The Band Explains: Capitano - 'when i DANCE'
Capitano talk us through their intimate visuals for ‘when i DANCE’ which sees them getting in tune with their emotions, promoting vulnerability and self acceptance.
Where was the video for 'when i DANCE' filmed?
We pretty much spent all our money on our previous videos and this time wanted to do something profoundly human and personal rather than going for flashy locations and big sets.
So we shot the video in a stairwell, in an empty office cubicle I happened to have access to, and, for the scenes with Fuzz, we went down to the harbour at night and decided to just do it outside of a parking garage. We really did not want to overthink this.
How does the video connect with the song?
I wrote the lyrics to when i DANCE as kind of a break-up song. It carries this feeling of being stripped of everything and not knowing where to go to find a happy place that feels real.
When we recorded the song in L.A., we were in a different state. We felt lost in an artistic way. For the last years, we ran around with feather masks and painted faces and became this loud theatrical thing. It gave us room to be ourselves at first, but then somehow led us to forget who we are on the inside.
So there was the same feeling: Where is this happy place that is real and profound to us and actually means something? So we decided to take a good look in the mirror. Confronting ourselves with our music on camera, to see what it sparks in us that is real.
We basically stripped everything away that we are known for. The masquerade, the artsy stuff, all of that. What’s left are these naked faces that tell so much of what is going on behind the backdrop. I think it’s really cool to let go of everything like that. It was therapeutic and gave us back the energy that went missing along the way.
Do you have any behind the scenes stories you could share with us?
Well, the whole shoot was unlike anything we did before. Katja Kuhl, who is this great director and did all these big productions, sat down with us and just a camera, and we were all not quite sure of what was about to happen next. There was this strange and delicate comfort of opening up to her and her camera and be open about the outcome of it all, too. She was so gentle about it. We are all sensitive in our own way, and it was an amazingly weird experience for me to see Fuzz and Dyve open like that. I’m sure we all had the same experience. It was so voyeuristic and at the same time comforting. I think we all see each other in a different light now, and it’s great to share that.
Can you tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
Musicians all throw their stuff at you, acting up and trying to impress you with their skills. Or charm. Or moves. Or big music videos. And we are basically the same way. But we wanted to change directions and confront ourselves with our creation, our music. And just see what happens. Because there most of the time, there are deep feelings that inspire you to do your craft. So the question was: Does your own craft inspire deep feelings within you? That’s what we wanted to find out. And we did. The song triggered a different place of hurt and relief than the experiences that inspired the song in the first place, but it had the same energy to it. I think that’s the amazing part. We somehow made a key to the vault where we keep all the things stuffed down we don’t want to confront ourselves with. That’s what the video does. We listen to something that we made and let it change us, while a camera happened to be in the room.
Is there a message the video is trying to convey?
The message to ourselves was: Don’t be afraid to look into what you are made of. Let your true self happen and accept and embrace it. Take the mask off and just look. Accept your emotions and your flaws and your insecurities.
And I think that is something anyone can take away from the video.
We got a lot of backlash and mostly homophobic comments on Youtube, basically for being men showing emotions on camera. It’s crazy. And to me it proves that we all need someone to make the first step and take some of the heat, turn a cheek and keep going, so we are less scared to open up to others and to ourselves.
It was never a conscious choice to be missionaries for a cause. We always just wanted to write music. But we found that our fans love us for being those flawed guys embracing their insecurities and try to define their identity and that they can be a part of that journey.
I think it gives people a safe space to do the same. It’s joined individualism I would say.
Because in our minds, there's something weird about individualism that way. It can bring you together without forcing you to be just like anyone else. That’s something I’d like to be a missionary for.
Interview feature by Karla Harris