What do COVID-19, Spotify and music fans have in common? They are forcing artists to adapt the ways in which they create and release their music.
Captain Kidd, consisting of singer and guitarist Nathan Baumgard and keyboardist and guitarist Kyle Kanzigg, identifies as an alternative pop rock band. Kanzigg said the duo pulls inspiration from many sources, including classic rock bands such as The Beatles and Pink Floyd.
Captain Kidd started in 2013 with Baumgard alongside four other Ohio State students at the time: former drummer Nick Samson, former guitarist Eric Blaha, former bassist Andrew Gutierrez and former synthist Stew Weinland, Baumgard said.
Baumgard said the duo has gone through a metamorphosis over the last two years, and he is the band’s only original member. In 2019, Kanzigg joined the band.
Kanzigg said the two met through Samson. He was a producer working with Samson on his own track when he and Baumgard were introduced.
“I had an instrumental project where I would make the beats and have random people sing on it. I reached out to Nate about doing a song, and we did a song initially for that project and it turned into Captain Kidd,” Kanzigg said.
When creating a song, the duo does not follow a set procedure, but Baumgard said they do work together.
He said the pair will take turns writing and producing their own songs, and either he or Kanzigg will be responsible for the post-production editing of a finished track.
Although they do not follow a script, Kanzigg said COVID-19 has impacted Captain Kidd’s production.
“It has definitely given us a lot of time to do that stuff (producing). At the start of when everything shut down, I probably made a beat a day,” Kanzigg said. “And our whole second set of songs we’re working on came out of the first couple months of lockdown.”
This year, the group has released three songs, and Baumgard said they plan to release a fourth Dec. 11. The group has been releasing singles because they feel listeners will not tune in to a longer project.
“I’ve seen artists release albums; they are full of great songs,” Kanzigg said. “And sadly, the listener has such a short attention span where the album is too much for them to digest, unless they are already invested into that group.”
Baumgard said Captain Kidd aims to adjust to the new culture of listening being brought forward with new technology. To help with this, the group has been releasing one song each month leading up to their next EP.
“Major label artists are releasing a lot more consistently. You’re not going a long time without hearing an artist you like,” Baumgard said. “From a listener’s point of view, it is a great thing, but it does suck because it is moving the art form away from long-formed listening.”
Spotify and other streaming services are rewarding artists for releasing singles rather than albums by adding the songs on editorial playlists, allowing for artists, including Captain Kidd, to reach more listeners, Baumgard said.
The band is also adjusting to the lack of venues hosting artists during the pandemic, Baumgard said. He said the duo is worried about music venues’ ability to stay open and survive, if there is another lockdown.
The group is discussing alternatives to live performances, including live streams, Kanzigg said.
Captain Kidd’s current and future releases can be found on all streaming platforms.
