Capitol Risk
Philadelphia, PA
Back in 2001, Max, BQ, and Vince all joined together and formed Capitol Risk, a high energy, pulsating band. They were all a bunch of kids with a goal, to go out there, give it their best, and have a lot of fun doing so. Vince was the lead singer and the bassist up until 2004, when Doug came onto the scene. Doug took over the role as lead vocalist, allowing Vince to focus on bass.
At that point, they had a finely tuned band, that was reasonably good, and could make ends meet. The foursome expanded to a five-piece with the addition of Josh this year, and now the band can rock out even harder than before. For being only 16 and 17, they may not be able to legally get into the 21+ clubs yet, but they’re making their mark with the area’s all-ages crowds.
Being under 21, though, seems to be the only dilemma that this band has going on right now. They’re focusing on bringing their music to the younger generation, and with it they are bringing much excitement and a positive effect on the indie music scene. Hey, these are 5 guys who are balancing jobs, school, the band, girlfriends, and the hardest part of all, homework. Such a tight schedule with so little time in a day, how do they make this band such an important part of their lives?
Considering that they are all friends, who have nothing to argue or fight about makes it easier to create great material. They are very open towards ideas, and always trust one another. Many a band has self-destructed due to one person making all decisions, or nobody agreeing on any suggestions and constantly bickering. The guys of Capitol Risk are five of the nicest people you will ever meet, and no matter when or where you talk to them, you’ll be able to understand exactly what I mean. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all play and no work. All five of them know that when it’s go time, and everyone is ready to work, they can crack down and make things happen. Nothing can stop these guys once they put their heads together and start to sketch up new ideas.
As far as coming up with the basic concepts, Vince is the mastermind behind that part. Once that part is done, the rest of the band kicks in and works on the songs until they find the lyrics that best fit. Then, after jamming on it for a while, they usually scratch-record a song onto a multi track, and send it to Doug, who writes in the lyrics and melodies. BQ is the errand guy who has a great memory. Every band has one, and BQ is the man with the plan, so to speak, here. Doug and Vince are the business oriented guys who will answer your e-mails as well as work on their `myspace` material. However, the two conversationalists are Max and Josh, who go out there and try to promote the band and talk to their fans face to face. All in all, I’d say for five guys, they sure do seem to have a well oriented style that seems to fit them comfortably.
Being in high school yet has also been a benefit to them that not many people can see. Instead of all five being out there working full time jobs on different schedules, they are all in school and can meet up every day to discuss new things and ideas, plan events, and go over future shows and projects. See, school has its plus side, sometimes you just need to look a little harder to find it. Maybe the fact that they really do see each other five days a week contributes to how comfortably they feel about one another. Maybe the fact that they are more or less a family within the band itself has played a part in the continuing success of Capitol Risk. It isn’t often that you gather together a group of guys in high school, who can manage all their responsibilities, and still make a band successful. These guys have stayed a rock solid unit, and have kept rocking on even harder! Everyday that goes by these guys get better and better. In fact this is already a great year for Capitol Risk, and it is only half over, let’s see where this phenomenal band goes, I know I’ll be watching!