MICHAEL ROESLEIN - CARAVELS

Name: Michael Roeslein

Band: Caravels

Duty in the band: Vocals

Caravels is a post-hardcore band from Henderson, NV. They’re about twenty minutes out of Las Vegas so I’ll just say they’re from America’s casino city. I’m sure there are other gambling cities, but you catch my drift. I’ve had the pleasure of playing with them twice. My first encounter with this band was when I played a show with them on June 26, 2010. I had to play in a suit because I remember it being my cousin’s wedding party that night. That was a first! After speeding to the other side of the city I only was able to catch the last few songs of their set, but from what I heard I instantly fell in love with their dynamic and unorthodox hardcore sound. By unorthodox I guess I’m trying to just say that the experimental groove accompanied with unexpected tempo changes and onslaught of heaviness is what got me hooked. Not only was the music poetic and soothing to me, but like with most hardcore it let me release the rage/pissed off emotions inside of me. The second time they came around was March 20, 2011 at The Naylair. I remember being super sleepy and sifting in and out of sleep on the couches at the house but also remembering Caravels killed it and that they were only getting tighter and tighter. I had already purchased their new S/T 7” and thought it was killer…so seeing them in the flesh again at my favorite house/place to play was a special treat. Unfortunately I was supposed to play with them another time here in El Paso on October 19, 2011 but their van busted on them in Gallup, NM. Anyone that knows what it’s like to break down in the middle of nowhere knows that it is no fun. While their van is fixed and I believe they just got done with the Fest if anyone wants to donate so that they can recover from their expenses you can send whatever you got at matthewfrantom@gmail.com. Or instead, just buy their albums and see them at a show because….well they rule. Anyways here is the interview I did with Mike of Caravels. I drafted it in May and it was answered in early October so the goofy questions are kind of similar to Matt’s of Joyce Manor. Whoooopsies. Enjoy.

Goofy  

Favorite holiday? 

Going to have to say Halloween. Always a blast. Who doesn’t look forward to Halloween? I also enjoy the weather shift that usually accompanies Halloween.

Best costume you’ve ever worn for Halloween?

My favorite will always be the detectives the Beastie Boys played in their music video for “Sabotage.” Classic. 

High school was ________ ?

…instrumental in preparing me for the transition into adulthood. Yeah, right. What a hoot. 

Las Vegas is pretty notorious for pawn shops. Ever had any sweet finds or traumatic experiences pawning anything?

One time Cory had his bass stolen from our practice space. That was a pretty big bummer. Fortunately though, it was recovered in a pawn shop a short time later. Two other guitars were stolen as well, and were never seen again. No fun. 

Favorite Sylvester Stallone movie?

Loved him in Demolition Man. Wait, Cliffhanger. 

Have you ever had a celebrity crush?

I’ve got a thing for Scarlett Johansson that just won’t stop.

While growing up, whose music did you relate to more: Nirvana or Metallica?

Can’t say Metallica ever struck a chord with me. Nirvana, on the other hand, was one of my favorite bands as kid, and remain so.

Legos or Hot Wheels?

Legos for sure! Still play with these at work all the time. I love to build the biggest cube I can using only the Lego blocks of one color. It’s literally the most boring thing you can do with Legos. A giant block of blocks. It’s hilarious because all of the kids I work with get so angry with me for taking all the blocks of one color and building something so boring. 

Based on the “Beer Pressure” patch, I’m assuming you guys enjoy drinking. Do you have any favorite types of beers?

Nary a night when we’re not having at least a few drinks together. You might commonly see us wielding something from New Belgium or Rogue. 

Would you rather run full speed into a cactus or get smacked in the face with a bag of heavy gold coins?

Going to have to say the bag of coins, at least I am making some sort of monetary gain out of this terrible, terrible predicament I find myself in. 

Pool or ping pong

Pool. We play this pretty frequently, as of late.

Mac or Windows

Windows personally, the rest of the band are pretty big fans of Apple.

Personal

What made you want to play music and pursue the life of a touring musician?

Music for me was always a means to hang out with my best friends and express myself creatively. It was a way of killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. 

If you weren’t playing music, what other passion would be conquering your life?

If I wasn’t pursuing music, I suspect I would be chasing some sort of teaching degree. 

What’s the sketchiest thing about living in Las Vegas?

I’m always a little wary of being on the road on any major holiday. A lot of folks vacation here and do stupid things like drive after consuming copious amounts of alcohol. 

What records are you currently blasting?

I have been jamming Follow The Rattle Of The Afghan Guitar from Weatherbox, Proper from Into It. Over It., Distal from Crash Of Rhinos, and the newly released split from The World Is A Beautiful Place and Deer Leap.

How is the scene in Las Vegas? Anything you would like to change about it? 

A few more places to play wouldn’t hurt. We’re extremely limited when it comes to spaces to host a show. I’d love to have a couple more reliable places to hold an all-ages show. 

Do you remember the first show you ever went to?  What was it?

I’m pretty sure it was an Incubus show. Also, coincidentally, probably the first time I ever smelled weed. I still love Morning View. That’s a great album.

When you aren’t touring, what do you occupy most of your time with? School, work, any other activities?

We’ve been getting together and riding our bikes a lot lately. When the sun goes down and there is a cool breeze, we love to pedal our way around the city. 

Do you or does anybody in the band enjoy gambling?

A few of us have probably lost a dollar or two or eighty-three on roulette. 

I remember I was talking to Matt about eating on the road and he said you guys had eaten at Whataburger (TX  Burger Chain – Triangular Roofs/Orange Buildings). I told him that the food had been recalled and that 5 people had recently died from consuming their food. He freaked out!! Haha. We also talked about Mexican food and how we have run down spots like Chico’s Tacos (Legendary El Paso tacos soaked in tomato water that have a love/hate reputation). He said that you guys have a place called Roberto’s in Vegas that’s similar. Do you have any preference for the type of food you eat on tour? How about at home? What would your ideal meal consist of?

We try to stop at grocery stores as much as possible. I love being able to bypass fast food, it’s such a drag. I feel terrible eating Taco Bell more than once a month, but sometimes when you’re in the middle of nowhere and aren’t afforded many options. Anyway, yeah, grocery stores are great. It’s always great to be able to pick up some pasta and sauce and frozen veggies and cook them up after a show. Tortillas are also another great option. They are like edible plates. 

Caravels

How did Caravels get its name?

I was in World History class and I think I stumbled upon it in a textbook. That’s about the most unexciting thing I can think of. Sorry!

How long has the band been around?

3 - 5 years, depending on who you ask. 

Which bands have influenced Caravels the most?

We all agree that At The Drive-In, Bear Vs Shark, and Fugazi have had important roles in shaping our music.

Has Caravels ever thought about relocating to another city?

We once fell in love with the idea of calling Portland home. Still would very much like to, one day, when the time is right. 

Any favorite cities/states when you guys are on tour?

When it comes to states, Texas has always been extremely kind to us. Also, Florida, aside from their god-awful humidity. As far as particular cities, I’m fairly partial to San Diego. The food there is unreal. It’s not uncommon for me to base my entire feelings toward a city on whether or not I have enjoyed an exceptional meal there. 

Is there any part of the United States that you haven’t played that you want to tour through?

I don’t think we’ve ever had the opportunity to play in the Northern (central) part of the country, around North Dakota, Montana, etc. From what I understand, not much goes on there, but we’d love to go pass through there if we could find some bands to get in touch with. I’d love to spend some more time in the Northeast and Northwest. Those are easily my two favorite regions of the country, and I wish we could spend a million billion years touring through each. 

Can you describe the worst Caravels show you’ve ever experienced?

Roseburg, Oregon comes to mind. Was one of our first shows on our first tour and was a pretty big buzzkill. I don’t really care for stages at all, and we played on a pretty formidable stage for a few people at like one o'clock in the afternoon. I think it was a festival? Who knows. Sorry Roseburg. 

I read an article on the Las Vegas Sun about when you guys were on a previous tour, your van broke down…..and well the band was on the verge of basically seizing to exist. I bet it’s something that you guys want to forget, but what exactly happened and how did you get over it?

We were a few days into a three-week tour when our brand new van suddenly refused to drive any further. It had been purchased with money that we had saved up for quite some time. So tour was cancelled, we were out a few thousand dollars, and we had to be rescued from the middle of nowhere. Man, that was bogus. We don’t like thinking about that. 

What would you say has been the biggest change for the band from the transition of Floorboards to the new S/T?

Nothing too drastic, just a refinement of our sound. I think we understand what we want to do as a band a tad more.

Random…like the majority of my other questions, but which buildings are on the cover of the S/T - 7”?

Unfortunately I couldn’t tell you their names precisely, but I can tell you the photograph was taken by Cory in Central Park while we had a day off in New York. 

In regards to the S/T release, what are the meaning behind the song titles “Dream Beaver” and “Girth Impression”?  With “Dream Beaver”, I sense a hint of a metaphor of using a beaver and perhaps relating it to rebuilding a home. As for “Girth Impression” all I could tie in were words likes “swollen”, “size and shape” haha. But really, are there any particular messages behind the titles?

Strangely enough, not too much meaning. Our song titles are almost always silly inside jokes among the members of the band. I’d be too embarrassed to divulge their origins.  

Can you talk a little about the lyrical content of the songs and perhaps what they mean? The way that I’ve interpreted the lyrics, I gather that the content derives from some sort of motivational direction. Lines such as, “It was a mess but it was ours.  It wasn’t emptiness. It was a mess but it was ours. It was ours to fix.” What I got from this was that people should be held accountable for their actions, and if it is their “mess” then he/she should step it up and resolve it themselves.

Dream Beaver is about my family and my parents deciding to separate after 25 years. It really shook the foundation of what I thought I knew about marriage. Because, ya know, growing up, parents have such a colossal influence on their children. I don’t think that’s news to anybody. Having a household that fosters those kind of values, it’s crucial and they were definitely instilled in me. I grew up hopeful, wanting to emulate what they had. But of course, it ended, and I no longer know what I am supposed to feel. I don’t know, I guess that song’s just about being confused. 

Girth Impression is about a few different things, mainly the ruts I tend to fall into, and I suppose a lot of other people as well. I get dragged down by petty things and have to remind myself that it’s temporary and entirely inconsequential in the long run. Also, the idea of a crisis of youth was always very interesting to me. The idea that we are all young and full of potential, there are so many different paths to take and how I sometimes feel like I’m being torn in ten different directions. It’s a struggle to figure out which path is the best one for me. And I guess the end of the song is about not forgetting to live in the here and now, to be thankful for the endless nights I spend with my friends, and that I should learn to not worry about things so much. It’s not healthy. 

In general, the lyrics are meant to be open-ended in a lot of ways. I’m not a fan of concrete lyrics, in the sense that I don’t like having something so specific and firm and narrow that it can only be interpreted in one way. I hate it when I listen to a band and feel alienated by the words. So I try and make a conscious effort to convey whatever it is I’m trying to say in a way that invites interpretation. I wrote what those songs mean to me, but if you had read the lyrics and felt something entirely different, then I would be thrilled. 

Also to pile on more questions about lyrics… when writing these lyrics did you have a predetermined direction or feel you were striving for when writing the lyrics? Or did you just write the lyrics after the vibe of the instrumental portions of the songs were completed?

The instrumental skeleton of the song is almost always arranged first and foremost. Once we feel comfortable with the song, we will record a demo of it, and I will loop the song over and over and write whatever comes to mind. The music definitely inspires the words. 

After the Naylair show in El Paso, I asked if you had any shows/tours lined up for the near future and you guys said you were going to take a break and start writing. Can you elaborate a little on that? Any plans for a full LP?

You are correct, sir. Currently a few songs into our first full-length. We hope to have it finished sometime next year. Very excited. 

As I understand, you guys are all fairly young individuals in your low 20’s. What would you suggest to bands that are in the same boat as you once were in and want to break through?

Start bands with your friends, play music that you love, commit to what you’re doing and the rest should follow.

That wraps it up! Thanks!  If you have any shout outs or questions feel free to spill your guts out.

Thank you for the interview Chris, it was my pleasure. And thank you to everyone who took the time to read this. 

end.

Support Caravels. Buy their merch. Drink a few beers with some close buddies and spin their records at the same time. Enjoy.

Chris