Exclusive Interview With Dragged Under Vocalist Tony Cappocchi About New Album ‘The World Is In Your Way’

By Anthony Cannella

Recently, the Alternative/Punk Rock/Hardcore Punk boys from Seattle, Washington, Dragged Under, released their highly anticipated debut album ‘The World Is In Your Way’! To celebrate and promote this killer album, Dragged Under has been opening for The Used on their sold-out tour along with playing a number of headlining gigs!

We had the honor and opportunity to check out Dragged Under’s debut album ‘The World Is In Your Way’ and when we were done, we just had to know more about it. We got in contact with vocalist Tony Cappocchi; Check out below on what he had to say!

HeadRush Tv: So, this tour that you’re on right now with The Used just kicked off about 10 days ago. Every show on this tour is literally SOLD OUT! How has it been so far and how have the crowds been responding to the new music?

Tony Cappocchi: The shows have been insane. As a small / newer band, to walk out on stage every night to a roaring crowd and a full room, it's more than we could ask for. Truly we feel blessed. The crowds have been overwhelmingly positive, They seem to be really locking onto the nostalgia in our music of the early 2000's skate punk that we've been trying to bring back. We always hang out at our merch booth after each show and some of the people are saying some things that blow our minds daily. People who have never heard us that say things like "you're going to be huge" or "I thought you were a feldman band based on the song writing" that will never get old.
 
HeadRush Tv: Speaking of new music, you guys recently released your debut album ‘The World Is In Your Way’ on January 17! For your debut album I’m sure you guys wanted to come out strong so what was the creative process like for this album?

​Tony Cappocchi: This process was different than anything we've ever done, For the first time we just said, "fuck what people think, we're doing what we want on this release" that on top of the fact that we worked with an amazing producer (Hiram Hernandez). Having that impartial ear in the room and someone who’s got a LOT more songwriting experience that us was a big help. He was the perfect missing piece to push us over hurdles and help us navigate the writers block that we would experience from time to time. It's something that I recommend to everyone now. We also started writing for the stage, and for the live show. We decided we wanted songs that would come across as sing along / crowd participation songs, more than what we thought radio DJ's wanted to hear. 
 
HeadRush Tv: ‘The World Is In Your Way’ is already putting you guys on the charts on Billboard with stats like #18 Top Alternative New Artist, #45 Top Current Hard Music, #79 Top New Artist and more! It has also received over a million streams! With your music being heard all over, what meanings were you trying to get across with this album? And has it sunk in yet that all your hard work on this album is paying off now?

Tony Cappocchi: The response for the album is crazy. I don't think we thought it would be this well received, this time it feels "real". All we wanted with this album was to make people feel something, or help them understand the mindset of different people with different problems. From interpersonal conflict, to self-doubt, to relationships and even business partnerships with industry people, this album is us screaming, bleeding and sweating out our frustration from the last 10 years of grinding and making it nowhere, into 9 songs.
 
HeadRush Tv: So, getting into tour life, you guys are on this tour and also on your headlining No Days Off Tour. Which is funny cause you guys are literally getting no days off! How do you keep up and stay sharp while on the road and does anything change between this tour and the headlining one?

​Tony Cappocchi: It's tough, this is literally the hardest part of being in a band, the start. We all have jobs, girlfriends, etc back home and being gone every day and trying to find ways to earn on the road is a task by itself. We are big on sleep and the dudes understand that we need to stay as rested as possible, which is why we commit to staying in a hotel, even if we're crammed in there it beats the hell out of the van. They've also been really supportive of me, especially being that I have a biological instrument. They can go out there sick and limp along and no one will notice, if I get sick, we're in for a rough show and a long recovery. We also work on out diet a lot on the road, avoid junk and sugar and drink LOADS of water.
the only change that we make on the off day shows is how much time we commit to the venue, usually they like us there around 3 or so to sound check, but we have been showing up late to try and get a few extra hours outside the venues whenever possible. Venues at our size often don't have a green room, or a quiet place for us to hang out, and I try not to fight the noise. Trying to talk to fans over the noise of the PA / other people can be a real strain. If we have to be at the venue early I try to leave the venue between our sound check and set to go somewhere quiet, and clean just to avoid the possibility of overworking my voice, even if that is just the van for a cat nap.

The bottom line is rest, water, repeat. That's the only way to stay sharp with minimal off days.
 
HeadRush Tv: Lastly, I want to give you guys the full platform here for your incredible following and fans. What can they be expecting in the near future and for the rest of this year?

Tony Cappocchi: 2020 is all about getting in front of the fans, our and other bands fans. We want to spend a good majority of this year on the road. that's what it takes to grow as a small band so that's what we intend to do. Kissing a lot of frogs until one turns into a prince so to speak. It's likely we won't do many musical releases in 2020, we want our album to have some time to breathe.

Dragged Under Website
Dragged Under Facebook

‘The World Is In Your Way’ is currently out on all platforms so make sure you give it a listen as soon as possible if you haven’t already! Also, do NOT miss Dragged Under on their tour right now with The Used and their headlining shows. As we said before, the tour with The Used is sold out so better figure out quickly what you can do! Check out upcoming dates below!