K Será

By: Jonathan Carabba
3/4/08

K Sera is not a typical rock band by any means. It is a gathering of many talented local musicians headed by Mike Caswell. Its debut EP, The Machinist, features a roster of around a dozen individuals from bands such as Self Against City, Hero's Last Mission and Broken Iris. There really is something special about listening to these recordings; it's as if one can sense the amount of time, energy , commitment and passion that went into each measure of every song. On March 8 at The Underground in Roseville K Sera will be on hand live, in the flesh, for its debut live performance and to celebrate the EP's release. Mike Caswell was nice enough to take time from his busy schedule to answer some of Submerg's questions via the wonderful weave that is the World Wide Web.

Jon: I understand that you started this project all by your lonesome. How was it that you recruited so many talented musicians to collaborate on the recordings for The Machinist, K Sera's debut EP?

Mike: I really wanted the EP to have a collective feel to it, so we made a list of all the instruments and musicians we wanted and got to work. When it came down to it, all we had to do was ask. Everyone was really easy to talk to and fun to work with. It was a cool experience having so many amazing musicians help out.

Jon: ... how were you able to schedule getting everyone in the studio to lay down their tracks? How long did it take to complete these recordings?

Mike: Scheduling was a bit tough, but with the help of my manager, we were able to get everyone there. The whole process took about two months of basically just living in the studio, plus another month of preproduction before that. Sounds like a lot of time, but it went by incredibly fast. The whole process was a learning experience from start to finish.

Jon: What was it like to work with producer/engineer Jay Trammel? I personally have worked with him in the past and know he can be quite demanding and can push you musically to perform your best. Did you find this to be the case when you worked with him?

Mike: Jay definitely pushes you and expects the best, that's why I was so set on him producing the EP. We wanted to make the songs the best they can be and Jay is never afraid to tell you, "You can do it better." He gave Sean and I total freedom to try any ideas that we had, even if it meant going to Toys R Us to buy a Playschool piano. Jay has a way of making you work, without it feeling like work. Yes, it was a demanding schedule, but it was exactly what I needed.

Jon: So for this show on Mach 8 at The Underground, what will the live lineup be and what can people expect.

Mike: Most of the guys who recorded on the EP are playing with me [at the show], except for Lee [Hurtado, bass of Hero's Last Mission] and Justin [Barnes, drums, of Self Against City] who will be playing in their own bands. We are going to be playing all the songs on the EP, have some guest performances, visual art to go along with the music, and the entire night is going to be filmed, so it should be a good time. It's one of those shows that the bands who are playing it are just as excited as the kids going to see it. Personally, I have ties to all the bands so it will be a night hanging out with friends and doing what we all love to do.

Jon: What are your plans for K Sera in the future? Any motivation to tour, shop the EP to record labels, etc?

Mike: I've already started work on ideas for the next record, but the main focus is touring. We want to get on the road as soon as we can.

Jon: Anything else you want to share with the readers of Submerge?

Mike: Sean stack is the only other official member, I found him after a couple of open auditions. He's amazing. We rarely had a night alone in the studio. My closest friends were always stopping by to hang out, bring us food, and make sure we were all healthy and well rested. Also, other bands would stop by and offer advice and feedback on the parts we were working on, which was awesome." - Submerge Magazine

9/19/08

K Sera is a fairly new pop/rock band out of Sacramento, CA. I recently was able to probe the minds of the 2 creative individuals behind the music, Mike Caswell & Sean Stack. Thank you Christina for helping with the communication to set this interview up, and thank you Sean & Mike for taking the time to answer these questions!

So how did the band get started?

Mike: Back in early 2007, I started demoing songs for this project in a small studio I set up in my apartment closet. As soon as I was done with the rough ideas, I brought them to producer Jay Trammel of Fat Cat recordings and we got to work making the EP. The first step was to hold auditions to fill the rest of the spots in the band and that’s where I met Sean.

Sean: I got a call from some guy named Sig Pikul (no joke, you can’t make up a name
like that) identifying himself as an artist manager for a new indie-rock project.
We set up an audition, I played horribly and here I am :)

What are your positions in the band?

M: I sing and play guitar

S: Chief financial officer, gear nerd, ball of stress, guitar player.

Why did you decide to start this band?

M: I wanted to start a project that was still very pop at its core, but branched out and incorporated a lot of different styles and influences.

S: I was excited to actually find a talented front man to work with. Mike is an amazing singer/songwriter

Who are your musical influences?

M: The Dear Hunter, Muse, Forgive Durden, The Mars Volta, PersonL, Radiohead, & Say Anything…to name a few.

S: A lot of old stuff like Elton John and The Eagles. Newer stuff like Death Cab, Cold War Kids, Jimmy Eat World, Jack’s Mannequin and a bunch more. I’m a pop kid at heart.

How do you think the Sacramento music scene is doing?

M: As long as there are people writing new and interesting music, I am content.

S: The scene is going fairly well. The way I see it there are a lot of talented musicians and a few very good song writers. As in most cities, there are more bands than there are fans of local music. It is very difficult for a local band to grab the attention of potential fans long enough for them to listen, let alone buy a cd or attend a show. Increasing ticket prices and the lack of good all-ages venues makes competition among bands in this town quite fierce. To be successful in this scene and the industry in general you have to want it more than the next band.

What plans for the future do you currently have?

M: To tour as much as our gas tank allows us.

S: Take the show on the road.

Where do you hope that music will take you in life?

M: North, South, East, & West

S: I’d like to tour the states a few times. When I started really trying to accomplish something in music my only goal was to record an album I was proud of. I feel like I’ve accomplished that with our EP. Everything from here is icing on the cake.

Aside from this band, do you currently have any other music related projects?

M: Nope.

S: I fill in on guitar for the band Early States. I just went into the studio with them to record their debut EP. I’m very excited for the finished product.

What are your day jobs?

M: I work front desk at Strikes Bowling Alley in Rocklin.

S: I work as an assistant to a financial planner. It’s a suit & tie office job.

Who do you think will win the presidential election, and why?

M: Tough to say right now, it’s going to be a fun election to watch though.

S: McCain. Obama is inexperienced and I don’t feel that he can live up to the media hype.

Star Wars and Star Trek meet in real life, who wins the battle?

M: Star Wars, for the same reason why Luke can fall 300 feet from an imperial AT-AT walker and walk away without a scratch….THE FORCE

S: Star Wars. No contest.

Which is better? Cats or Dogs?

M:Cats, but not just any cat…my cat.
S: I don’t eat meat. - Silence Is Arson