Brett Admire (Guitar)
Bryson Phillips (Vox)
Michael… Read Full Bio ↴Capital Lights
Brett Admire (Guitar)
Bryson Phillips (Vox)
Michael Paul Phillips(Drums)
Jonathan Williams(Guitars)
There comes a time in every band’s life when abandoning commercial expectations in favor of heartfelt musical expressions and relatable lyrics takes center stage. For the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based pop/rock foursome Capital Lights, that realization came remarkably early in its already impressive career, following a name change and stylistic shift from members’ days in locally acclaimed screamo act afterEIGHT.
“We had a couple people leave the other band’s line-up, I stepped up from bass to singing, rewrote our material and we changed styles completely,” says front man Bryson Phillips of Capital Lights’ debut disc This Is An Outrage. “The main thing we’ve learned personally is to really focus the writing on what you like rather than trying to be like all the other bands around. When we were doing the screamo thing, we were seeing other bands and trying to be just like them. But in Capital Lights, I started writing on an acoustic guitar without trying to plug into any particular formula, just being ourselves and playing 100 percent exactly what we wanted.”
By breaking down the walls of familiar formulas and shooting straight from each player’s personal artistic compasses, the results not only resonated with a steadily expanding audience, but yielded an intense bidding war from Nashville to Seattle (with just about every city in between). Linking up with manager Jason Fowler (Red, Pillar) and joining the roster of Third Coast Artist Agency brought about additional prominence, eventually resulting in a deal with Tooth & Nail (a long time dream for the band after youthful obsessions with MXPX).
“Before we got signed, we would constantly send out new songs to A&R reps at various labels and managers, so often that we got to know the FedEX lady by name,” he offers, laughing at the sentiment of always rushing to make the day’s last drop off deadline. “We were sending songs to Aaron Sprinkle and he always responded saying he liked what he heard, but to keep him updated on any new songs. About a year ago, we wrote ‘Worth As Much As A Counterfeit Dollar’ and he responded back saying how much he loved it. Six or seven labels stared sending interest our way as well, but Tooth & Nail wound up flying us to their offices for an acoustic set in front of the staff. Two weeks later, they sent us a contract and that was without even seeing us play an official live show!”
Outside of being drawn in by the band’s vibrant blend of Relient K and Jimmy Eat World, there was an underlying originality to Capital Light’s peppy surge of power chords and relevant writing subjects. Those ideas were soon fleshed out in a Seattle studio stationed within the illustrious Capitol Hill neighborhood (hence its slightly tweaked moniker) alongside producer extraordinaire Aaron Sprinkle (Pedro the Lion, Anberlin, The Almost).
“Going into the studio was different than we expected, mostly because we’d never worked with a producer before,” admits Bryson. “We were expecting it to be a really stressful thing with him on top of us all the time, but we went in really prepared and he was seriously the most laid back and coolest guy. He made a lot of notes on our bridges and choruses and helped cut them down in length, but he was much more a friend who made it very comfortable to talk and hang out with.”
The resulting dozen tracks throughout This Is An Outrage range from pure bred alternative pop to assertive modern rock, wrapped around a topical plane that spans the palette of meaningful, whimsical and satirical. The scalding “Kick It Off” is sure to be a fierce concert classic and the aforementioned “Worth As Much As a Counterfeit Dollar” possesses one of the most contagious choruses in recent memory. “Night of Your Life Is When You Die” is an anthem for anyone who embraces the straight-edge scene, suggesting the party hearty mentality isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. The energy escalating “Return” is amongst the disc’s most inspirational, while the historically slanted “Frank Morris” provides a fictional account of the famed Alcatraz prison escape.
“We’re really big proponents of writing about the experiences we deal with on a day to day basis,” Bryson verifies of that varied songwriting swath. “My vocals are very fast paced in the way they present what we have to say and we’re hoping people take away something positive from this project because there’s already enough negativity out there.”
Thus far fans old and new alike have been flocking to the material, thanks to extensive touring, including headlining dates and time supporting Hawk Nelson and Run Kid Run. No matter with the format, Capital Lights’ fan base continues to expand like lightening, as evidenced by feverish MySpace activity, downloads and CD sales at shows.
“Even though we’re a brand new band on our debut album, we’ve had the chance to meet so many amazing new listeners all across America and we’re hoping the word keeps on spreading,” sums up Bryson. “We’ve always dreamt of going out on the road and we absolutely love it so far. From here on out, the goal is just to stay steady on the road, get these songs in front of people and hopefully continue to write songs that mean something to us and those who check them out. This is something we want to turn into a long term career for as long as we possibly can, and of course, we’re here to have fun and bring as many people as we can along for the ride.”
Capital Lights broke up in the summer of 2009. This is the message they posted on Myspace:
Hello everyone,
I just signed on the myspace for the first time in forever and I realized that it's been a long time since we have given our friends and fans an update on whats going on with Capital Lights. I know there are rumors, and a lot of people have come to us asking whether or not it's true that the band has broken up. The truth is that yes, with a whole lot of prayer, we have decided to call it quits. All of us in Capital Lights discussed and prayed about this for a few months before we mutually agreed on the decision. Although it's sad to see something that meant so much to us come to an end, it's with complete confidence when I say it's for the better. We all felt God had different plans for our lives, and it would have been impossible to pursue those plans while continuing with the band. I know that's the same thing you have heard time and time again with so many bands. I've always hated when bands break up because members feel themselves being pulled different directions... but the truth is, you never really understand it until your at that point yourself. Words can not stress how thankful we are for everyone who supported us over the past couple years. We loved playing music for all of you and thank God for providing us with that oppourtunity. Without our fans, we wouldn't have ever done anything more than just jammed in a garage somehwere. We had a blast touring the country for the past year and a half and feel lucky that we were able to meet so many new people. To everyone who ever bought a cd, shirt, sticker, or even dropped change into the tip box at our merch table, thank you so much... without realizing it, you were a blessing that helped get us from one town to the next. Maybe somehow we will see you all again one day. We also want to thank the Hill family, and everyone who ever gave us a home to sleep in. You all made us feel very welcome and ANYTHING beat the van!
It's crazy to reflect on the last year and a half and realize how much has happened. We signed with Tooth & Nail, recorded an album in Seattle, then toured the country. It was something we all wanted to do and once again, we appreciate you all for helping us live our dream. All of us in Capital Lights are back in school and as of last night, Brett is now engaged. So message him and tell him his life is over.
just kidding.
God Bless you all and thanks again!
-Bryson, Brett, Michael, Jonny, Jon, and Justin.
ps- As of right now our cd's are still being sold in Best Buy, Fye, Indies, Hastings, etc... so go and buy a copy if you havent already!!!
Caroline
Capital Lights Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then she up and fell in love with herself
Thinks she's gotta be some celebrity
I just gotta know, is she leaving me?
I called her on her cell phone
She got no reception
Sounded like a dead zone
Cuttin' out like ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
I bombard her with questions
Like a caught-off-guard contestant
She's stuttering like uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh
She must be dreaming, oh, she must be dreaming
Sounds like she's going oh oh oh oh out of her mind
Sounds like she's going rock star
Swagger like a hot shot
Caroline, whoa Hollywood took the girl
She'll be fine, whoa
Living on the top of the world
Egotistical, in her perfect world
Everybody but her would be invisible
Lives a fantasy, popularity
Can't even look me in the eyes and be straight with me
Cause she goes back to stammerin'
Like a broken record echoin'
I see her lips keep moving
But all I hear is ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
I'm versatile
Can turn this frown into a smile
I'm gonna man up and tough it out
And laugh it off like ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
She must be dreaming, oh, she must be dreaming
Sounds like she's going oh oh oh oh out of her mind
Sounds like she's going, walking over everybody
Thinks we're all just paparazzi
Caroline, whoa Hollywood took the girl
She'll be fine, whoa Living on the top of the world
She's got it going on, Caroline
She's got it going on, Caroline
She's got it going on
She's walking over everybody
Thinks we're all just paparazzi
Swaggers like a hot shot
Ho-ho-ho-ho-hot shot Caroline, whoa
Hollywood took the girl She'll be fine, whoa
Living on the top of the world Caroline
Capital Lights' song, "Caroline," is about a girl named Caroline who has become egotistical and self-centered, making her almost unrecognizable to the singer. The lyrics describe Caroline as someone who has fallen in love with herself and thinks she's a celebrity. The singer is questioning if Caroline is leaving him as he can't seem to get in touch with her. When he finally does, her reception is poor, and she sounds disconnected and almost like a broken record. Caroline seems to be living in a fantasy world, where she's the center of attention and everyone around her is just there to feed her popularity. The singer tries to laugh it off and heal his broken heart, but he can't help but feel saddened by Caroline's transformation.
The chorus repeats the idea that Hollywood has taken Caroline and now she's living on the top of the world. The verses portray the toll this transformation is taking on Caroline, who is stammering when she can't keep up with the manufactured image she has created. The lyrics are playful and sarcastic, painting a picture of a girl chasing after the sparkling limelight and forgetting about those who care about her.
Line by Line Meaning
Caroline, yeah, she was my kinda girl
The singer is describing Caroline as someone he likes.
Then she up and fell in love with herself
Caroline became egotistical and obsessed with herself.
Thinks she's gotta be some celebrity
Caroline believes she should be famous.
I just gotta know, is she leaving me?
The artist is unsure if Caroline is leaving him.
I called her on her cell phone
The artist attempted to contact Caroline.
She got no reception
Caroline's phone was not working properly.
Sounded like a dead zone
The area where Caroline was located did not have good cell phone reception.
Cuttin' out like ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
The phone call was dropping and cutting out.
Like a game show
The artist bombarded Caroline with questions like a contestant in a game show.
I bombard her with questions
The artist asked Caroline many questions.
Like a caught-off-guard contestant
Caroline was caught off guard and unprepared for the questions.
She's stuttering like uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh
Caroline is struggling to answer the questions and is stuttering.
She must be dreaming, oh, she must be dreaming
The singer believes that Caroline is living in a dream world.
Sounds like she's going oh oh oh oh out of her mind
Caroline is reacting abnormally and is losing her mind.
Sounds like she's going rock star
Caroline is behaving like a rock star.
Swagger like a hot shot
Caroline is overly confident and has a lot of swagger.
Caroline, whoa Hollywood took the girl
Caroline is caught up in the idea of being famous and living like a celebrity.
She'll be fine, whoa Living on the top of the world
The singer believes that Caroline will be okay living a celebrity lifestyle.
Egotistical, in her perfect world
Caroline is self-centered and only cares about herself.
Everybody but her would be invisible
Caroline believes that other people are not important and only she matters.
Lives a fantasy, popularity
Caroline is living in a fantasy world and is obsessed with being popular.
Can't even look me in the eyes and be straight with me
Caroline is unable to be honest and transparent with the artist.
Cause she goes back to stammerin'
Caroline continues to struggle and stammer while answering questions.
Like a broken record echoin'
Caroline's indecision and repetition is like a broken record.
I see her lips keep moving
Caroline is talking, but not saying anything meaningful.
But all I hear is ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
The singer is not receiving any meaningful responses from Caroline.
I'm versatile
The singer is able to adapt to the situation.
Can turn this frown into a smile
The artist can change their mood from negative to positive.
I'm gonna man up and tough it out
The artist will remain strong and endure the situation.
And laugh it off like ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
The singer will make light of the situation and find humor in it.
Thinks we're all just paparazzi
Caroline believes that everyone is only interested in taking pictures of her like paparazzi.
She's got it going on, Caroline
Caroline is attractive and has a presence.
She's walking over everybody
Caroline is ignoring and not considering anyone else.
Swaggers like a hot shot
Caroline is overly confident and has a lot of swagger.
Ho-ho-ho-ho-hot shot Caroline, whoa
Caroline is confident and has a strong presence.
Hollywood took the girl She'll be fine, whoa
Caroline is caught up in the idea of being famous and living like a celebrity.
Living on the top of the world Caroline
Caroline is living a lavish and luxurious lifestyle.
Contributed by Olivia W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.