Photo by Susan Irais Reyes.
First, who is who and what instrument do you play?
Brad: I’m Brad Pallone. I’m the vocalist.
Jam: They call me Jam, I play the bass.
Jonathan: Hi! I’m Jonathan and I play the guitar.
Jonah: Hi! I’m Jonah, and I also play guitar.
Sam: Hey there, I’m Sam, and I play drums.
How long has Cascadent been a band and how did you meet?
Sam: Cascadent started in 2016 when I met Jonathan Lee and our first singer at a Letlive show here in Atlanta. I originally posted an ad on Craigslist looking to start a new project, and they responded to my ad. We found out that we were going to the same show, so we opted to meet there. Jonathan and I really bonded over Letlive, and I remember we were absolutely going nuts during the show. Shortly after we started jamming, we brought in Jam and Jonah, and the first iteration of Neptune was born. We started playing shows in Atlanta with a different name, but that was the catalyst that eventually launched Cascadent into what it is today. Brad came in earlier this year, and he fit in perfectly with us and our aspirations. We truly feel like a family unit.
Where did the band name come from?
Jam: We were in a rebranding phase in 2017 before releasing Aces Over Kings and had this plethora of music at our fingertips, and collectively we had built up so much emotion towards it. Some of it was absolute euphoria and some of it was frustration, mostly due to how much we wanted to share it with the world, but didn’t feel that it was ready. We were pouring ourselves into these songs and at some point, something had to give. The image of a waterfall cascading down symbolized our first steps to releasing what we’d been working so hard to build. We felt as if we were cascadent.
How would you describe your music?
Brad: I feel like it is very complex, but what distinguishes it is the way we approach that complexity. We are able to make our sound approachable and catchy amidst the chaotic elements.
Jonathan: Honestly, for me, it’s just enjoyable. It’s not as fun if we try to describe it too much. We don’t immediately know where our next sound will come from, but we pursue our ideas and push each other to create a cohesive sound.
How did you get into playing music?
Jam: I started as a teenager playing in bands with friends at school events, and eventually became a songwriter and scratched the surface of what the Atlanta music scene had to offer. It wasn’t until I met these guys that I was really exposed to how wonderful of a community this can be.
Jonathan: Video games. I nerded out about the soundtrack even more than the game itself at times personally (even though I absolutely loved those games). I came into rock at a late stage. I’ve been in many bands growing up, but it always lacked the freedom of ultimate creativity. This band brought a lot of that for me and hopefully for my fellow talented bandmates.
What is your writing/recording process like?
Jonathan: Honestly, these guys in the band are always doing something different, so it is hard to depict a specific thing. But, it usually starts with an idea that one of us would have and just build up upon that. Each section of a song leaves room for anything that someone else can come up with.
Going through your existing songs mentioned (“Aces Over Kings,” “Into the Mirror,” and “The In-Between”), they are a natural progression to the new single, “Neptune.” Do you have bands or artists that you took inspiration from?
Brad: We have a plethora of influences we try to integrate into our sound yet still sound authentic. I personally love heavy bands that push the genre boundaries such as Fever 333 or Issues.
Jam: At The Drive In is a band we talk about a lot. Both in how we approach writing music, and especially in how we perform on stage.
In that same vein, what bands do you look up to? Who do you want to accomplish as much as?
Brad: I have always loved bands in the early Rise Records era like Oceana, Of Machines, Broadway, etc. One of my main objectives in this band is to achieve the level of emotion and audience connection as those bands did in their prime.
Jam: Circa Survive is a group we look at as an example of how to make music uncompromisingly and forge a special relationship with their audience. Seeing them perform live is an ethereal experience we’ve enjoyed together and it’s brought us closer.
Jonathan: Every band is different.
What is your dream tour lineup?
Sam: Gosh, I would love to see us playing with Circa Survive or The Mars Volta one day. Between all of us, we each have different bands that we love, but I think we could be able to play with any of them and make it work. Personally, I would die on stage if we got to play with Thrice.
In the fall, you’re opening for Hail The Sun, Royal Coda, and Strawberry Girls. What are you most excited for?
Jam: The opportunity to perform in front of a large group of people who may not have heard of us before.
Jonathan: Literally sharing the stage with every member of these incredible bands. They are all super inspiring musicians, so I’m stoked for the music as a fan but also the opportunity to play for their fans.
Circling back to your most recent release, “Neptune,” what was different in writing/recording this song than previous releases?
Jonathan: It’s funny that you say that. This song is actually our first full length song that we’d written as band. But it’s been revisited so many times, that it became a different song. Rather than just the physical part of it, the attachment for it became stronger.
Is “Neptune” a part of an album/EP or is it more of a stand-alone release?
Jam: “Neptune” exists as a stand-alone release. We also have another single with a music video due to release next month.
Do you have a favorite one of your songs?
Jonathan: Definitely not. But just for live purposes, probably “Into the Mirror”. It’s the hardest song on our set.
Sam: It varies for me as well, but “Neptune” has always been a favorite to play. There is something about nailing that intro live that brings the hype factor up.
Last, what does music mean to you personally, whether it be creating or listening?
Jonathan: Based off of creativity, it’s never predictable when it comes to what will happen for us. That is super exciting. As a music listener, I wouldn’t be here without it. It is truly one of life’s enjoyments without having to spend a fortune. We can access it anywhere and it can speak to us. It truly saved my life through hard times so I’m super grateful for it.
Sam: I know it sounds cliche, but no matter where I go or what I do, music is playing somewhere. It gave me an outlet, it allowed me to confide my struggles, and it has always been there for me. For the artist in me, it is a struggle, but the push to learn more and play through anything keeps me going.
Thank you so much for reaching out!
Sam: Thank you for letting us share our experiences! Also, please reach out to us on any of our social media channels here:
Twitter: @cascadentband
Facebook: @cascadentband
Instagram: @cascadentband
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5tPEybYynEiJo9Lmcmj2tZ?si=RXI6A9xuTZeJpTXZoFNegQ
