Rodrigo Caraballo-Marin is a Latinx musician from Dallas who goes by the stage name Blue Capricorn. He is a unique musician who works hard to combine several musical genres with his original sounds. The vocalist and multi-instrumentalist makes a comeback with his brand-new song, "WILL YOU AFFECT ME?"
We sat down with Blue Capricorn to discuss his music and much more. Here's what he had to say:
Hey BLUE CAPRICORN welcome to FLEX! How are you?
Thanks for having me! I’m doing well.
Congratulations on your new single ‘WILL YOU AFFECT ME?’ - what inspired this particular track?
The situation I was in at the time shaped the track, which had a lot to do with feelings of isolation mixed in with love. I was living alone at the time a bit farther away from all my friends and family when I wrote the song, and I knew I wanted this song in particular to stand out from the rest of the tracks in my new EP ¡AYÚDAME!. I remember being in my room one day watching movies heavy on the subject of love. I remember some of them being ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ by Céline Sciamma & ‘Birth’ by Jonathan Glazer. Watching them gave me such notions of alienation that it reminded me of what I truly craved, which was warmth and love from my partner. ‘WILL YOU AFFECT ME?’ is me asking for the affection I so desired. My heart was in a place rooted in pure love, but being alone made me crave it more because once I was apart from it, I would have trouble letting it go. I wasn’t used to being loved the way I am now. In a nutshell, the song is me accepting the comfort of being loved.
And do you have to be in a certain mood to write?
I sometimes have to be thrown into a studio to have something come out of me. It’s never really based on mood for me. It’s more so when it feels right. I could go months without writing anything and that’s honestly okay with me. I like to write spontaneously. That’s how I get the ball rolling.
How was the recording and writing process?
‘WILL YOU AFFECT ME?’ was actually one of the more challenging songs to write. I tried to channel the feeling of a dream pop song with a more ethereal tone to it. At the time of the writing of this song, I was listening to a lot of Mazzy Star & RY X, so that’s how I knew I wanted to resort to a more romantic, tender tone with it. I wanted this to feel as if you were watching a sunset with your lover. As for the recording process, the vocals went through several changes. I did something different after recording this song and that was sitting on it for several months, which I’m very glad I did. The mixing of the track was the least challenging part for me, but what I couldn’t figure out at first was how to get the vocals to sound the way I anticipated. I swear the effects of the vocals changed six or seven times. I would listen to it after one revision and I’d annoy my producer to change it and try something else I suggested. Luckily, I managed to find the perfect setting for the vocals which is what you hear now.
For viewers who don’t know BLUE CAPRICORN, how would you describe your sound?
Ethereal, atmospheric and moody.
And what are some of those activities that you engage yourself in when you aren't writing or recording in the studio?
I’m a major cinephile, so you can catch me watching a movie at the theatre every week. I already know I’m going to be busy this fall trying to watch everything in time for awards season. I’m also a photographer! I sporadically get hired to take someone’s photos for freelance. On top of that, I’m also a music lover. I love going to concerts and being a fan. When I was a bit younger, I would go to at least 40-50 concerts per year. Now I’ve calmed down a bit more, but I’m also looking forward to attending more shows from my favorite artists this fall! Last but not least, I am an adventurer. There is so much to see out there, and I would like to travel the world before I’m unable to. I’m already planning some trips for 2024. I’m super stoked.
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