For all capitals, change is very good. Originally salvaged from Broken Down Autos in 2004, the group has since switched bassists and dropped a singer/songwriter/guitarist. From the sound of the group's latest effort, a self-titled EP, all the personnel changes have yielded some much-needed artistic growth. In the past, the band's material suffered from too-many-cooks syndrome, resulting in an uneven, unfocused sound that struggled to be more than nondescript. The new release, however, showcases the three members' meaty songwriting, quirky lyrics and an aesthetic that's pleasingly difficult to pin down. On the EP, guitarist/vocalist Paul Christus — now assuming full-time frontman duties — purrs, picks, growls and croons his way through a brief, ballsy, action-packed set of gritty, melodic rock while bassist Todd Spriggs and drummer Tony Corona swing, swagger and sway. Since recording, Jim Beasley has taken Spriggs's place, making the trio sturdier than ever. We recently chased Christus down to discuss the relationships between music, strippers and religion.
Westword: This is the second EP that all capitals has released. Why not a full-length?
Paul Christus: I don't really want to present our band to the world until we have ten songs — ten good songs — that really make a great first impression. When people leave the band, it's almost like starting over. When Nate [Norris, original guitarist] left the band, he took half the songs with him.
All those lineup changes must be challenging. How do you feel about the current roster?
Chemistry in and outside of playing together is really important. Tony and I are pretty unique individuals, and Jim is like the glue that holds us together. His drive and passion really supports ours.
You recently played a gig at PT's Showclub, a local gentlemen's club. Was it everything you'd hoped for?
The room we played was called Club Inferno — it's a whole section upstairs that's separate from the rest of the club. I don't frequent strip clubs, so I don't really know what it's normally used for. I thought there'd be girls taking their clothes off while we were playing, but that wasn't the case. We did go downstairs after we were done playing, though.
You're the primary lyricist for the band. A couple of the new songs express some pointed opinions about organized religion. Where are you coming from?
I was brought up in a very strict religious environment, in a religious cult that was based on Christianity but had some Eastern elements as well. It was cool, but they would change very key, important things about their beliefs every week. It was really confusing for me as a child. I still respect my parents' beliefs, though. My mom is really encouraging about us finding our own paths.
Speaking of finding your own path, what's the biggest difference between the all capitals of today and the quartet that produced the Saturn EP?
Well, it's really nice being a trio. We get to drink more beer.
