Capital Cities (band)

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Capital Cities
Capital Cities Walmart 2013.jpg
Capital Cities in 2013
Background information
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Indie pop,[1] synthpop[2]
Years active 2010–present[3][4]
Labels Roc Nation, Lazy Hooks, Capitol
Website www.capitalcitiesmusic.com
Members

Capital Cities are an American indie pop duo from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2010 by Ryan Merchant (vocals, keyboard, guitar) and Sebu Simonian (vocals, keyboard). Their debut EP was released on June 7, 2011, with lead single "Safe and Sound" which became their first top ten hit single. The band currently consists of Ryan Merchant, Sebu Simonian, Manny Quintero on bass guitar, Spencer Ludwig on trumpet, Nick Merwin on guitar and Channing Holmes on drums.

A subsequent single, "Kangaroo Court", was released on May 1, 2012.[5] The band was featured on the Pop Up #1 compilation selected by Perez Hilton that was released on August 7, 2012.[6] The band's song "Safe and Sound" charted at #1 on the US Alternative Songs chart.[7] The song was also used in a German Vodafone commercial.[8] It was also used in the United States and Canada in a television commercial for the 2014 Mazda 3. The song "Center Stage" was featured on ESPN's First Take where they played a short segment of the retro sounding track before going to commercial breaks.

The band's debut album, In a Tidal Wave of Mystery, was released June 4, 2013 via Capitol Records in partnership with Lazy Hooks. It was the first release of new material on Capitol with a Universal Music Group catalog number. The album debuted at number sixty-six on the Billboard 200 chart.

History

Merchant met Simonian on Craigslist after he responded to the other's open ad offering his production services. They soon fell into jingle-writing together, and after a successful three years composing music for commercials and advertising campaigns, the duo formed Capital Cities. The band released its debut, self-titled EP in June 2011 via their label, Lazy Hooks.

In 2012, the band signed with Capitol Records. In partnership with Lazy Hooks, the label released In a Tidal Wave of Mystery, the band's debut album, on June 4, 2013.[9] The album takes its name from the lyrics of its top 10 Modern Rock radio hit "Safe and Sound", which is the album's first single. The song has been heard in promotional campaigns for HBO, Smart Car, Microsoft, Mazda and many other spots. The album also includes the songs "Kangaroo Court" and "I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo". Outkast's André 3000, vocalist Shemika Secrest and NPR's Frank Tavares are featured on the song "Farrah Fawcett Hair". The album is produced and mixed entirely by the pair of Merchant and Simonian. The artwork is by Brazilian artist João Lauro Fonte.[10]

Capital Cities performing in Sunnyvale, California on January 25, 2013

The band embarked on its first-ever North American outing, the "Dancing with Strangers" tour, with special guests Gold Fields, which kicked off on April 23 at the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix, AZ. Capital Cities' May 9 show at New York City's Irving Plaza sold out two months in advance as well two nights at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. All proceeds from the June 7 show at the El Rey went to MusiCares and a Place Called Home. The band has also appeared and performed at Sundance, SXSW, SweetLife,[11] and ULTRA.

The band premiered the official video of "Safe and Sound" on April 25, 2013 on VEVO. The clip was directed by Grady Hall (Beck, Modest Mouse). In the video, the song fuels a mash-up of the past 100 years of dance, presided over by the band at the newly restored Los Angeles Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The video featured work from Emmy-nominated choreographer Mandy Moore. The video was nominated for two 2013 MTV Video Music Awards: Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects. The video won a 2013 MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects.

In May 2013, "Safe and Sound" reached number one on the German Singles Chart.

September 5, 2013 marked the premiere of the "Kangaroo Court" music video. The video features appearances from Darren Criss, Shannon Woodward, and Channing Holmes. The story tells of a zebra (Merchant), who has been forbidden from a club called The Kangaroo Court. Attempting entry disguised as a horse, he falls for a lapdog (Woodward). Her date that night, a bulldog (Criss), becomes jealous and reveals the zebra for who he actually is. The zebra is placed under arrest for his crime and sent to court to face a kangaroo judge (Holmes). He is found guilty immediately and is executed by lion (Simonian).

The band was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Music Video.

Capital Cities joined Katy Perry on the North American leg of her Prismatic World Tour.

In April and May of 2016, nearly three years after the release of the band's debut album, the official Capital Cities Facebook page made two posts strongly suggesting that new music was in the works.[12][13]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[14]		 AUT
[15]		 GER
[16]
In a Tidal Wave of Mystery 66 53 75

Extended plays

Title Album details
Capital Cities EP
  • Released: June 7, 2011
  • Label: Lazy Hooks
  • Formats: CD, 12"
Kangaroo Court EP
  • Released: December 17, 2013
  • Label: Lazy Hooks
  • Formats: Digital download

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[17]		 US
Alt.
[18]		 US
Rock
[19]		 AUT
[15]		 CAN
[20]		 GER
[16]		 ITA
[21]		 SWE
[22]		 SWI
[23]		 UK
[24]
"Beginnings"[25] 2010 — — — — — — — — — — Non-album single
"Safe and Sound" 2011 8 1 2 2 5 1 4 28 8 42 In a Tidal Wave of Mystery
"Kangaroo Court" 2013 — — 50 — — 81 — — — —
"I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo"[31] — — — — — — — — — —
"One Minute More" 2014 — 23 31 — — — — — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards and nominations

Year Awards Category Work Result
2013 MTV Video Music Awards Best Visual Effects "Safe and Sound" Won
Best Art Direction Nominated
2014 Grammy Awards Best Music Video Nominated
Billboard Music Awards Top Rock Song Nominated
Top Rock Artist - Nominated
Top New Artist Nominated

References

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  11. ↑ http://sweetlifefestival.com/
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  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Select Online in the field Sezione. Enter Capital Cities in the field Filtra. The certification will load automatically
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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