sound and Get Out (Out) was the product of that."

They are not a typical Brit-Pop or "Indie" band – their sound is a little more visceral. It was the product of much tinkering, with the quarter opting to move away from the archetypal and embrace more expansive influences.

It wasn't long before they hit their stride and released some tasty tracks in the form of Get Out (Out), Eyes on You and Lay Your Love. There was never an intention to go a bit heavier, but the pioneering work of Alex Turner was a bit of an inspiration for Kyle and the rest of the band. Since then, it's always been a case of seeing where the music takes them.

Kyle looks back: "There's not too many bands that have the vibe that we've got – it's something I'm quite proud of. It was organic, but it took a wee bit of time. We were kind of Mod-y to begin with; maybe trying to be like Oasis, but we decided to hone in on something different. It's taken a few years, but we've found our own sound and Get Out (Out) was the product of that. It's been like that ever since.

"Music is just so saturated nowadays with the same old, same old coming around. There are stand-out bands, which have a great sound, like The Snuts, who have went flying – so fair play there. Our sound is maybe a little bit heavier than what we initially expected it would be. But Arctic Monkeys gave a lot of influence to that, along with Miles Kane and The Last Shadow Puppets.

"I respect Alex Turner; no two albums are ever the same for him and there is always something different. Oasis were good, but a lot of the time it was really similar – much like Catfish and the Bottlemen. It was the same chord patterns, same sound and the same breaks. But the Arctic Monkeys always changed things up. "

The Granite City quartet play on March 7 and March 14. Photo by Hannah Power

Kyle had always hoped The Capollos would be a band most people would be able to relate to. They sing about everyday things and don't seek to alienate audiences with arcane lyrics or over-elaborate compositions. The ethos is roughly: If people can sing along, they will have a good time, and seeing The Capollos live should always be a good time. The power of music, especially live music, can be transformative – and emotional connections to songs can be therapeutic.

"Some bands or writers can over-write lyrics, try to make them sound smart or whatever," Kyle continues. "There is an element of punk, almost, in some of the songs we've written. There's nothing smart about punk, it's raw. We always wanted to have that kind of vibe kicking around the background. I want people to be able to memorise the lyrics from the first or second listen; I want them to be infatuated by it and to get right in amongst it when played live.

"But it's just an amazing feeling – I can't describe it – when you see someone singing back the words at a show. It transcends from your song to their song; it's just an amazing thing to give. They can rely on it, whether going through a tough time or it's a song they want to put that makes them smile or jump around the place – you can deal with the world then. That's the really cool thing about music."

Kyle also revealed that work is underway on a wealth of new material which, true to form, will represent a slight departure from their previous releases. He is hopeful that a full album, likely formed of re-mastered singles and a few unrecorded tracks, will be completed at some point this year

...When you see someone singing back the words at a show. It transcends from your song to their song; it's just an amazing thing to give."

New releases are on their way in the spring, with a view to touring shortly after. Those who caught the band at the tail end of last year were treated to a sneak peek of the track Electrify.

The singer says: "We toured last year and kept Electrify off the set until the last show in Aberdeen – we kicked off with that one; everyone just went mental. It was a song they'd never heard before and they were all bouncing about for it. We knew we would have a hiatus over Christmas, but got Electrify recorded in January and that's going to be released next. It's a lot like Addiction, Lay Your Love and stuff. It's going to be heavier and harder – but it's a really cool song. We'll be promoting that around the start of May.

"We have another song called Telephone; we don't know if that's to be B-Side or another single just yet. But will be out at the same time, we reckon. Lloyd is going to take the vocals for that one; so it'll have a different vibe, but will still sound like The Capollos. I'm buzzing for everyone to hear them.

"It's going to coincide with our tour – we'll release music and then head out. Hopefully, that'll help us gain some fans down the road. Manchester is probably the music capital of the UK, so looking to capture some magic down there. If we can do well in Manchester – I mean, they know their music – so it sets a tone."

He adds: "We've not been rushed too much; being up in Aberdeen, there's no real pressure on us. We're so far north that most people don't even know about us. But we'll keep building away and, hopefully, one day we'll get a nice wee break and we'll be away with it."

This week the band announced a handful of shows in May, including dates in London (14th), Leeds (16th) and Margate (15th).

They also have confirmed shows at The Cellar in Aberdeen on Friday, May 29, and Saturday, May 30. 

In the meantime, catch The Capollos for an acoustic set on March 7 at Firewater, for the Boys Don't Cry mental health fundraiser, or at their headline show at Room 2, Glasgow, on March 14.