KAPUT Interview: “We tend to treat each song like a painting”

“If you die while no one’s watching / Was it even worth your time?” sings Nadia Garofalo on High Wire – one of the many vivid snapshots on KAPUT’s debut album, I. It’s often said that the best moments in art sweep you off your feet, and KAPUT’s debut offering is one of them.

The Chicago three-piece, consisting of Garofalo (Heavy Feelings ex-Ganser), M. Sord (Jon Spencer and The Hitmakers), and Brian Fox (Electrical Audio) deliver something that is positively mind-bending and uncompromisingly assured. Led by Garofalo who delivers one of the finest vocal performances of 2025 so far, the rockabilly-tinged post-punk of Ganser and the seamless alt-rock of Heavy Feelings fades through the lens of KAPUT’s brooding, synth-laden brand of art-rock.

Brimming with infectious grooves and endorphin rush choruses, I isn’t just a marvel sonically, but lyrically, too. Abstract messaging that can be construed in various ways, Garofalo’s themes shift and alter at every time of listening. Starting with the hell-raising High Wire, her pin-sharp narratives, bestowed with unbridled swagger (“Caution is boring, we came for blood”).

On Runner, Garofalo spits more poetic wisdom (“The struggle is nothing if you can’t leave all that past behind”), as Fox rains down an assortment of sounds providing a rhythmic overload that mirrors the overwhelming nature of this modern world.

Meanwhile, Therapy is the bruising haymaker that every band dreams of writing. Hands down one of the best songs written this year, Fox’s synth chords surge into the abyss, colliding with the chorus that explodes like a powder-keg. So, too, Yikes – Therapy’s closest rival as I’s watershed moment. Led by Sord’s machine-like drumming, it’s boundless art-rock delivered with the kind of conviction from a band four albums in let-alone their debut.

It’s this kind of confidence that is evident all throughout I. KAPUT, showing their ingenuity with effortless gear-changes and contrast – the warped, glider-like effect of Teal and closing track Hush, far-removed from the galloping drive of What About Me (“Give me a second / A minute to breathe”) and the synth-rock assault of Small Talk (“Break your neck to look away”).

There are few debut albums that possess the gallery of ideas that KAPUT offer on I. From front to back, something that sizzles the senses, and while living in the margins of rock music – something many consider to be on life support – bands like KAPUT bring new energy, jolting it back into some form of significance.

Earlier this month, Garofalo and Fox answered a series questions about their past endeavours, including their work behind the scenes in different art forms (Garofalo – television and film; Fox as a recorder/sound engineer), the history of KAPUT, and how they came to deliver one of the year’s most pleasant surprises.

Sun 13: If I asked you to pick an album that changed your life, what would you come up with?

Nadia Garofalo: “There have been so many albums throughout my life that were meaningful. But one I return to frequently is Germ Free Adolescence by X-Ray Spex, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to it when I was around 14 by an older cousin. It transformed my understanding of how music could sound and more importantly how female vocals could sound. I never get tired of hearing those songs.”

Brian Fox: “I suppose if I had to pick one maybe it would be Deceit by This Heat. Hearing that record definitely changed my life. It almost lives outside of any genre categorisation. Lyrically it feels as relevant today as ever.”

S13: Can you tell us how KAPUT began?

BF: “So for about a year or so I had been writing with no target in sight. I knew I wanted to collaborate with someone, and Nadia was one of the first people that came to mind. We’ve known each other for years through her former project Ganser, whom I recorded and produced a few records for. When she told me she was leaving the band I thought ‘there is no better time than now’. Shortly after that we decided to add Sord, whom I have also known for years from my time working at Key Club Recording. Sord is by far one of my favorite drummers and just a great all-around person. Needless to say, I lucked out and have some of the best bandmates.”

NG: “There wasn’t really a moment of question when Brian reached out to me, I had always enjoyed working with him and I knew we had similar ideas about art and music making. I feel fortunate to have such talented folks, like Brian and Sord, to work with.”

S13: I is such a confident sounding record, filled with so many ideas. Can you tell us about the process behind it?

NG: “I think that confidence you hear in the album comes from a lot of experimentation and trust. We were both willing to hear each other out and try things even if they didn’t end up working, it always felt like a safe place to create and, sometimes, to fail and I think that really makes all the difference. Nothing was too precious to keep or too stupid to try.”

S13: What was the most important aspect you wanted to achieve with I?

NG: “With anything I make, I want it to feel honest. I feel like we accomplished that with I and I hope that resonates with listeners.”

BF: “I think what Nadia said applies to both of us.”

S13: On High Wire, the line, “Caution is boring, we came for blood” really feels indicative of the album as whole. Can you tell us about the song?

NG: “Yeah, I think that’s fair. We are both at a point in our careers where we aren’t really interested in catering to the larger music industry. High Wire as a song is definitely a commentary on that. I was inspired by a Kim Gordon quote, ‘People pay to see others believe in themselves’ as well as an extreme of that, in this case, tightrope walkers who forgo safety nets because it’s more exciting if there’s real danger. I think there’s an expectation of performers to give of themselves regardless of the personal consequences… this song turns the camera on that as it’s speaking from the voice of the ‘audience.’”

S13: Your line on Small Talk, “Break your neck to look away” is one that jumped out straight away. Can you tell us about the song?

NG: “Small Talk went through a few different iterations, but I really love where we landed with it. I was thinking about how much easier it’s become to lie to ourselves these days. The ways we avoid looking at hard truths and how easy it can be to lull ourselves into a false sense of ‘ok’. Thinking about that on a personal as well as societal scale, and how those truths eventually catch up to us no matter how hard we try to avoid them. Musically, it’s much less dark than that, which I think works well… we really had fun experimenting with backing vocals and sounds to create a controlled chaos around the bass and drums.”

S13: Therapy and Yikes are such big-sounding statements, and they got me thinking of creative tension, and whether there was any during the writing and recording process, and if so, do you think it made the songs better?

BF: “I don’t think we have much creative tension hah! We both have a lot of respect for each other’s opinions and voices and make space for them. That isn’t to say that we don’t disagree sometimes, but we resolve it pretty constructively.”

NG: “Yeah, we did challenge each other in ways that served the album but never in a way that felt bad.”

S13: Tracks like Runner and Sucker really showcase the band’s inventiveness. Brian, do you think your work as a producer and engineer has given these songs even more depth?

BF: “I think it has definitely informed our writing process. We tend to treat each song like a painting. We don’t normally jam out ideas live. We don’t anchor ourselves to particular instruments and a lot of our writing on this album happened in parallel to the recording of it. Definitely digging into the idea that the studio is an instrument. Everything is malleable.”

NG: “It was a different way of working for me, but I felt like it was much more conducive to collaboration; we had so much at our disposal while writing. Brian’s skills and resources as a producer and engineer really facilitated that.”

S13: Nadia, do you think your work in television and film has influenced or informed some of the ideas in your songs?

NG: “It definitely influences how I work in terms of collaboration and time management. The TV/ movie industry is all about working together to make something bigger than the sum of its parts, but every part is still important, and I think that translates to songwriting. For song ideas I pull from my observations and experiences, my work is a huge part of my life so I don’t think I could avoid its influence if I tried. That said, I do tend to think visually, I’ll ‘see’ images or scenes in my mind and then try to express them through words or music ideas.”

S13: You’ve all been involved in the arts for a lot of years now. Is social media something you embrace, or do you see it as more of a necessary evil?

BF: “We are probably somewhere in the middle. We don’t prioritise it but as a tool it’s extremely helpful. Since we are currently completely independent, we depend on social media a good amount to connect with people.”

S13: How much do you think Chicago has influenced this album?

BF: “I suppose it has been a pretty major influence for me. I have always liked outsider art ever since I can remember, but when I moved from the suburbs to Chicago in my early 20s I was exposed to it on a whole new level. I would go to shows in now closed and long forgotten warehouses and basements to see some of the most amazing performances I have seen. It would be everything from bands like Cacaw and ONO to performance art pieces and spoken word. In hindsight, that time in Chicago was almost like a no wave rebirth. Everything was challenging and experimental. Very few bands that I saw play at that time had any type of commercial appeal, but a lot were inspiring and exciting none the less. In general, I think most people in Chicago play the music they want to whether or not it brings them any type of monetary success. I find that to be inspiring and admirable.”

NG: “I moved to Chicago from western MA in 2006, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a place that appreciated the arts but living in Chicago definitely expanded that for me. The creative richness of this city cannot be overstated and that’s largely thanks to the communities that nurture artists at any level.”

S13: It’s almost been a year since Steve Albini passed away. Do you think his passing has brought the Chicago music community closer together?

BF: “Yes, definitely. Having known and worked for Steve, I have personally seen it come closer together. It definitely shows the strength of our community. A community which he helped create and nurture. I think not only Chicago, but the world at large has been changed by Steve, and it is hard to grasp his full impact. I still see it all the time working at the Electrical Audio. A studio he built that still serves as a vital resource for the music community. For me personally, his impact has been immense both as a fan, colleague, and friend.”

I is out now via Altered States. Purchase from Bandcamp.