Cascadent is a post hardcore band from Atlanta, GA.

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Brad: I'm Brad Pallone. I'm the vocalist.

Jam: They call me Jam, I play the bass.

Jonathan: Hi! I'm Jonathan and I play the guitar.

Jonah: Hi! I’m Jonah, and I also play guitar.

Sam: Hey there, I’m Sam, and I play drums.

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Cascadent? How long has the band been around?

Brad: I started a band called The Save Point in 2007. That project really taught me how to write songs in various forms of pop and rock. 2016 to 2017 I was involved in the early stages of post-hardcore band The Keepsake.  

Sam: We’ve all been in multiple bands in and around Atlanta / East coast since we were teenagers. Most notable for me were Sarah and The Safe Word, Edelwood, The Sound of Sincerity, and Moondogs. Cascadent has been a band since the summer of 2016.

Jam: I played in bands throughout highschool, but my first exposure to the Atlanta music community was playing in The Mirrored Years and Outfront.  

Jonah: Cascadent is actually the first band I’ve ever been in, so everything has been a learning process for me. 

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

Jam: We were originally called Aoshi. In 2018, we had just introduced our former vocalist, Johnny Hendrix, started a rebranding phase and felt very restless about wanting our music out in the world. We had all these pent up ideas and longed for a cathartic release of some kind. Our debut release of “Aces Over Kings” represented the first drop in a waterfall of that catharsis. That cascading waterfall represented our journey. It still does.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

Jonah: Most songs come as ideas from either Me or Jon as a riff we worked up alone. Together we shape and craft that riff into an actual song. As for lyrics, we all get together to decide how the song makes us feel and topics we think of while listening. Then we all hum melodies and insert lyrics about the topic.

Jam: This is by far the most collaborative lyric writing experience I’ve ever been a part of, and that wouldn’t be remotely possible without the graciousness Brad has shown in regards to that position. We treat the lyrics to these songs as a representation of what the music means to all of us, and that collaboration is one of the things that makes the ending result so special. 

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

Jonah: I’ve been listening to a lot of pinegrove, turnover, and Lite.

Sam: I’ve been listening to a lot of Silent Planet recently, but I am also an avid synthwave guy. Gunship, Ksmtk, and Makeup and Vanity Set are finding their ways into my influences.

Brad: Lately, Rivals has been blowing me away. The energy is something I want to achieve in the studio and live.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Jonah: Seeing the rock yourself to sleep tour with A Lot Like Birds, Dance Gavin Dance, Hail the Sun, and I the Mighty made me realize I wanted to do this.

Sam: I’ve always watched live concerts and gone to shows, but seeing Letlive several times drove it home for me. Another mention is a live video from a festival in the UK where Biffy Clyro was playing Many of Horror. Seeing them and the crowd just fully enthralled in the music really stuck with me.   

Brad: Attending Atlanta Fest at Six Flags in 2004 is what compelled me to start a band. Although, I feel like there's always been some innate desire to make music with other passionate people in some capacity.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …

Jonah: I like to stretch, and maybe take a shot.

Brad: I'm a very spiritual person so what helps my overall vibe before a show is positive self-talk. Meditation and prayer factor into that as well.

Sam: I try to keep a similar routine before every show. I get some rudiments and practice time in on my practice pad while working the same rudiments with my feet. I also like to set a metronome to the tempo of the first song in our setlist, and air-drum the first song. There are a few stretches I do, push-ups, squats, and breathing exercises I always do before playing on stage. I’m probably the weirdest one with that stuff in this band.  

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far? 

Sam: For us, playing shows with Hail the Sun, Hands Like Houses, Royal Coda, and Eidola have been big milestones for us. Also, this most recent release, “Neptune” has been doing really well on streaming platforms. Not to mention, we are getting some recognition in Japan and Europe with Neptune, which is still crazy to me. 

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Brad: Anberlin was always one of my favorite bands since around 2002. It would be great to hit the road with them.

Jonah: PostMalone 

Sam: I would love to tour with Silent Planet, Circa Survive, The Mars Volta, and Thrice.