Kyle Castellani Goes Solo - An Interview

     After Nural broke up in 2010, Kyle Castellani continued to make music on his own. (Sweet, beautiful, soulful music.) Now, though the band is back together working on their new album, he is embarking on a Northwestern tour and will soon be releasing his new album! He was gracious enough to give me an interview, I hope you enjoy it and if you've never heard Nural or his solo music, be sure to check him out through the links at the bottom of the post! (You can definitely check him out even if you have heard of Nural, too.)

Me: What made you decide to go solo and is this part of the reason that Nural broke up?

 (I ask this question a bit hesitantly because I know Nural is releasing an album - which confuses my other questions about whether or not Nural is back together for good? Or just releasing the album? But we'll leave this question on its own.)

Kyle: I went solo for the simple reason that I needed to play music again. I wasn’t sure whether to start a new band or join one of the bands that asked me to sing for them, so I finally said, “fuck it”, and just started writing so much and singing so much and playing so much guitar and piano that it left no room for anything or anyone in my life BUT music. It was strange times, but I came out the other side with a heightened appreciation for music and a better understanding of what I needed to do. Nural was broken up for a long time before I decided to do the solo thing, and by playing so much music on my own it made me realize how much I missed being in a band. Hence the reformation of Nural… So actually the solo stuff brought Nural back together, not the other way around.

Me: Are you planning to stick with the solo career or do you have plans to stay both with Nural while pursuing your solo dreams?

Kyle: I’m kinda just playing it by ear. I’ve made some commitments to the solo stuff that I’m gonna see through, but Nural takes priority. There will always be time for my own music, but playing in a band is too much fun.

Me: I'm curious to know what your personal process is like for writing music and how it differs from when you were writing music for Nural?

Kyle: Writing music with Nural is a collective effort where we all have to be on the same page. When I write for me, I just have to make sure I like it and the recording captures the vision I have. Anyone who can listen to my solo material and enjoy it and identify with it not only gets me, but vise versa. It’s basically a glimpse in to my head and heart and puts the essence of who I am on blast! It can be vulnerable to share, but it’s all the more rewarding when people relate.

Me: I'm sure your fans are interested to know, what are your plans for your tour and full-length album release?

Kyle: I plan to tour the west coast in august and play as many places as often as possible! I’ve already got the calendar more than half full of dates and places I’ll be, you can check all of that out online. I plan to release Lemonade online for free download on certain sites and have it on iTunes while also selling it along with Pseudo Romance on the tour! It’s been a busy summer with more ahead, but it’s so fun that it’s hardly work!

Me: Finally, I just want to thank you not only for taking the time to answer questions for me, but for the music you've made over the years, both with Nural and your solo music. There are very few bands/musicians that I've felt a real connection with their music, you and Nural being one of them. Your music has actually helped me get through a lot of hardships and even a few breakups! So, thank you for that. 

Kyle: You are more than welcome. That means a lot that my music could have such an impact.

Thanks for listening, and like I said earlier, you get me, and vise versa. :)

If you like passionate, versatile vocals and genuinely deep lyrics, check Kyle's music out on Facebook, Twitter, and Reverbnation!

https://www.facebook.com/kylecastellanimusic, https://twitter.com/kylecastellani, 
and http://www.reverbnation.com/kylecastellani.


    Pictures taken by me @ Leo's All Star Bar in La Crescenta, CA - Saturday, 7 July, 2012. (c)

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An Interview with Nural's Kyle Castellani

     As a fan of the Los Angeles band, Nural, of many years, I was very happy to hear that the band was back together - at least to make a new album. They broke up in 2010 and many fans and friends of the band were similarly excited about the news of a new album in the works.
     I was able to get an interview with Kyle Castellani, lead singer of the band (as well as a solo artist) for an interview. Please enjoy, spread the news, and if you don't know Nural, check them out! (Links at the bottom.)

Me: How did you guys first get started as a band? Since then, how have any band member changes/additions affected your sound? 

Kyle: We got started when we were all just kids around 14/15. We were all acquaintances in middle school with similar tastes in music and gravitated toward one another because of that and became friends/band-mates. We started out as a Ska band too! The changes in our music first started when we lost the horn players and went punk. From there we started veering more toward a rock direction, and we’ve been looking for OUR sound ever since. Members have come and gone throughout the years and it’s never easy to see them go, but I think although the music may turn out differently depending on the members, the changes have been necessary for the evolution and growth of the band. 

Me: How do you feel that your new songs differ from your older ones? 

Kyle: I think the new songs are stylistically a good blend of our first record The Weight Of The World and our second one, Entitlement. We’ve always been working on a balance between when to go heavy and when to go easy. For me, these new songs find a more even balance across that spectrum. 

Me: Can we expect a similar sound in the new album? Speaking of your new album, when are you expecting to release it?

Kyle: You can expect Nural! It’s definitely similar. And to be honest, we really don’t have an estimation for when we’re going to release it yet. It’s been difficult aligning our schedules, but it’ll get done, and sooner than later! 

Me: Tell me about your current process in songwriting and recording. How has this changed since "The Weight of the World"? 

Kyle: There’s never been one set process. The approach has always been constructed chaos. We all have different riffs and melodies floating around that all seem to find homes in various songs. It’s almost like a 1,000 piece puzzle set and the full songs have always existed, we just have to find where everything fits. Every time we get together and jam, a new song is born. I think because we’ve been writing together so long, the chaos is a lot more fluid these days. 

Me: Who writes most of the lyrics and music? Or is it a collaboration between all of you? 

Kyle: We all contribute to the music as a whole, but I’ve always been entrusted with the melodies and lyrics. I have a love/hate relationship with lyrics. When I’m done I’m usually happy with them, but it’s a journey. With so many songs needing lyrics and the expectation that they all should be honest and heart-felt, I often end up traveling through some crazy emotional peaks and valleys in short periods of time. I always learn a lot about myself and life in general in the process though, so it’s definitely more love than hate. 

Me: I'd love to hear more about how you come up with your lyrics, as they're often quite profound, something that makes you distinct from many of the popular artists in the 2010's.

Kyle: It’s so weird because songs always have something to say whether someone is saying it (singing it) or not. If you listen to just the music of an orchestral piece or even a rock song with no vocals, a picture comes to your mind of what the song wants to say, or the mood of the song. The song evokes some kind of feeling in me and I decide to chase it. Sometimes I find out what it was saying and sometimes it eludes me forever… The ones that elude me become the B-sides, hahaha! It’s like this strange equation that has no right or wrong answer, only interpretations… If that makes any sense. 

Me: Have you experienced any issues or problems while recording your new album?
 
Kyle: We need a rehearsal spot. Definitely a big inconvenience when trying to learn loud rock music.

Me: What led up to Nural breaking up in 2010? 

Kyle: Too many things to even mention in short. But to sum it up briefly, we were tired. We had given our entire lives to the band and had very little fruit of our labor to show for, and on top of that, we had managers and labels telling us how Nural SHOULD be. It created a riff between all of us as musicians and friends and we felt overwhelmed. The final blow was a law-suit between us and our managers that left us fed up with the music industry. After 2 years of being broken up and once the dust settled, we realized that we can play music together and actually have fun again. Fun playing music? What a strange concept! 

Me: I know you (Kyle) released a solo album last year and then in January 2012 Nural announced that they were working on a new album, what made you decide to get back together? 

Kyle: I think I speak for all the Nural guys when I say we missed the camaraderie. We missed being apart of something that was bigger than us individually. We came together as a group and together made music that we had fun playing and other people enjoyed. All the other bullshit is something that comes with the territory sometimes, but the music is all that ever matters in the end. Time has a way of putting all that in to perspective, I guess. 

Me: Are you guys planning to go on tour after you release your album? If not, are you planning to have a CD release show in the LA area? 

Kyle: Definitely a CD release show! As far as a tour goes, we’ll have to see how people respond to the new material. *Wink 

Me: I'm curious as to how you feel about the way music sales have changed, such as online sales and illegal downloading. Do you feel like this improves the way music is purchased and reaches your fan's ears? 

Kyle: It is what it is. The internet is an unstoppable force, and artists can either pity themselves and get pissed that people aren’t buying their records, or they can recognize what an incredible marketing tool the internet is and get more people listening online and get them to shows! I for one love the internet and I embrace the way it is. What choice do artists have anyways?
 
Me: Do you think that the future of CD and vinyl sales will eventually be completely replaced by online sales? 

Kyle: Absolutely. CD’s and especially vinyl and such will be nostalgic, but definitely obsolete.

Me: Thank you so much time for taking the time to answer all these questions, Kyle.

     If you are interested in hearing Nural's music, you can find them at Facebook and Twitter, and I've even inserted one of their music videos for your easy viewing pleasure! Look out for my next interview with Kyle about his solo career, tour, and new album which is soon to be released!

https://www.facebook.com/nuralofficial and https://twitter.com/nuralofficial

Please support me by liking my page on Facebook for regular updates!

News!

I am so excited for all of the things I have up and coming! I had an interview with Nural's Kyle Castellani representing Nural as well as his own solo career, I have an interview with Back Pocket Memory later this month, as well as Cannoneers, and another soon after with Colin Healy. I'm excited to meet with these bands as well as others I have lined up for the next couple of months. I am beyond stoked that these guys have taken the time to graciously answer questions for me. I hope that you will enjoy reading their interviews, whether you are a fan already or become a new fan of these musicians. Thanks for reading! Look out for 2 interviews coming soon.