Exclusive Interview with Pop Band Crimson Apple

Hawaii-born sisters Colby, Shelby, Carthi and Faith Benson make up Crimson Apple, an up-and-coming pop band you’re going to want to pay attention to. I recently got to chat with the band about how they got started, the story behind their name, their new single, what they nerd out about and so much more! Keep reading to see what they had to say!

For those who may not have heard of Y’all, can you briefly explain why you guys wanted to form a band together?

The way we formed Crimson Apple was actually quite organic. When most people find out we’re sisters, they assume that our parents put us into a band and decided which instruments we would all play, but that really wasn’t the case at all. I guess you could say it all started when Colby began singing at a young age. She always dreamed of being a professional singer and began seriously pursuing a career in music really early on. When Colby was 15, she decided to start a band to get more experience with live performing. It was around the same time that Shelby, inspired by her favorite bands, started picking up the guitar. Colby recruited Shelby to join the band along with a few friends, and [they] were together for about a year. 

Eventually, that band came to an end, and during that time, Faith and Carthi began showing interest in their own prospective instruments. Carthi always felt a strong connection with the bass, and always describes how she likes the sound and the way it feels. Faith, inspired by our dad (who played drums at a young age), begged our parents to let her take drum lessons. It was then that we decided it would be a good idea for the four of us to form a band. As soon as we started playing music together, we knew immediately that it was what we were all meant to do. Since then, it has been our dream to support ourselves with the music we create together and tour the world.

I know you guys recently moved to LA from Hawaii to pursue your music full time. What you have guys learned about yourselves both personally and as a band since the move?

As a band, we’ve learned that we can pretty much get through anything as long as we have each other. We’ve been through some pretty trying times since the move, so it’s really brought us closer together, not only as bandmates but as sisters as well. We’ve also grown a lot individually since the move. We’ve all matured in our music tastes, as well as our fashion choices. We’re definitely learning new things about ourselves every step of our careers.

I’m totally intrigued by the name, Crimson Apple. Where did it come from?

Crimson Apple actually stems from a lyric in one of our favorite songs, “Wine Red”, by the Hush Sound. The lyric is “who shot that arrow in your throat, who missed the Crimson Apple.” “Wine Red” was one of the first songs our band covered when we first began playing together.

I’m always genuinely curious about what artists want to convey with their music. So how would you describe your sound without using genre names? What kind of music do you guys produce?

Oh wow! This is a really good question! Normally it’s really hard for us to describe our specific genre because we tend to produce a wide variety of sounds based on the meaning of our songs. In general, we’ve always strived to produce music that feels cinematic and epic with mainstream elements. We tend to create music that’s a bit feel good and groovy, but with an edge of darkness to it.

Going off that, who are some of your musical influences?

Some of our biggest influences include Paramore, Halsey, Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons, and Twenty One Pilots.

Let’s talk about your new single, “Can’t Get Out of Bed.” What’s the story behind the story?

“Can’t Get Out of Bed” actually takes inspiration from a deeper message than you’d expect. Although the title phrase is something that’s relatable and used quite casually in some people’s lives, for others it can have a darker meaning. “Can’t Get Out of Bed” is a song about dealing with depression, and trying to explain it to the people in your life who don’t understand. Sometimes, when having this discussion, it can be difficult on both sides of the conversation. The lyrics of this song were inspired by our lead singer’s experience with this issue.

What was your writing process like for this song? Are you guys a band that likes to keep the writing in-house or do you like to collaborate with others?

For “Can’t Get Out of Bed,” we started the song with just the four of us jamming in our rehearsal space. Musically and lyrically, the band really flowed with the message and vibe of the song. Since it’s inception, this song has been really important to us, so we actually held on to it for a while, waiting for the right moment to record it. When we met our producers, Alina Smith and Ellie Moore of LYRE, we had instant chemistry, and within a couple sessions, completed the final version of “Can’t Get Out of Bed.” 

We’d say this is typically how the band prefers to work since we really like to internalize our music before introducing an outside perspective. We feel that when it’s just the four of us in a room together, we can be our truest selves and let our creativity flow. Although this is how the band likes to work, we do have experience with both methods of songwriting, and we do have a lot of fun when we get the chance to collaborate with other writers and artists. Some of the most recent songs we’ve been working on started out as a co-writing session.

Musically, what can people expect from you for the rest of 2018? Is there an EP or a full-length album coming any time soon? Any tour plans?

We’ll be releasing our very first music video to our new single, “Can’t Get Out of Bed” this month, which we are super stoked about. We’ve also just embarked on the High School Nation Tour. We’ll be on the road for a month visiting high schools and sharing our music. We do have an EP in the works, so please look out for that early next year!

You guys are still very new to the music game. What are some music industry-related goals or benchmarks that you’re aiming to reach in the next couple of years?

We’ve just recently begun touring the states, but it would be incredible to tour internationally one day! It would also be awesome to tour with one of our favorite artists, and eventually headline our own tour. And of course, like most aspiring musicians, it would be a dream to attend the Grammy Awards.

Last question — we’re called Talk Nerdy With Us because we all have an inner-nerd. What is something you all nerd out about?

Besides music, we all seriously geek out over anime together! We’re always looking for new animes to watch, so if there are any other fellow anime nerds out there, feel free to reach out to us so we can swap anime recommendations.

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