Sound & Shape Interview
Sound & Shape front man Ryan Caudle easily takes classic rock and roll sound and infuses it with metal riffs. This veteran rocker has been fitting dynamic vocals atop a flexible drum and bass backbone. After the trio released their fourth studio album Bad Actors We talked to the man behind the magic to find out more about the progression of the bands craft and some of the underlying story elements within Bad Actors. You can read the interview with Ryan Caudle (singer and guitarist) below so what are you waiting for?
By the Barricade: Ryan, your occasional “metalesc” riffs spontaneously appear amidst a simplified tempo. How did you settle on a mix of the two?
Ryan Caudle: As a writer I always just write what feels correct to me, if that’s a pretty, atmospheric part butting up against a heavier, riffy-er part that’s just how it happens organically.
By the Barricade: What was the writing process like for Bad Actors?
Ryan Caudle: This one was a little bit different since I had a way to make demos beforehand. Most of the time I’d write and demo the music, then write lyrics and melodies over that, send them to the band and then we’d work on the arrangements together then demo them with the full band. That was the usual process but a couple were written so late in the process that no full band demos exist. [Bassist] Gaines [Cooper] was especially helpful in the arranging process since he’s a great barometer for whether or not a part is where it should be. He’s also very adept at taking a chord progression I’ve written that might have one or two notes droning through all the chord changes and putting a bassline behind it that makes the chords much more interesting.
By the Barricade: Bad Actors is Sound & Shape’s fourth studio album. What have you learned along the way to your most recent release?
Ryan Caudle: To follow the muse. We’ve never gone into an album with the intention of making a certain kind of record. You go in with a general idea but you learn to be open to new ideas and willing to follow the music down whatever path it leads you.
By the Barricade: ‘Heavy Is The Head’ is one of my favorite tracks off Bad Actors. Can you tell me a little more about it?
Ryan Caudle: That one is almost my version of a protest song. It’s about how organized religion is used as an excuse for war and how we’re sending our young men and women off to die for reasons that will never make sense to me.
By the Barricade: I am really fascinated by Bad Actor’s album artwork. Can you explain the creative process and its significance?
Ryan Caudle: That was actually done by our good friend Aaron Rayborn. I just sent him the album and explained some of the themes and that’s what he came back with. I absolutely loved it the second I saw it.
By the Barricade: Is there anything you would like our readers to know about Sound & Shape that does not necessarily come across in your lyrical content?
Ryan Caudle: I don’t like to put too fine a point on any sort of message we’re trying to get across. The lyrics are very personal so hopefully they connect. To try and add on to that would dilute the personal discovery aspect.
By the Barricade: Does your most recent album title depict your skill as actors?
Ryan Caudle: I can’t speak for the other guys but I was quite a revelation as the evil goblin in my third grade Halloween play.
By the Barricade: Who do you think are some of the worst actors?
Ryan Caudle: That’s a tough one. I’ve seen some of those Disney sitcoms that have pretty horrible actors in them. It’s probably not anything I should try to judge though.
By the Barricade: Sound & Shape has taken to Indiegogo to fund some of the band’s endeavors. How has that been going and what can you tell us about that?
Ryan Caudle: Well it’s actually to press physical copies of Bad Actors and for our East Coast tour in January. We are hoping to do the west coast sometime early-mid next year. It’s going slowly. I think it’s a rough time for everyone economically but hopefully we can get some backers who are into us and like the idea of being a patron of the arts.
By the Barricade: How will Sound & Shape’s next album sound in relation to Bad Actors?
Ryan Caudle: I’ve already got a fair amount of new material written for it but I don’t want to give too much away. All I’ll say is that it expands on our sound in all directions.
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