Cable Car made its Jake’s Take debut in this edition of “5 Questions.” (Photo by Chris McMahon)
By: Jacob Elyachar
Jake’s Take is pleased to welcome rising pop rock band Cable Car to this edition of 5 Questions.
Cable Car is made up of Nate Mott (vocals) Ryan Murphy (drums) and Jack Turner (guitar). All three of them met at a Los Angeles apartment complex and after bonding over beers, the trio quickly form and developed a sound that is similar to fellow contemporaries Maroon 5 and the Script.
Currently, the trio is promoting their debut EP Ride, which showcases their superb lyrics and amazing arrangements.
During our correspondence, Nate and Jack talked about how they stand out with their songwriting and the EP’s most poignant song: “You’re Killing Me.”
Jacob Elyachar: How did each of you get into music?
Nate Mott: I recall writing song lyrics for a class project in the third grade. I was paired with this girl I had a wicked crush on. Some fiery redhead who used to tease boys on the playground she must have been six inches taller than me at the time. I remember when I sang our lyrics back to her she seemed to like it. In that moment, I learned that music in particular the human voice could move people. She never picked on me in the schoolyard after that. A few years later, I moved to New Jersey to live with my father the summer before my freshman year in high school. I did not know anyone else and had three months alone. I had been given this little acoustic guitar. I think it was a Yamaha and I filled my time writing songs. I guess I just never stopped.
Jack Turner: I started playing piano as a kid. I hated it! I only really started to like playing music as I got older, and my influences turned to contemporary blues and soul. I started playing guitar when I was 14-years-old, inspired by Keb Mo’s guitar skills amongst others. After a playing hiatus of a few years through college, I feel like I am playing catch up, but I love learning about it once again.
JE: Could you pleaser share Cable Car’s origin story with my readers?
NM: Funny, how things work out sometimes, Ryan and I played together in Rhode Island for a while and were instrumental in pushing each other to come to Los Angeles. We shared an apartment for a few months using a fold out card table for the kitchen and a plastic lawn chair for our living room furniture. I had a four-inch mattress on the bedroom floor and Ryan had blow up mattress in the living room. Eventually, Ryan moved across the way to an adjacent apt in the same complex. We spent our time figuring out what eventually would be called Cable Car. Not long after the project seemed to be taking shape, Jack Turner moved into the complex. Just dumb luck I guess. This cheeky English fellow who just happens to play multiple instruments (very well I might add) joined up for a tour of duty with us and Cable Car was born. I might say we named the band after Jack joined.
JE: How does your songwriting style differentiate between all other pop-rock bands that are in the music industry?
NM: I can only speak of what we do, every project must have its own way. For us we’re super intentional. Rather than throwing it all out and praying we focus in on an idea and give it the time and care we feel it needs. Our basic rules are to keep the music raw and exposed and the lyrics sexy and tragic. We want to speak to what’s really happening between people in our stories. Not how amazing someone’s life could be, rather how amazing telling it like it is can be.
JE: One of your most poignant songs on the EP is “You’re Killing Me.” What was the recording process on that song like?
NM: This is a favorite of ours because we really got the chance to all dig in deep. Formulating the female character that runs through the whole of the EP, was an idea we all came up with and “You’re Killing Me” personifies the character best. Sitting down and hearing Jack’s lick on the guitar spawned us into a session where we knew the lyrics had to tear your heart out but still lift you up somehow. We feel we achieved that. The rest was just pairing the appropriate layers and learning when to walk away.
JE: How has social media helped your music career?
NM: Well, for starters it’s for sure that in no other time in history could a group have so much opportunity to reach so many with so little. With that said we are doing everything we can to reach out. There really is not anything to say about social media other than, “Thank God for it!”
You can learn more about Cable Car by checking out their website: http://wearecablecar.com/
Do not forget to network with Cable Car on their social media pages! Click here to visit their Facebook, Twitter & YouTube channels.
