Citabria is a much buzzed about band hailing from San Jose. Gaining momentum as they have opened for acts such as Awolnation and The Limousines, the group has been increasingly making a name for themselves in 2016. A massive tour and a stop at SXSW this year, have been wrapped around new pieces such as “Take My Heart,” the latest song and video from the band. Releasing a series of singles this year in the follow up to their last release, “Exit Reality,” we see the band starting to experiment with new territories. We took time out to speak with Citabria, as they clue us in to what the year has to hold for the band.
Blending a driving force of Rock and Indie genres, what musical influences helped to hone Citabria sound?
Citabria’s sound is currently inspired by the exploration of different musical instruments and studio tools. We are all really busy with normal life duties and don’t get in the same room too often. However, we all individually experiment and write new material all the time.
What is the inspiration behind the single series you are sharing this year? Can you reveal anything about the tracks coming down the line?
We have always worked on albums and never tried focusing on one song at a time. We figured it would be fun and beneficial to create more moments of excitement to share with our potential fans. There are about 10 new tracks on the work bench. The next single doesn’t have a title yet but it’s a really dynamic song with a good blend of old school funk and EDM. It’s about the excitement of having the hots for someone and this constant obsession that manifests itself into a dream world of pleasures.
You are known for your live shows. What is your favorite city to play? What is your dream venue to perform at?
Playing shows is the best part of being in a band. What makes a show memorable for us is the sound of the venue and vibe of the crowd, so to choose a favorite would be tough. Our dream venue to perform would be an evening slot on main stage at Coachella.
How do you take your in-studio sound and tailor it for the stage setting?
We put ourselves under a microscope to find every flaw. Then we practice until we sound and feel exceptional.
“Take My Heart,” has garnered the group a great deal of attention, and put the band on the map. What can you tell us about the making of the track? Where was it written, and how was it recorded? How did you decide on “Take My Heart” being the first track in the series?
Originally the song was inspired by a vocal sample that our guitarist was messing around with from an old Funk/Soul track called “Satisfaction Guaranteed” by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. Nate sampled this catch phrase, “Take my love back.” Of course we realized that we could never legally use this line or melody, but it’s what initially inspired the song and set the theme for “Take My Heart.”
It was recorded, mixed and mastered by us at our homes because we don’t have the budget to afford any studio time.
It made sense for “Take My Heart” to be the first single because it was the most developed song and it had a really fun vibe to it.
Currently while penning new songs, do you find the pieces continuing in the same vein as your previous record, or are they slowly a departure from your signature sound?
The writing process is very similar to the way we wrote our album “Exit Reality,” however, our sound has developed greatly. We are using more synths and the vibe of the music has a playful edge to it.
What musical legacy would you like to leave in this world?
We hope our music to spark exhilaration and joy in humans when they listen to our music and watch us perform on old internet videos.
