Nate Daniels vocals and guitarist for Canadian Orchestral Alt Pop group CAIRO. In this interview we discuss the music video with you and Mod Club in Toronto.
CAIRO Interview
– What’s new in the world of CAIRO?
We’ve had a pretty busy year touring the UK, Germany and more recently Canada promoting our album A History of Reasons.
– How was it filming the music video With You?
Pretty wild. We were on a tight schedule and fighting the onset of winter. We used our own houses for some of our locations and surprised my landlord one evening when he walked by the house and saw window gaffers and soft boxes outside the house. There was also a gel fire during the shooting of one of the bedroom scenes. But everyone is alive so mission accomplished!
– Would you say the importance of having good music videos now is as important as it ever was?
Definitely. While a song helps the listener connect emotionally, a visual connection helps to establish ownership over who that artist is, what they have to say, and in a business sense helps to create the branding parameters of the artist. That may sound really pragmatic and uncreative, but the truth is creativity and business savvy has to co-exist if an artist wants a successful career.
– On November 21st at the Mod Club in Toronto you have a hometown show. Would this type of show be different to any other shows you do?
This show is going to be bigger and flashier than any show we have ever done. The Mod Club demands next level performances and we have a few surprises up our sleeve that we think the fans will really enjoy.
– Could you describe what goes on in a day in your life as a musician on tour?
Bathroom scheduling. Sometimes that’s all a tour feels like. When you have five people in a band your schedule sometimes works around everyone showering and brushing their teeth, haha. A routine forms pretty fast though. Generally it’s wake up, pack up, drive, unpack, set up, play, pack up, and if you are lucky there is food and sleep somewhere in there.
– Could you describe some of your earliest influences in life and in music?
I remember hearing this unreleased version of “All Flowers In Time” by Jeff Buckley and Elizabeth Fraser. That was the first moment I even considered doing music as a profession. I was always drawn to melancholy, so films, music, and people who centered on themes of the bittersweet always grabbed my attention.
– How important is it for a musician in this generation to spend time on social media?
It is paramount (regretfully) – unless you are Adele. Social media and mobile space allows the artist to bypass the media and create a brand that is hyper- tailored to suit any given moment in an artists life. It also serves as an extremely useful focus group that can help facilitate constructive pursuits that include touring, merch choices, song selection just to name a few.
– What would we be surprised to find in your music collection at home?
We recently just went to BC and stayed with my parents. They pulled out a couple of bins with CD’s they had saved for me and we went through every single album on the way home. I was most surprised to hear Korn and a few other heavy metal albums. I guess I had some teen angst going on.
– What goals as a musician have you yet to achieve?
Charting for one. But we are just getting started in the radio game this month so that may not be too far off. I’d like to work with various producers in the U.S, live and tour extensively in Europe, and collaborate with some of my favorite artists. I’d also like to write more for other artists.
– Any words of wisdom to share with aspiring artists?
I always stick with the three P’s: Patience, persistence, and perseverance. It’s not an easy gig. No matter what Instagram or Facebook tells you, it’s rarely glamorous and in most cases it’s trying – but in the end that’s what makes your successes all the more enjoyable!
Check out Cairo online https://www.facebook.com/Wearecairo/