Barely a year removed from his debut EP, LA-via-STL songwriter Roe Kapara is back again this week with that project’s follow-up. Big Cigars and Satin Shorts reworks the formula heard on I Hope Hell Isn’t Real’s seven tracks to amp up the explosive choruses and other dramatic flairs heard within the artist’s upbeat take on downcast pop-punk. "My favorite part is always the writing,” Kapara shares. “I love the energy of what something can be before you finish it.”
Case in point, the project’s latest single “Hate Myself” arrives today with a sound that lands somewhere between MCR and Grouplove on the spectrum of aughts-sourced alt-rock. Meanwhile, the video sees Kapara and his band made up as clowns enjoying an afternoon tea in a sunny backyard littered with clashing floral patterns. It’s an apt summary of the balance of deeply confessional songwriting held within the EP and the sense of humor the artist refuses to suppress.
“[Big] Cigars and Satin Shorts was the best replacement I could find for a therapist, since LA healthcare sucks so bad (still haven’t found one yet),” Kapara adds of the impetus behind the new project, which is streaming in full a day early below. “It was nice to finally put all of my awful feelings into one place, and I hope it helps people feel less alone.”
Check out the Paige Strabala–directed video and the EP stream below, and pre-save Big Cigars and Satin Shorts here.
