Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Farrar.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I believe that I was born with music in my heart. I got my first guitar as a Christmas gift when I was seven years old, after seeing my brother get a drum kit the year before. I remember going to a guitar teacher and him telling me that the red and white Fender was way too big for me and that I needed a small classical guitar. So, I began by learning classical technique and theory for the first years of my playing. Eventually, as I grew, I was able to move up to the big leagues and get a proper electric guitar, and that is really when my love for writing my own music began. I started my first band, Death Punch, with my best friend in middle school. Soon I began to become influenced by other genres of music and started another band with a different group of friends called A Midnight White.
Eventually, we all split up and went our separate ways to college and what not, and I was left feeling pretty uninspired and disheartened through my first two years of university. One day, I was at home in Pasadena at my parents house talking with my brother, and we both were like, “Why haven’t we ever played in a band together?” and from there, Lights In The Sky was born. We met Tony (singer) from a tabloid we posted at our local rehearsal studio. Lights In The Sky made many amazing memories and did a bunch of self-booked DIY touring in craigslist vans (not recommended). This is where my love for touring and being on the road really took off. Eventually, things took a turn for the worse, and we started to fall apart.
At this point, we had a big falling out, and I decided that I needed to take some time and really find myself. So, I worked three jobs nonstop for six months, slept on my friends couch, and saved as much as I could, until finally one day, I quit, packed a backpack, and took off. My first stop was New Jersey where a good friend of mine, Mike Isley (GLMR, Michael Isley Band) lives. He helped me create the first ever “Capital North” track, “Estranger”. I stayed for about a month until I decided it was time to move on, to Iceland. I met up with a bunch of couchersurfer’s when I arrived, and we rented a car together (in the winter, in Iceland), with a plan to drive the entire island. Needless to say, we had some pretty intense times on the road, including driving through a snowstorm and being blown off of the road, spinning in 360’s, but hey, I’m here! Iceland truly spoke to something deep inside of me and really sort of rekindled and stoked the flame for what became the “Capital North” of today. After about eight months of traveling, I came back and told Tony that we needed to get to work.
Although at that point, we still had a dream to keep Lights In The Sky alive, so we followed Warped Tour 2014, sleeping in the back of my Prius for about two months, before eventually doing our last tour under the LITS name. Fast forward to 2015, when we started writing what is our most recent release “Sea To Sky” under the new moniker “Capital North”. This was an intensely painful and trying experience for us, but about a year and sometime later, we finally released it. This absolutely has to be the one single work that I am most proud of. In addition to being in “Capital North”, I also make travel/coffee videos on my VLOG @jonathanofthenorth (link below). In December of 2018, I was laid off from my 9-5 advertising job which was the best thing to ever happen to me, and since then have been chasing my music and YouTube dreams, full speed ahead.
Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely not haha. There have been so many struggles along the way and I’m sure there are many more to come. I would say that some of the most difficult struggles I have encountered have been the times where our bus or van (since we’ve broken down in both) decides to quit on us in the middle of nowhere, USA. Luckily, there are so many kind-hearted and friendly people all over this country who have lended us a hand when we are in need. In addition to that, I would have to say just being an independent unsigned DIY artist presents its own daily struggles. Ultimately, we are our own manager/label, so if we don’t stay on top of things, no one else will. On that note, it can be a bit of a struggle being a musician in Los Angeles, due to the over-saturation. I truly feel a deep love for LA, as it is my hometown, but I also feel a strong yearning to travel all over the US and the world to experience the people and culture, and to share our music.
I would say that being in the music industry is a very kind of convoluted place in which there aren’t really any direct routes to a single goal. In other words, you just have to try and make the right moves and hope something lands. There is so much opportunity out there, I think it is really just a matter of timing, hard-work, and sometimes, luck. Needless to say, we are going to keep going as “Capital North” for the foreseeable future. I don’t think there is any possibility of me never being involved in music to some capacity, as my love for it far outweighs any obstacle I have faced, or will face in the future.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As a band “Capital North” specializes in making music that can appeal to wide demographic. We tend to write songs that are inspired by past life experiences, most of which are relatable to all potential listeners in some way. In this way, we really speak from our past but in a way that is easy to identify with, or at least for the listener to apply lyrics to their lives in a different way. We try our hardest to always portray a positive, but realistic viewpoint, and tend to stay away from any negative lyrics. You will never see us writing a lyrics just because it sounds good or because it fits a certain melody, everything is written with full intention and purpose, and generally, each song has a very direct meaning.
That being said, one of our favorite aspects about the lyrics is that they are ambiguous enough to allow the listener to morph the message so that it might apply more to something they are going through at the time. Ultimately, we strive to write relatable, honest, and timeless music and lyrics that bring people’s spirits up so that they can find a sort of unity in our songs. Other than that, I would have to say that we are some of the most approachable people. If you send us a message on Instagram, we will pretty much always reply, and even have a conversation with you. At shows, we are always happy to talk to anyone, and actually love just meeting random people and hearing how our songs or our set has changed them in some positive way. Get at us!
In addition to the band, I work on my YouTube @jonathanofthenorth, which is a coffee/travel VLOG. This centers around different cities and shops that I visit. I also do home reviews of different coffees and brewing methods. The VLOG is unique in the way that even if an episode is about, let’s say, Mexico City, it still centers a bit on culture, but mainly on the coffee shops of the area. In that way, I hope that I can spread the awareness of good coffee shops wherever I travel to, as well as shout-out some of favorite roasters that I truly believe in and back 100%. I love being able to give credit to shops I feel are doing something special, especially the mom and pop shops. Ultimately, I would love to have my own coffee roastery/shop, and I have done some home roasting (see home roasting video), but I am definitely in need of further cultivation and knowledge!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Hmmm… to continue from my thoughts before, I think Los Angeles is a great place for musicians in some ways and also a difficult place in a few ways. Los Angeles can be extremely overwhelming for anyone, especially for someone looking to get into the entertainment industry. That being said, I think there is also a whole bunch of wonderful people and a whole bunch of opportunity here! A lot of it does depend on the style of music you are trying to get into as well as the demographic you are trying to reach. Ultimately, like any metropolitan city, LA can be hit or miss for any band. The awesome thing about LA is that on any given night there are tons of shows going on, but that can also present a challenge to smaller bands trying to garner a fanbase.
Again, Los Angeles is my home, and I will always hold a special place in my heart for this city. I would say that it honestly does not matter where one starts out as a musician or a YouTuber because the beauty of both is that you can really go wherever you want. In our case, we started to find that LA just wasn’t really responding to our music and our shows never really got a good turnout, so we toured. There is always a solution, and sometimes it is one that requires a lot more work, dedication, and tolerance for being uncomfortable. Touring has enabled us to see the possibility and potential of our music and our craft, something that we never were able to actualize or see in Los Angeles initially. We have now seen an uptick in the LA market, after years of touring around the US. Sometimes certain markets just take a little longer and respond differently.
I would say that one thing that LA can do is to really cultivate an artist community in which artists support each other. Needless to say, we should all be nice to one another and support each other… stay for that band you have never heard of at the show, go to that art gallery, listen to that guys CD…we are all in this together! Lastly, if you want to do something and you are truly passionate about it, DO IT!! Even if it means breaking down on the side of the road in New Mexico, it will all be worth it in the end – keep chasing your dreams. Thank you for listening and I hope to meet all you at a show or a coffee shop 🙂.
Please check out our latest release on Spotify (link below) and my YouTube (link below), and don’t be afraid to shoot us a message on Instagram or email, thank you!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.capitalnorthband.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7CPOc4ISf8WVLjS7hOxtEg?si=dm6asZcnQfmtw87dabaS6A
- Other: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCcKJM8CqI6_aYmApkCjY33g?sub_confirmation=1
Image Credit:
Danny Garcia, Paul Morgan, Jesse Lynch, Marty Castro
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