Hailing from Lancaster, PA emo/pop act The Casual are new on the rock scene, and just excited to be in the game. With a new album Lust out as of August 18th, these guys are thrilled to have the opportunity to do what they love and just make music. YE was lucky enough to catch them between tour stops to chat about the origins of the band and where The Casual see the rock life taking them.
YE: Where’d you guys come up with the name for your group?
TC: “We were actually joking around about the ‘casual encounters’ page on Craigslist, when we started throwing out ideas for potential band names e.g. The Casual E, which eventually turned into just The Casual.”
Pro Tip: In your social media/Spotify searches for the band, don’t mistake The Casual for the 1960’s psych rock act The Casuals OR another act altogether with a name similar to theirs given their album title of Lust, The Casual Lust.
YE: How’d you guys get together as a group?
TC: “Zach and Chris Norton met at Millersville University where they started playing/recording songs together. Eventually, Chris Arcand joined through a mutual acquaintance of his and Zach’s. Oddly enough, that acquaintance turned out to be a huge detriment to the band, but Chris A. would’ve never joined without going through that, so everything happens for a reason, right?”
YE: Definitely. How would you guys describe your sound?
TC: “We’d say our sound is a variation of pop/rock and indie, with a few hip hop and EDM undertones.”
Hmmmm….that’s one way of phrasing it, I suppose. But YE’s assessment of The Casual would say that their sound is more precisely a new take on emo pop building on the sounds of early 2000’s pop punk acts. Specifically, The Casual’s sound is like what would happen if Taking Back Sunday had an emo baby with All-American Rejects in the age of Instagram. But judge for yourself below.
YE: What music inspired your sound?
TC: “Everything ranging from Etta James to Van Halen, or Mozart to Tupac. The three of us have pretty eclectic tastes in music, and try to derive inspiration from all ends of the spectrum.”
YE: What’s a day in studio like?
TC: “Fun. We always look forward to spending as much time as possible in the studio working on songs meticulously to ensure we have every little detail exactly as we want it. We also like to make fun of each other a lot. We have a good time.”
YE: What can you tell other musicians pursuing a career?
TC: “Do not give up. There are going to be so many factors that may hinder you or that seem daunting, but if this is your passion, make it happen. We can’t even begin to list all the things that have gotten in our way or slowed us down, but we didn’t nor will we ever let them stop us from getting where we want to go.”
YE: Is your music about someone or something specific?
TC: “We’ll let Zach take the wheel on this one, seeing as he is the lyricist: My music is about a lot of things. Mostly, things I feel strongly about. Yes, many are about the experiences I’ve gone through in relationships, but there are also some that address social issues. I guess they just draw on my emotions. I write what’s in my head and my heart.”
YE: What would be your first reaction if you heard your song on the radio?
TC: “Utter madness. Assuming we’d be in a car, we would absolutely be pulled over for reckless driving due to the three of us jumping/dancing with joy.”
YE: Who would you like to work with in the future?
TC: “I think it’s easiest to ask who wouldn’t we want to work with in the future. Fueled By Ramen, Ryan Tedder… pretty much everyone in music.”
YE: When did you know you wanted to do this as a career?
TC: “Individually, Zach has known since third grade, and even wrote a letter to his future self saying he was going to be a rock star, and Chris N. knew when he began playing drums at the age of 9. The three of us have known we wanted to do this for quite a long time, and for all of us to meet and collaborate is just incredibly lucky.”
If half the battle is knowing what you want, then these rockers are should be topping the charts in no time!
Check out this playlist The Casual made exclusively for YE. And don’t forget about Lust out now on iTunes!!
