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RS: Highlife in Suburbia goes back about four years where I (Nick) had been playing in a band with Vernon West for a little over a year. We started out as a group called Summer Track, but after our first drummer left we were faced with the decision to find another. I went to high school with Liam Cregan, where we both ran track together, and one day I asked if he’d be interested in jamming on the drums with us. A few days later he tried out, and after a fateful night of fun hijinks we christened our new band.
NC: “High Life” was conceived by our old lead guitar player, and the “In Suburbia” added by both Liam and Vernon. Initially the name was to be written as “High Life In Suburbia,” but I thought Highlife should be one word. The band agreed, and thus Highlife in Suburbia was born.
RC: The three of us have varying influences on our music. Liam, the drummer, is heavily influenced by a unique combination of punk music, jazz music, and his time in the high school marching band. Vernon, on the other hand, draws his style of playing from the Beatles (namely George Harrison), Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, and most notably John Mayer. His roots lie in the blues and his music is filled the same emotion. I find that I tend to be guided by the musical talents of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime, and Enter Shikari, in which I don’t identify as a “bass player” but as a “bass guitarist.”
NC: It’s always been a challenge to achieve this with only one guitar player, but we’ve surmounted that problem by developing a unique chemistry between the three of us. What makes the three of us so unique is that we are able to create a massive sound. When we play our songs we structure them in ways with intricate chords, over driving drums, supplemented by a melodic bass riff that brings the rhythm and melody together. The three instruments are then held together by Vernon’s insightful and profound lyrics, which ultimately result in the unique sound we generate.
RS: Unfortunately we haven’t played many lives shows in the past year or so. Back in 2009, however, we played shows around our local scene. Most of these were in VFW halls or places of similar nature, many of the bands we played with tended to be much heavier and aggressive. Still, we played on, and culminated in a series of basement shows with a few other bands our friends were in. There was always so much energy going on. It was incredible.
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| A photo from Capezzuto's Instagram account, which is captioned, "Living the dream" |
RS: As of right now Vernon and I are in the process of attempting to put together a rough EP of a few of our favorite songs. We’re currently in the process of setting up a Soundcloud where people will be able to listen to them. They’re not of the superior quality that we hope to have recorded during Thanksgiving Break, but we feel as if they’ll give a much more accurate representation of the things to come. Once we get back together as a band we hope to put together an actual EP and release on our own. Ideally we want to put down anywhere from 6-8 tracks, all of which we’ve worked so arduously to perfect.
NC: Sadly we’re still in the process of setting everything up online, but in the meantime each of us have various other social networking accounts.
Instagram: @vernonwest @captainzzuto
Twitter: @captainzzuto
Check us out, follow us, and don’t forget to #highlife or #highlifeinsuburbia
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Rex Macipinlac '13
Image credit to Nick Capezzuto
Twitter: @captainzzuto
Check us out, follow us, and don’t forget to #highlife or #highlifeinsuburbia
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Rex Macipinlac '13
Image credit to Nick Capezzuto