Capital Cities
L.A.’s Capital Cities arrive with a little sonic head rush called ‘Safe and Sound’, an easy, breezy, beautiful slice of effervescent electro-pop that even comes complete with a massive ‘trumpets-in-da-club’ bit that absolutely kills it. (Neon Gold) The song has catchy indie stylings and features the beloved vintage Juno-106 keyboard that gives the production such a comforting retro vibe. (Arjan Writes) It’s a scorcher bound to make your dance-infused taste buds sizzle. The music swarms with outside-of-the-box tendencies, jam-packed full of life, energy and unusual yet fantastic sounds. (Clixie)
Recording original, high-quality songs is one thing, but the ability to perform them live with passion, energy and a great, unique sound is a completely different beast. Capital Cities have both down to a science. (The Chuckness) They controlled the audience with addictive beats that caused strangers to dance with each other. Everyone sang along throughout the night regardless if they were first-time listeners. (Campus Circle)
In 2008, Ryan Merchant found Sebu Simonian on craigslist in his search for a collaborator. The two formed a composing team, and in 2010, they began producing material for Capital Cities. The band’s debut EP was released in June, 2011 on Lazy Hooks, and soon after, lead single ‘Safe and Sound’ shot to #2 on Hype Machine and charted #1 on CMJ’s A&R unsigned spin chart.
Capital Cities have played numerous sold-out shows in their hometowns of Los Angeles and San Francisco and embarked on a successful mini tour of the East Coast and Canada last October. In November, after reaching #1 on a rock station in Peru, the band flew to Lima to play in front of 1000 fans. After headlining the W Hotel New Year’s Eve party in San Francisco, Capital Cities returns to L.A. as 987FM’s January ‘Artist in Residence’.