Cadillac Casket

Published March 19, 2009

Spotlight: Cadillac Casket

Anne Erickson | aerickson@lsj.com

When you first hear East Lansing-based Cadillac Casket, you might be reminded of alternative punk bands like Story of the Year or Taking Back Sunday. But a second listen tells you the music is a little jam-y and has groove, which makes it more progressive than punk revival or screamo.

As it turns out, that's not far from the mark: John Gapp (vocals), Ben Warner (guitar), Andy Keilen (bass) and Jake Greenwood (drums) say they're influenced by inventive alt-rock bands like Coheed and Cambria and 311, plus the prog-rock of Pink Floyd.

The band - which includes some MSU and LCC students - releases its new EP Friday at Small Planet. Marc Hudson, who has worked with such names as Against Me and Saves the Day, recorded the disc in Fenton.

• Cadillac Casket, Ghosts of the Great Lakes

• 10 p.m. Friday, March 20

• $8 ages 18-20, $5 ages 21 and older

• Small Planet, 16800 Chandler Road, East Lansing, 351-6230 - Lansing State Journal

1)The band name could not be more appropriate given the current economic climate in our still great city and state - who came up with - Cadillac Casket - and how?

CC: We were in the process of brainstorming band names when Andy called up one day and suggested “Cadillac Coffin,” which was from a Stevie Ray Vaughn lyric. Jake suggested that we change “coffin” to “casket” to make it roll off the tongue better. Shortly after we agreed that it should be our name. It does seem to fit the current economic climate we are in, and we could try to attach a deep political or philosophical meaning behind it, but it just wouldn’t be true. We like to leave the interpretation up to our fans.

2)Tell us about the formation of the band?

CC: The band is made up of guitarist Ben Warner, bass guitarist Andy Keilen, drummer Jake Greenwood and vocalist John Gapp. In 2005, Warner and Greenwood were introduced to each other, had a few jam sessions, and grooved right from the start. While they were both in other bands at the time, they played about once a week together as a side project. About two years later, Keilen was invited to jam and fill the role as bass guitarist. Musical ideas flowed easily and compatibly within the trio as they decided to take the project more seriously. During the fall of '08, John Gapp auditioned with the band and was added as lead vocalist. With the addition of John, Cadillac Casket’s full sound was complete.

3)Who are some of your biggest influences?

Andy: Any music that hits me at the right point….Red Hot Chili Peppers and Victor Wooten come to mind. A wide range of music from rock, jazz, fusion to blues.

Ben: Coheed and Cambria, Pink Floyd, Tool, Dave Mathews, Mars Volta.

John: Beatles, David Bowie, Radiohead, Tool, The Flaming Lips.

Jake: 311, Story of the Year, The Used, Taking Back Sunday, Saosin.

4)The new 5 song EP is done and soon will be available. The two songs that appear on your myspace page both sound fantastic - where did you record the EP?

CC: The EP was produced and mixed at Audiolux Studios by Marc Jacob Hudson. Marc has an incredible reputation, having worked with bands like “Taking Back Sunday,” “Chiodos,” “Saves the Day,” “Two Tongues,” and “Thursday.” He did an incredible job (to say the least) and is a pleasure to work with. The drums were recorded at “Real II Reel” studios in Fenton, MI while the rest of the EP was recorded and mixed at Audiolux Studios.

5)Are you going to tour behind this release?

CC: That is the plan right now. We are still in the process of scheduling more dates. We would like to use the EP as a tool to help get us attention from venues, booking agents and labels. From there, we only hope to play as many shows as humanly possible.

6)Tell us about the big CD Release Party at the Small Planet on Friday March 20th?
Andy: I’m really excited because it’s going to be our first headlining show. It will be interesting to see how many new faces are introduced to our music. I’m always excited to play with the rest of the guys on stage as well.

Ben: I’m very excited. It’s finally a chance to headline our own shown. And now we have something tangible (the EP) to give to our fans at the venue. I also view it as a stepping stone in our band’s career.

John: It should be an exciting show. We’re excited for people to hear the new EP. We worked really hard on it. I think people will really like it. We’ll also be performing a few new songs that we have been working on recently. It’s always fun to get up on stage and play with the guys.

Jake: I hope that the release party will serve as a sort of “jump start” that our band needs and deserves. Our main goal has always been to bring our music to as many new listeners as possible, and to solidify that music with a great live show. I hope we get a lot of new faces out to the show and I hope we can interest them in becoming fans of our music and band.

7)Is the band continuing to write new music?

Andy: It’s an ongoing process. We took a hiatus for a while to record the EP, but I think that no matter what we’re doing at any given time, new music is always welcome.

Ben: Yes, constantly. There will be at least three new songs played at the release show.

John: Yes, we’re in the process of trying to finish what will ultimately be the LP version.

Jake: Yes. This EP is the first piece of a much larger project that we are working on. The five songs on the EP will also be on a full length, concept album that we hope to record this summer.

8)What is your favorite Lansing Area eating establishment?

Andy: Sansu (sushi place on hagadorn)

Ben: Golden Harvest

John: Pizza House

Jake: Wing Zone

9)Who are some of your favorite Lansing Bands?

CC: We, of course, are always fans of any band that we have had the honor of sharing the stage with, especially local ones.

Andy: Aimcriers, Echoes of Pink Floyd, Frontier Rucku - LansingMichiganMusic.com

Published on December 03, 2008.

East Lansing band Cadillac Casket will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Small Planet, 16800 Chandler Road, in hopes of being crowned “Rock Kings” of the State Rocks Concert Series.

The four-piece band consists of music senior and drummer Jake Greenwood, guitarist and East Lansing resident Ben Warner, bass guitarist and East Lansing resident Andy Keilen and lead singer and Lansing resident John Gapp.

Cadillac Casket took a break from practicing for the WJIM (97.5-FM) Home Town Rock Crown to tell The State News about their plans for the future and what sets them apart from other local bands.

State News Where does your band name come from?

Andy Keilen - It came from a Stevie Ray Vaughan tune called “Willie the Wimp.” The line in it is, “Willie the Wimp in his Cadillac coffin.” I called Ben and he thought it was a good name and then Jake switched it to casket, so we just kind of went with it. Phonetically it sounded better and we didn’t want it to be a total rip-off.

SN - How would you define your sound?

Ben Warner - We’re pretty heavy rock. We’re not metal by any means but we’re pretty heavy. We’ve got a little bit of progressive and we do have acoustic songs, too. But for the most part, it’s heavy rock.

Jake Greenwood - We all bring to the table everything we listen to. For example, a band that heavily influenced my drumming was 311. If you listen to my drumming in our music you really hear an influence from that genre.

And I listen to heavier bands like Story of the Year, Chiodos, bands like that. And I blend some of that drumming style in with Chad Sexton’s style and I kind of create my own style in that way. Combining all of our influences creates a unique style.

Andy Keilen - There’s definitely traces of the same bands that we listen to throughout but it’s not what we all listen to.

SN - How did you guys get together?

Ben Warner - It was a few years back. Jake and I have a mutual friend, Joe, and we met through him. We just met and basically the first time we ever started playing was about three years ago and we have kept going ever since then. Then a little more than a year ago Andy joined the band as a bass player.

Andy Keilen - I knew Jake because we both marched at MSU together and played in Spartan Brass.

Jake Greenwood - In my experience with the band getting together, I was introduced to Ben my freshman year of college through a mutual friend, like he said, and I remember the first time he and I ever jammed. It was down in his basement, he had his guitar and I was on this s——- ass drum set, but despite that, everything just blended and meshed really well.

Ben Warner - At this point we had just been jamming, but at the same time we were writing songs and stuff, but then it got to the point where we wanted to make it more serious. It was fun jamming just the two of us but it definitely got to the point where we wanted to make this something we could start gigging with.

SN - What’s your long-term goal as a band?

Ben Warner - We take it pretty seriously, we take our practice seriously, we take our song writing seriously. Ideally we want as many people to hear this music as possible. That’s probably our biggest goal.

Andy Keilen - A realistic goal for us is getting an EP out, just a four- or five-track CD that we can get professionally done early next year. We have to save money up to pay for it and figure out exactly what we want on it and artwork and everything that’s involved with building a CD.

Jake Greenwood - I’ve been in a lot of bands before, some serious, some not so serious, but this is the first band I’ve been in that I honestly think is label-worthy. This band, if we really work hard enough, honestly I think the motivation is in the right place with all four of us.

SN - What sets Cadillac Casket apart from other local bands?

Andy Keilen - Usually when you’re in a group, you don’t have every single person in the band clicking musically and even as friends the way this band does.

You hear about bands that are famous who grew up together, but there’s a lot of bands that make it that don’t have that edge. But when it comes to musicianship, we’re all able to carry our own load. That’s what’s great about this band.

Jake Greenwood - Instrumentally we’re a trio and when you have such a small number of instruments creating the sound, everybody has to be accountable for what they’re doing. There’s no room to hide anywhere and nobody in this band has shown that they need to hide. - The State News

After listening to the new Cadillac Casket EP - a trip to the chiropractor is warranted - as the unsuspecting listener is sure to be severely bruised and battered after the absolute musical demolition that Cadillac Casket creates - not unlike the sound of one of Detroit's finest creations smashing into a wall at 120mph - the sheer power that this four piece band from Lansing creates is damn impressive - and certainly not for the faint of heart.

The opener "Abandoned Settlement II (a flipping great title by the way) offers a bit of everything that gives Cadillac Casket it's sound - confoundingly deliberate and demanding musical arrangements that twist and turn on a dime - with walls of loud guitars and fret-acular solos - a disgustingly tight rhythm section - and to top it all off - lead vocals that help keep everything catchy - and startlingly progressive at the same time.

The EP's title track "Dust Bowl" is also it's most epic - beginning as a breezy drum and bass dominated piece and cascading into a 7:00 minute whirlwind of lighting fast leads and rhythms that the band effortlessly crashes in and out of seeming every 20 seconds or so - the guys in Phish would be jealous at how many different parts make up this song.

"Reflective Depths" starts as a Spanish flavored shuffle - and ends with a great big rocking payoff of a Chorus that knows just when to end. This may be the best song on the whole EP.

"Dissension" is another great example of how Cadillac Casket easily leaps from idea to idea - deftly stradling the line between Iron Maiden style ol' school riffage - and unapolgetic Pop smarts - sort of an Incubus featuring Steve Harris.

Speaking of great players - everyone in this band is remarkable at what they do. Vocalist Jon Gapp has a powerful voice - and helps keep the songs listener friendly while still allowing the complicated music to challenge the listener. Bass player Andy Keilen and drummer Jake Greenwood are exceptional musicians - constantly coming up with a myriad of interesting and headsnapping rhythms - these guys put on absolute clinic here. Guitarist Ben Warner is also a standout - playing such vaired styles as metal and flamenco - most often in the same song.

The production from Marc Jacob Hudson (Taking Back Sunday/Saves The Day/Thursday) also deserves a nod - this thing is perfectly glossed over and sounds like a freight train smashing through a brick wall.

This 5 song EP has more bang for your buck than some double albums (I'm talking to you Axl).


Don't miss Cadillac Casket at the Small Planet in East Lansing on Friday May 1st at the CD Release Party for The Outer Vibe. Also playing will be Res Publica and Kinase Moves The Audio - Show Starts at 6:00pm - Early Show - ALL AGES - $7 - Lansing Michigan Music