Cale Bonderman started writing music just two years before Cale and the Gravity Well formed, but inexperience wasn’t going to keep him from breaking into the industry. With production by Chris Brooks, Henry Upton, Chase Lapp, and Nathan Bergman of Lionize, Cale was able to turn his singer/songwriter tunes into a full fledged indie rock album, The Age of Envy. Cale points to such varied artists as Fleet Foxes, Doc Watson, Spoon and Modest Mouse as sources of inspiration, and in turn his music spans across a wide spectrum of genres, including folk, americana, reggae, and lo-fi. With descriptive lyrics, tight accompaniment, and a powerful voice, Made in the Shade Records is proud to boast Cale and the Gravity Well as their first signed artist.
In this spotlight, we chat with Cale about influences, the new project, surviving the digital music world and more.
Full Q&A along with links and a stream below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into you, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre or style?
Well I grew up listening to classic rock, and I really think that that style of music is basically timeless. That being said, I also don’t necessarily feel that I want to be defined by genre. I have lots of different interests, and I’m looking forward to exploring them in subsequent releases.
How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?
In terms of this band, it’s been about eight months. I myself however started doing extremely low-quality covers and vocal dubs and putting them on a soundcloud 3 or 4 years ago. It’s a weird mix of stuff, from Kanye to Sacred Harp music. I love that channel, I haven’t updated it in a really long time, but I like knowing that it’s there and that I can throw something up just because I want to. And no, I am not going to tell you what my username is.
Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?
There are certain things I try to keep in mind, especially when composing lyrics. Don’t take the easy rhymes, put some thought into the structure, really think about the best way to convey whatever the sentiment is. For most of this I try to keep Paul Simon in mind. The man is some kind of soul piercing wizard. I don’t understand it. Motivation at this point is sort of a weird thing. I don’t really feel bogged down by anything yet, and I don’t necessarily have the urgency that others might, so I kind of just let it happen. It’s hard to make that work when you need to rapidly produce content, but at this point it’s going ok. I guess in a general sense, I’m driven by the idea that one day I may write something really truly amazing, and that energizes me right down to my very core. I expect it will take me a while, but I also expect it’ll happen at some point, so I will just have to keep on trucking.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
The project more or less was the point. This whole thing is totally uncharted territory for me. I’m relatively new to songwriting, still new to playing with a band, arranging, the whole shebang. It’s been amazing fun, but a lot of work, and that was what I was looking for. AS I get a better handle on how to run my life and still do this thing, I’m planning on focusing more on what kind of work I’m doing, branching out into different styles and themes for exploration, but for now I’m pretty happy just half winging it.
What was the last song you listened to?
Itunes informs me that was “Gorilla, You’re a Desperado” by Warren Zevon, and a sterling example of a man having incredible fun doing what he loved.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
MP3’s no question. I haven’t listened to a CD in years, and I actually don’t own and have never owned a record player, so perhaps it’s too early to discount vinyl but oh well. I am also the type of guy who likes to have the files of all his music. I don’t really stream, which makes me a crazy outlier in this day, age, and generation.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?
Oh by far it’s keeping attention. It’s not enough to be able to put out quality music anymore. You have to be a kind of constant background circus too. Posts on Instagram, Facebook shoutouts, blog interviews (not that I am complaining), special offers. You either have to have a steady stream of singles, or people need to be engaged with your band in some small way constantly, or they forget about you. It’s not exactly an easy thing to do, but it’s pretty necessary in this day and age.
Tell us a little more about your recent album, The Age of Envy? What were you looking forward to the most with this release?
Honestly just getting it out of me. I had four or five songs written already, and wrote and recorded another five or six in the span of three months. It was an amazing period of my life in terms of creative output, but it was a lot of work, and I was trekking down to DC two times a month to do vocal recording (I recorded the album with the boys of Lionize, who did the amazing backing). I was also very much looking forward to using this to start a band, something that I had been dancing around for a while and that I could no longer avoid once I had the album. After all, what good is the recording if you cannot go out and play it?
What’s your favorite song on the album?
Well, don’t tell the others, but I have a particular affection for “Lions and Tigers.” It’s just such a fun song for me to sing, and I love the riff in the chorus part. It underwent many different rewrites in its creation, and I was very pleased that it turned out the way it did.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?
Head on over to either “caleandthegravitywell.com” or hit me up at “facebook.com/caleandthegravitywell“! Or send me a personal message at cb@caleandthegravitywell.com
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
Shout out to Made in the Shade Records, my wonderful friends and backup vocalists Kenna and Margaret, my mom and dad for being endlessly encouraging, and of course, my sister Zoe, without whom, none of this would have happened. And thank you Middle Tennessee Music, for the privilege of talking to you today! If anyone out there has any questions, hit me up and I will do my best to answer them. Just so you know, I have only a passing knowledge of mathematics and a pathetic understanding of chemistry, so I would recommend asking about things other than those. Thank you!
