Fans of Massachusetts’ post-rock outfit, Caspian are no stranger to the textural soundscapes the band paints throughout their vast catalog of releases. The band’s most recent album, “Dust and Disquiet” represents a sonic shift to a darker tone. When asked how the band was feeling going into writing this record of catharsis, Ashburn replied “We spent a lot of time writing that record. We were in our space for 8 months, doing three or four days a week. It’s definitely an emotional record for us, and there are some pretty dark spots in that record.”

If Dust and Disquiet is Caspian’s poignant emotional release, their most recent EP “Castles High, Marble Bright” is its dichotomous opposite. Caspian seems to make a return to more hopeful songs with this EP. The title track, and its counterpart “127 north” feel more somber than Dust and Disquiet, but offer a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

The two songs were recorded in the same sessions as Dust and Disquiet, but didn’t make it onto the record. Ashburn spoke to the name of the title track off of the EP stating, “Our guitar player Aaron got married, and for his bachelor party, we went up into the white mountains and did some hiking. The name came from that trip. It certainly was a time of peace, togetherness, and hopefulness that we all really connected with. Every time we play that song, it always reminds me of being on top of those mountains together as a band.”

Recently, I was able to talk to Jonny about his upbringing as a musician, his entrance into Caspian, and his job as a woodworker; among many other topics. You can listen to the interview below.

Catch Caspian on tour with The Appleseed Cast