Causa
Narrow meets Causa.
by Valentina Sanchez
Causa is a local alternative band from Gainesville, Florida. Their new album, Learn to Fall, has hooked more than one listener and has made many fall in love with their lyrics. Learn to Fall discusses the fear of failure and how important it is to someone’s character, which is why they chose it as the name of their first album. Its members, Adrian, Logan, Barrett and Erik share more information about their album and everything behind it.
What was the creative process for you in making this album?
Barrett- A huge part of the creative process for me was to find melodies that not only complimented the Guitar parts but also set the feeling for the theme of the song. I really wanted the lyrics and feeling to mesh together and feel uniform.
Erik- The majority of the songs were hashed out on a djembe and an acoustic guitar. We took this stripped-down version of songs and brought it to the band to give it real life. We had a feeling and direction for each song and really wanted that core of the song to remain intact while adding the power and dynamics that the rest of the band could provide and amplify.
Adrian- Even though I’m a bass player, I also try to contribute guitar riffs to the writing process. Of course, I would make the riffs, bass or guitar, just groove. It has to be a riff to get you moving.
Logan- Though I now play drums in the band, my role on Learn to Fall was that of producer and engineer. When I came to the project, the music was largely written. My mission was to honor the bands’ intentions and sonic aesthetic while imbuing the sound with my own signature. I consulted with the band during each phase, guiding the process to meet their vision and bring out the best in the music. After tracking I mixed and mastered the album in close cooperation with the band. The guys showed me great trust and gave me free reign to make suggestions and help with creative decisions. Everyone gave great performances in the studio and working with them was a privilege.
What’s your favorite song from the album and why?
Adrian- “Ms. Informer.” It has energy and reflects on our influences. It's a good song to play live.
Logan- Probably “Make It So.” I enjoy the focus on bass and percussion and I think the track makes great use of space in the music. The guitar lines are very lyrical. It’s a perfect vehicle for Barrett’s awesome vocals.
Barrett- “Treading” is definitely my favorite song. I enjoy singing softer more than hard and that song really means a lot to me. It means a lot to me because I think a lot, and most of the time I wish I could stop thinking so much.
Erik- It depends, for listening on my own I really enjoy “7:6.” I feel like we did a really good job of getting the blended styles sound we were aiming for and I really vibe to it. My favorite for performing live though is definitely “Ms. Informer.” I love seeing people singing back the lyrics to us and really getting into the song. I also love going crazy at the end breakdown; there’s a reason we usually close with this song!
Why “Learn to Fall?” What does the album mean to you?
Erik- For me it has a lot to do with adjusting perspective and the idea of overcoming fear of failure. In a recent blog we talked about how this album relates to skating. At first you’re terrified of falling, but when you fall, you learn what to correct so it helps improve you. But even more important than that, when you start falling you start to realize that falling is just a part of the sport and it’s not that scary or worrisome and after this moment you can focus on the ride rather than the fall.
Adrian- I agree with Erik, I used to skateboard when I was younger, and after that first fall, it's not so bad. Then you start to become comfortable and just have fun. That’s what we wanted this album to be about, overcoming obstacles and knowing you’re going to be alright.
Logan- As the others have said, the title refers to adjusting to failure. For me, this resonates with the struggles of pursuing a dream career (music in my case). The path is littered with obstacles and tests of character. There are many reasons to justify quitting, and one great reason to continue: it is what you love to do. Once you realize that a setback isn’t going to ruin you, nothing should be able to hold you back.
Barrett- “Learn to Fall” for me has to do with my fear of failure. This is my first experience in any kind of band and really my first experience as a performer. I still get horrified every time I get on stage, but remembering that I do it because I love jamming with my friends and making music pulls me through and it is worth it every time. I have really learned what continuous growth looks like through this process. Every time you think you finally have something down in music, you realize how much more there is to every aspect of it. Working with three musicians more talented than myself has taught me so much and I am so grateful for them.
Any upcoming events?
We have a show May 10th at High Dive that’s kind of like our super late album release show. We’ll be playing some of our newer songs and then playing the entire album through. We’ll be playing with our friends in Tasha Zoe, Flowan, and Mike Llerena and the Nerve. It’s going to be an epic show definitely worth checking out! We are also currently working on setting up some out of town shows for June. For July we’re looking to record and release a single or two and start playing again in August.
Where can people find you? (social media)
We just released our album “Learn to Fall” on all platforms: Spotify, Pandora, BandCamp, Google Play, Itunes, Tidal, etc. We also have a facebook and instagram account where you can follow us at facebook.com/causasound or on instagram @causasound. Or you can check all of this and more on our website www.causamusic.com. The best experience is to come see us live! Follow us and come out to a show sometime; we look forward to seeing and meeting some more awesome people. Thank you for the open ears.
Kind regards,
Your friendly neighborhood CAUSA.
Don’t forget to join them on May 10th at High Dive for their album release show to sing along to “Ms. Informer” and many other catchy songs!