Interview: Minneapolis Post-Hardcore/Rock Band Careful Gaze

Photo Credit: Lauren Leaseburg

We connected with Minneapolis based post-hardcore/rock band Careful Gaze for an exclusive interview to discuss the video to their single “Highways/Sideways”, which will appear on their upcoming album "You Too Will Rest", due everywhere digitally and from the band physically on May 10th. During the interview we got an opportunity to ask about the band’s creative process for the album, what we can expect thematically/sonically from it, and we find out whether they will be touring in support of it.

After reading our Q&A with Careful Gaze, be sure to connect with the band on their website and social media, and pre-order the “You Too Will Rest” album, which you’ll be able to stream/share on May 10th.

Congratulations on the release of your new video "Highways, Sideways"; it looked like a lot of fun. How did you and the director come up with the treatment for the visual?

It was definitely us making the best of a very cold and stressful situation. The only plan we had was to have our friend Ben with us to film a video similar to "California" by Phantom Planet. We ended up getting stranded in La Crosse, WI due to snow drifts and had to cancel one of our shows, so we shot a bunch of extra footage while we waited for the roads to clear so we could go home. Then it fell into place and fit the theme of the lyrics.

When someone listens to or watches "Highways, Sideways" for the first time, what do you want them to take away from the experience?

I want them to love themselves a little more. I want them to take away the feeling that they've already resolved to survive another day. Motivated, but with the understanding you will question yourself and struggle to love yourself at times, and that is OK. I also want people to blast it in their cars on a summer day.

Your new album "You Too Will Rest" is due for release on May 10th. Is "Highways, Sideways" indicative of what we can expect from the album from a thematic and sonic perspective?

Yes, I would say it's a great glimpse into the album because it has a bit of everything that the album contains sonically. Although - much of the album is darker, heavier, and bolder thematically than this one. This is a good introduction, I think, into the rest of the album's subject matter. Getting right with yourself - before you get right with others and address the hatred in our society.

Tell us about the album's title "You Too Will Rest". Can you break down what it means?

This album is about eliminating unnecessary labels, as well as the more "casual" side of hatred/bigotry that is still wifely excepted in many social circles. It address topics such as mental health/suicide awareness, racism, transphobia, homophobia and the darker side of legalistic religion as well as the commercial church. The overall theme, which the title also represents, is that regardless of our backgrounds/lifestyles/diagnoses/appearances, we will all be laid to rest someday. There is a short amount of time between now and then that we have the opportunity to make this place better, so why spend it trying to "win" by condemning other people that aren't like you? At the end, all of those labels are eliminated and we will just be the memories we've created with the people in our lives that we impacted. If we remember that, I truly think we could make our culture significantly better right now. This album is a "goodbye" to the culture that bullies people into fitting a mold.

Describe the band's creative process for the development of the album. How long did it take to write and record? Also, were there songs that were recorded that didn't make the final cut?

We started writing some of this album right as we got done writing our last album "I Understand," released under the name Hunter Dumped Us Here. That was 3 years ago. So some of these songs have been re-written and refined for 3 years, others were writing in the weeks leading up to recording the album. Generally it starts off with our guitar player/other vocalist Preston and I playing things unplugged with lyrics that I've prepared ahead of time and then we build it into full band arrangements from there. I knew most of what I wanted to say ahead of time, so we mostly matched music to already-existing lyrics, and then I did some tweaking from there.

There was only one song that didn't make the cut because we couldn't make it fit into the rest of the songs sonically, and it didn't necessarily fit thematically either. I doubt anyone will hear it in the future, either, which is fine because it sounded like Circus-Rock.

Will you guys be hitting the road for a tour in support of this upcoming album? If so, where are some locations our readers can go see you live?

Yes, we are on tour 5.16-5.26, through the Midwest and over to the east coast. You can find all of our tour dates with additional information at https://carefulgaze.com.

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