Colorado’s hard-hitting female-fronted pop-punk band Capture This is quickly making a name for themselves as their latest single, “Sick of It,” garners broad attention as one of the better songs to claim home to the pop-punk scene so far. Capture This is also putting together the 1st annual Female Fronted Fest, an explosive charity music event in Denver, CO, in August.
This up-and-coming Colorado pop-punk outfit is swinging for the stars in the best ways possible. We recently were able to catch up with Capture This, and while putting up with my crazy May/June sickness answered a few questions that will have newcomers becoming big fans just as I have.
First things first, your latest single, “Sick of It,” tackles a theme that many in today’s world can relate to. I’d love to learn more about the personal inspiration that brought this experience to life.
It started with the band meeting up to track a song, and we literally were all like, “I’m sick of sitting here on the weekends,” and that’s where the idea came from. We also wanted to make a song that was relatable to almost anyone. The idea for “Sick of It” was there’s a point in your life where you think you’re giving it your “all,” but you realize you’re not actually getting anywhere.
You’re sitting in complacency and in a monotonous cycle. You stay in a rut because it’s comfortable and on auto-pilot, but it’s not necessarily where you want to be. You’re left trapped, angry, and wanting to make a change.
Taking a few steps forward, aside from the release of “Sick of It,” you all are putting together a pretty sweet summer festival in Colorado penned as Female Fronted Fest. What can concertgoers expect regarding the festival?
We’re super excited to be organizing the first annual Female Fronted Fest at Number Thirty Eight! For entertainment, there will be female-fronted bands in the pop and rock genre, vendors, food, drinks, and podcast interview features.
The event will also center around a non-profit organization, Dress for Success, where event-goers can make a donation to support a great cause. They provide women with resources such as clothing and work prep to help them on their journey.
The idea behind Female Fronted Fest is splendid; by the way, it’s a great way to further empower women in the music industry, especially within our beloved pop-punk genre, which has a toxic tendency to be male-inclusive from time to time. We talked a bit about what concertgoers can expect. But what does putting together a festival like Female Fronted Fest mean to you?
Female Fronted Fest is an event where female musicians can feel empowered in the music arts space, as well as support women-owned businesses and organizations. The concept started as creating a space for female musicians to be seen and heard, especially in the pop-rock / pop-punk music genre. I’ve been singing in bands since I was 15 ranging from pop to hard rock music. Throughout my years, I’ve noticed that there isn’t a prominent focus on women vocalists and women musicians in these genres.
I always wondered if there is a lack of female musicians or if we are just under the radar? Also, growing up, the bands and artists that inspired me were Evanescence, Gwen Stefani, and Avril Lavigne. The connection and relation of being a female-fronted artist inspired me to be the musician I am today. I want concertgoers who go to Female Fronted Fest to feel impacted by the bands playing that day.
Jumping back a bit to “Sick of It.” Did anything change within the writing process compared to your past releases? Or was it pretty much just muscle memory at times?
This time around, the writing process felt natural compared to other songs we’ve
written, and it’s because it came from real experiences. The lyrics fell into place, and the sound of the song also landed naturally without overthinking it. I think part of being a musician is writing music you can resonate with or relate to. It can be healing and reflective for yourself because you’re writing it, and it can help others when listeners are connecting to it.
Capture This as a band is relatively new to the scene. What have you learned so far within the few short years you all have been together creating catchy, relatable jams? All of you are very ambitious individuals, which doesn’t seem to factor in most bands I’ve encountered nowadays. It’s a bit of a refresher.
One of the biggest things we’ve learned is how we each best express our creativity and create music. That sounds really vague, but I honestly can’t stress how important it is to know what style works for everyone. For example, some of us like to track individual guitar riffs and then piece them all together in production. Others like to jam in a practice room free-flow, improvising as we go.
There’s no secret sauce or right way to make music, and it’s important to know each person’s creative process. It’s how we express ourselves, and so if you take that outlet away, you’re limiting their creativity.
We’ve also learned that playing shows and putting out music isn’t the only recipe for success. You have to look at your music brand as a business and operate that way. We make an effort to be active on social media, push out email newsletters to keep fans up to date, website optimization, play-listing, merch inventory, and more. It can be a lot to juggle, but without those platforms, we wouldn’t be heard.
On that ambitious note, Capture This has a unique sound that captures pop-punk nostalgia while throwing out a few new ideas. Aside from “Sick of It” and Female Fronted Fest, what else is in the works within the Capture This camp?
We’re releasing more songs in a few months and more shows!
Lyrics are a vital aspect of the pop-punk genre and music in general. If you had to pick a string of lyrics to highlight from “Sick of It,” which would they be? And why?
My favorite lyrics are, “I’m lying half awake, days past without a change,” because it’s the first few words that set the tone for the entire song. When first listening to it, it describes someone who’s sitting in a rut waiting for a change to happen. The darkest lyrics are what tell the whole premise of the song.
Random industry question I’ve been asking a lot; lately, bands and artists have been opting to release more standalone singles instead of building up to a full-length studio album. Do you think this is a trend that will continue? Or do you believe there is still space for full-length albums?
I think for a local band like us, it makes more sense to release standalone singles versus an album because it’s a way to constantly build momentum with fans and build your following.
Alright, before I stop taking up your time, let me just express that new listeners should have a killer time connecting with your latest single, “Sick of It,” and I’m very much excited to see how Female Fronted Fest grows after its inaugural year. With that said, is there anything else you’d like to share with your fans and anybody else reading this? Again, thank you for your time and empowering women in the music industry.
You can “capture” (see what I did there) what we’ve been up to, new music, and Female Fronted Fest on our socials and website bandcapturethis.com! We’ll see you soon. 🙂
If you have yet to give “Sick of It” a spin, you’re seriously missing out! While you’re at it, you should give the rest of Capture This’ catchy catalog a spin, as there are some tremendous pop-punk jams you’ll find yourself listening to for hours on repeat.
Once more, I’d like to thank Leah Melzer, vocalist of Capture This, for putting up with my endless delays and giving us all more insight into the great things she and her band are getting up to this year and beyond. Remember to catch Female Fronted Fest in August if you find yourself in the Denver, CO, area.
Keep “Sick of It” spinning on Spotify & Apple Music
Keep up with Capture This on social media: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook
