Interview With K Será

K Será has been one of the more intriguing bands in the music scene over the past two years. After starting with a simple pop-punk sound, they quickly morphed into a tightly orchestrated cinematic rock band, not unlike Forgive Durden or The Dear Hunter circa the Violet EP. The band is releasing their brand new EP titled The Cantos ii on November 1st, and the band agreed to talk to us regarding the brand new EP, how it connects to The Cantos i, working with Thomas Dutton, and much more that you can read below.

Firstly, can you introduce yourself?

My name is Mike Caswell and I am the singer/guitarist for K Será.

You guys are releasing The Cantos ii next week. How does it feel to finally release this collection of songs?

I can't believe it's happening next week. We have been working on "The Cantos" sessions for the past two years, so it's a chapter of my life that I can finally close the book on and move on to other things. It's been a wild ride from start to finish.

Why did you decide to create an extension of The Cantos I rather than going on with a separate collection of songs?

We originally set out to do an album back in August of 2009, but things change as they do. The first EP had 7 of the 9 songs we did with Thomas Dutton in 2009-10. Now "The Cantos: ii" has the other 2 songs plus a couple we've recorded through 2010-11, so it made sense because all of the songs are a part of one body of work.

How does The Cantos II vary from The Cantos I?

I think the songs are a little more straight forward and well thought up then the first EP. We went through a "we have to write singles" phase for a bit, so everything came out very streamlined. Also there are 4 different producers on this EP, even though there is only 6 songs...so each song definitely showcases four very different producing styles.

Was there any thought that using 4 producers could interrupt the cohesiveness of the EP?

We had our concerns at first, but it really came together nicely. I think there is a variety on this EP that will keep it interesting to listen to. It allowed us to almost reinvent ourselves as a band with every new studio and producer combination we encountered along the way.

You guys signed with Burning House Records for this release. How has this changed the process for the release of this album?

It has taken a lot of stress off our shoulders, which has been amazing. For us to not have to worry about paying for studio time, getting press, or any other effort that goes with releasing a record is a dream come true. I mean...we're finally just musicians who's only job is to write and record songs. Who can ask for anything more?

You are commonly classified as a "cinematic rock" band. However, The Machinist EP contained very little of that cinematic flair that you guys are now currently known for. What influenced you to go on a more theatric route rather than going on your more standard pop-punk sound?

I wrote all the songs on The Machinist by myself when I was 19 and coming out of a pop punk band. I had wanted K Será to be more on the cinematic side from the start, but lack the know how and musicians execute it. Once I found the rest of the band and started working with Thomas Dutton back in August of 2009, I tried to shed as much of the pop punk sound I could and never looked back.

Speaking of Dutton, You guys used him as producer on The Cantos I as well as featuring him on the opening track. How did this come together?

We opened for Forgive Durden on the Razia's Shadow Tour when they came through Sacramento at the Boardwalk and I think the bass player mentioned that Thomas produced and recorded bands. After the show I mustered up the guts to ask him if he'd help us out and he said yes. I definitely credit him for setting all the happenings in the past year in motion.

You put out an open invitation for applications to be a new bassist. Was there a reason you decided to have auditions rather than just inviting someone you already knew?

Even though I started this project, I feel like it's the musicians playing behind me that really make it special. So whenever a spot needs to be filled for a show or recording I want to make sure that it is filled with the best person possible for the job.

You also have put some work into The March Ahead. Are there future plans for that side project?

I really don't know to be honest. The March Ahead is great because Johnny and I will never "owe" someone a record, so we can work at our leisure. I know Johnny has busy schedule producing bands and I have a full plate as well, but if the starts align just right we may do an album or play some shows at some point.

What are the future plans for K Será?

The next couple months will be filled with touring to promote "The Cantos: ii", which is something we have been waiting a long time for. Also, we may or may not be recording our first full length in the not so distant future

Any final words?

Thanks to you for the interview and a BIG thank you to everyone who has waited for us to release this EP. Hope you enjoy it!

I'd like to again thank K Será for taking time out of preparing for the release of their great new EP to answer these questions. I fully expect the masses to love The Cantos ii, and will hopefully launch the band to even greater things. Look forward to a review of the EP in the coming week or so. But you can check out K Será on Facebook here, and download The Cantos i for free here.