Released on January 24, 2024, New Disguise by Cascade Riot has completely taken over my brain and my Spotify. I have, for a while, had a strong love of Cascade Riot, especially their single “Ruby”, and so it was very exciting to hear that they were going to be releasing an album. It was even more exciting that I got to talk to Alex from Cascade Riot about New Disguise and everything that went into it, which you can find below.
In the interview, I ask about a few different songs on the album that I really liked, and I think, after careful consideration, that my favorite track is “Satellies”, the second-to-last track on the album. There’s just something about this track that full captures my mind and draws me in whenever I hear it. It’s got this sound that’s a blend of 2000s punk and 1990s rock, something that my early-2000s-kid self can appreciate. In “Satellies”, the bridge has this somewhat hazy, dreamy quality, before it launches back into the chorus as normal, forcing anyone lost in the music (or, shall I say, lost in the sauce) to launch back into reality and refocus their attention on the real world and the music. It’s a theme that I’ve seen prominently in 2000s punk and rock and it’s something that I really love anywhere I hear it.
Another track that I love is “Surfing on Fire”, the final track of New Disguise – it has that “final track” quality to it, carrying this sense of finality and even this energy of time running out, which I think most of the best final tracks all have. This track carries that same nostalgic sound as “Satellites” and the rest of New Disguise, creating this feeling that you’re in two places, or time periods, at once. Half of you is stuck in 2004 and the other is stuck in 2025, almost like you’re straddling whatever it is that makes up spacetime – and it’s this nostalgic quality that makes New Disguise as good and as impressive as it is, and it’s a quality that is not easy to pull off. That being said, Cascade Riot executes this feeling and sound perfectly. I am simultaneously a kid in the backseat of my dad’s car listening to Green Day and in the present, working my day job and cleaning my apartment.
I had such a hard time choosing my favorite tracks. Because of that, I want to add something about a few more tracks before I get to the interview that I did with Ryan. In “Lost in the Sauce”, there are these vocalizations inn the chorus that evoke such strong, captivating energy, and I absolutely love them, and in “Maybe Tomorrow”, Cascade Riot utilizes this gorgeous, utterly enthralling classic rock sound that would get anyone’s heart pounding and would evoke the image of a road trip or epic triumph in a movie. In “Something’s Different”, there’s this riff in the opening that I just can’t get out of my head, and in “Cellophane”, I am reminded of another band that I absolutely love, χατ τρικ, an emo band based in Greece. They are a huge part of my teenage years and this song is super reminiscent of their 2008 album, Skoura Ta Pragmata. If you like music in other languages and like the sound of both “Cellophone” and New Disguise, I really recommend that you check out Skoura Ta Pragmata!
When I interviewed Ryan, I felt the awkward part of me come out – I typically do email-based interviews, as opposed to in-person or over-the-phone interviews, and as much as this was an interview, it was also good practice for me as a writer/journalist. But, as awkward as I was, Ryan was extremely easy to talk to and he gave me a lot of really cool information on New Disguise and what went into the creation of their album.
Valor (V): Really big fan of New Disguise. Fucking with that super heavy. I’ve been a big fan of “Ruby” for a long time. That is an almost permanent staple in my playlist.
Alex (A): Awesome.
V: Yeah. Just really loving that one. So it’s very cool to see that as part of New Disguise because it’s like, “oh, hey, I know that one!” You know?
A: Yeah. I have to say it’s really cool to start letting people hear what we’ve been working on. It’s been literally just like us in our own little bubble for the past, like, six months. So it’s like, we’re trying, we’re finally, like, starting to kinda, like, let it go a little bit, and it’s pretty cool. So when you were picking out these songs and telling me what you liked about them, I’m like, oh, cool. This is, like, exactly what we were going for. You know?
[Note from Valor: I later on ask Alex about specific songs on the album, in questions that I sent to him before this phone call interview.]
V: So let’s, do let’s do this. Alright. So the first question is that New Disguise drops late January. How are you feeling as you get closer to the release date?
A: Yeah. I know we’re all feeling really good about it. We’ve been sitting on these songs for and we’ll we’ll get into this later because you actually asked a question about this, but our writing process is pretty streamlined. So we’ve been kinda sitting on this for a while, and it’s exciting just to kinda get some new ears on it. But we’re also nervous at the same time because you know how it is, like, putting out new music. It’s always nerve wracking to see, like, you know, the song the songs that we think are gonna catch on. Like, are they actually gonna catch on? Like, we thought “Time Machine” was gonna be a much bigger hit than it was. And it’s weird because Exit 55 ended up being our strongest single. So it’s it’s, you know, it’s it’s all so subjective. So that’s, like, that’s the scary part, but it’s it’s exciting at the same time. You know?
V: I get that. Yeah. I’m in a new band, and we’ve been doing shit and getting stuff ready to go. And, like, I think last night, I literally said, “okay, what if it was not an EP and it was an album?”
A: Yeah. We do that we do that all the time. We’re constantly writing and putting together new stuff. And we’re like, we’re gonna do this for this EP, and we’re already talking about album two. So it’s just like it’s a whole thing. So I get that.
V: No. For real. Because, like, you know, you’ll write something new, and you’re like, oh my god, this is so good. It would go so well with this track and this track and this track. You know? And it slowly just evolves into something completely different than what it started as.
A: That’s what’s so fun about it.
V: For real.
V: So “Lost in the Sauce” is one hell of a first track. What was the process for choosing the album order? And then with “Lost in the Sauce” specifically, what was the process for putting that one together like?
A: Yeah. So if I remember correctly, I had a pretty strong vision for that to be the very first song. And I kinda just stuck to my guns with it. I just kept telling them, like, no, this is the first track because I love just like, it’s just like those three or four drum hits, and it gets right into the song. Like, it wastes no time. It doesn’t waste any time, and it just kinda has that album-opener vibe to it.
V: It does.
A: You know, as far as the other track, orders go, Ryan, who is the, you know, the main idea man with with the songs and stuff – he pretty much had, after that point, he had a very strong vision that we all agreed with for the track order. Because we’re – we’ll get into this too – because we’re putting it on vinyl, it’s kinda meant to be listened like, “Maybe Tomorrow is, like, the epic track that ends side A, and then “Surfing On Fire” is the epic track that ends side B.
V: Oh, that’s awesome.
A: So that’s kinda how it that’s kinda how it goes.
V:I am thrilled to be able to add that to my vinyl collection in the future. So stoked. So with “Ruby” being a part of New Disguise, and me being obsessed with it, could you tell me some more about that track? The creative process, how the reaction to people online made you feel, etc.? Just all of the stuff with that one.
A: Yeah. This one, gosh. How do I explain this one? This one is a little bit different for us. It has more of a, don’t know. Kind of like a classic rock vibe. Kind of. Yeah. It’s not it’s not like pop punk, it’s not emo. It’s just like, I don’t know. It’s just like, a rock song. And I remember Ryan wrote it and demoed the whole thing with drums and everything, and he sent it over to us, and we were just blown away. We’re like, “dude, this is, like, this is the catchiest thing.” This was when we were still in the process of deciding what was gonna go on the album. And I think we had something else slotted in, and we just totally booted that. And we’re like, no. We’re getting we’re putting “Ruby” in here. And we we knew that that wanted to be as we wanted that to be a single because we felt so strongly about it. So, I mean, really, I know that sounds simple, but that’s, like, kinda how it went. I’d say the the reaction online was good. I we did really well with our YouTube video for it. We did, like, a music a music video, and that was actually, like, our fastest growing video to date.
V: That’s so sick.
A: Yeah. So that you know, it was cool. We did the video our ourselves too. So that was a lot of fun and kind of like a first new experience for us.
V: Yeah. What was putting the music video together like?
A: Oh, that was fun. So we, we rented a space downtown Detroit. And, it’s in this, like, giant industrial building, and we were able to rent a space for pretty inexpensive, and we didn’t really have, like, a solid plan. And I had just kinda gotten into photography and videography, and I’m like, you know what? I think I can do this. We, you know, we got me and my brother, Adam, we have another brother, and he tagged along and he helped film it. And I edited it, and it’s I think it turned out sweet. It’s a funny little video.
V: That’s so awesome. Okay. So with maybe tomorrow, that one has this riff that is to me when I first heard it at least, like, reminiscent of 1980s rock, like, hair bands, kind of like that glamorous kind of sound, if that makes sense. And something that I’ve noticed about your music, both the stuff that’s, like, out and on this album, is that it kind of transcends both genre and time period, in the way that Cascade Riot has this really cool ability to do a lot of different things while still keeping its core essence sound. And, you know, like, not a lot of bands can do that and, like, do it well like you guys do. So that makes me curious, what music did you grow up on, and which bands, artists, genres, etceteras are your current go to’s?
A: As a band, we really love KISS.
V: Oh, hell yeah. My favorite episode of Scooby Doo is the one that KISS is in.
A: We just think, like, they’re, like, embarrassingly bad sometimes, and they’re a lot of fun to make fun of, but they also have a lot of good songs. And I don’t know. We just love Kiss. So, I mean, we probably leaned into that, you know, with, like, the whole We love the action. We love classic rock. You know? We love the Stones. We love Beatles. We love Boston, you know, all that kinds of stuff. So that’s probably where that came from. But I’d say, yeah, like Ryan, he’s totally, like, a classic rock guy probably first. I’ve always been super into metal. Like, the the more progressive and experimental, the better. And Adam is, like, just all over the place. You know? He he likes everything. I mean, we all like everything, but I don’t know. That’s a tough question. Yeah. You said current go to bands, though? I know Ryan’s super into Origami Angel.
V: Oh, hell yeah.
A: Adam has been listening to a lot of Better Lovers. He’s, like, a die hard fan. So, that, like, broke his heart when they broke up, but Better Lovers is a good one too. And I’ve been listening to a lot of Periphery lately. Love them too because you know what? They don’t take themselves too seriously. And their their music is just, like, just so much fun to listen to. I have their first record, which really got me into that genre. I think all 3 of us grew up with our parents playing the Beatles in the house. Yeah. And the Rolling Stones. And then, like, I specifically remember, you know, I’m very grateful my parents were able to take us to, like, the Rolling Stones concert when we were little and stuff like that. And that stuff was so formative for us that it’s like that’s what really made us wanna be like, we wanna be rock stars. I mean, being a rock star now is different than it was, but it’s still it’s just so much fun.
V: I grew up on a lot of, like, what you would call dad rock. One of my first concerts was actually Barenaked Ladies, which I think is really funny because I was eleven. But I had a blast.
A: Those are those are the things you just, like, don’t forget. I remember seeing Alice Cooper for free, and I’ll never forget that. And he’s still, like that’s one of my favorite bands is the Alice Cooper band.
V: So another track that I’m obsessed with is Satellites, which has that somewhat transcendent quality to it. It’s very nostalgic, but at the same time, very current, very in the moment. So with this track, what went into making it? And would you say that this song or any other song in the album or any other song that Cascade Riot has made ever got stuck in your head?
A: Great question. So this was the first song written for New Disguise, and this one was, like, an immediate, like, yes. This has to be something. You know? And this was actually meant to be our very first single.
V: Wow.
A: And there’s there’s a funny story behind it. We just, for whatever reason, I decided to change the tempo of it by only 5 bpm. And it was just like throwing off the vibe, and I wasn’t catching it right away. So we actually ended up recording this song, I’m not even kidding, like six or seven times.
V: That’s real.
A: It’s because and it was it’s like all me. Like, I was sending them stuff and they’re like, yeah, man. This sounds great. I’m like, I don’t know, man. Just like, something’s missing. It just doesn’t sound like the demo. It doesn’t have that vibe that the demo has. And then I realized it was the tempo. And as soon as we changed the tempo and we rerecord it again, it was, like, back to life. So I don’t know why I did that. We probably wasted some time, but it was a good learning experience for us.
V: You know, everyone does something like that at some point.
A: Yeah. And, like, we were supposed to put that out as our first single, and we ended up skipping it. Because, up until, like, up until, like, when “Time Machine” came out, we were still, like, recording “Satellites”. We’re still trying to figure it out. So that kind of speaks to our, like, you know, we’re not gonna put it out unless we feel like it’s right. But, yeah, that’s that song is a total earworm. And, yeah, I got hooked on that song for a while, probably to the point where I was just super sick of it by the time I wasn’t trying to mix it. I would say the the other song that got stuck in my head, and it this probably tied with “Masybe Tomorrow” for my favorite song is “Lost In The Sauce”. I don’t know why. I just I just love that chorus. It’s so catchy.
V: It is. And it’s so much fun. For you specifically, were there any music related inspirations you took from other bands, artists, etcetera, when you guys were writing and recording New Disguise?
A: I mean, I think we’re also big Foo Fighters fans.But, like, we’re always we’re always geeking out on, like, those videos of them, like, recording their album Wasted Light. So, like, I don’t know. We just I don’t know if there’s, like, specific bands that we get inspired to when we’re recording. I think we’re just it’s like a vibe thing. We’re just we just want it to, like we just when we got back together a couple years ago, I I just kept saying, like, if if this is stops being fun, then I don’t wanna do it. So I don’t know. We just we just try to have fun. You know?
V: And, I mean, as you should, that’s the whole point. So, were there any non music related inspirations that went into it?
A: That’s kind of a tough question.
V: For me, like, a good example that I like to give for this kind of question is, like, you were saying, like, vibe. Is there, like, a hyper specific vibe that you kind of, like, kept in your head when you were writing? Like, for example, to give an example upon the example, like, when you’re walking through a park and it’s fall, but then also it’s kind of chilly, but then you see a worm on the ground, and he’s, like, living his own life.
A: A specific vibe. Yeah. I think, you can probably tell on our music we’re trying to channel, like, nostalgia. We just it just happens, and we just kinda have, like, a nostalgic sound, I guess. So, yeah, I would say that’s like our that’s like our big thing is just, you know, we’re very nostalgic about specific bands like Foo Fighters, you know, old Green Day, old Company 2, all that stuff. So it’s just like we’re just trying to, like that same feeling that those bands gave us, we’re just trying that’s kind of, like, our inspiration is to try to hand that out to other people. They’re they’re you know, I I actually just bought, because I went to Target, and it was just sitting there. Just got American Idiot on vinyl. I think that’s one of the greatest records of all time. Like, back in the, like you know, back in their early days, they were just so much fun. So it’s you know? Obviously, they’re older now, and they’re still a ton of fun. But just back in the early days, so inspirational.
V: Yeah. For real. Do you have a favorite track on the album? Why is it your favorite? And what was the process like for putting that together?
A: I’m gonna I’m gonna go with “Maybe Tomorrow”. I think it’s my favorite. It’s just, it’s a little bit of a departure from every everything else that we’ve done before with that kinda, like, the eighties vibe. Even with the drums and everything, the drums sound very big. So that’s a lot of fun. Putting that one together like I said, that one was, like, funny because when the original demo was sent, we didn’t like it. And then and then when it got rearranged and Adam and I got our hands on it and all that, it it just turned out so good. So I think I just have very fond memories of of putting that one together.
V: That’s so awesome. What track or tracks do you think will be the fan favorite?
I think people are gonna like “Lost In The Sauce” quite a bit. That one, I just I just feel like that one’s a banger.
V: It really is.
A: And we we’ve already been playing that one live, and it gets a pretty good reaction. So, yeah, I think that one’s gonna be a sleeper hit. And then, I think “Surfing On Fire” is just, like, too epic to ignore. So, yeah, I feel like that one’s that one’s gonna be kinda cool. Yeah.
V: With it being a physical release, like, how how do you feel about that? What’s the most exciting part of it being a physical release?
A: We’re we’re super excited. I mean, we’ve all been in bands before this, and we’ve done, like, CDs and stuff like that. But this is our first time ever putting something on a vinyl. And, just like it’s almost like a dream come true. It’s like we can just be done after this because we’ve always wanted to do something on vinyl. We already got our test press synced and all that stuff, so that was super surreal to actually hear it on the vinyl. I know bands do this all the time, and this is like a normal thing nowadays. But for us, it’s just like I said, it’s super exciting. I would say that’s definitely the most exciting part about the release is getting it on the vinyl. We’re doing a really cool color variant. It’s gonna be black and then the center of it’s gonna be clear orange.
V: That’s sick. Oh my gosh.
A: So that’s really cool. And we’re, I’m sure you’ve seen the art for it. But we’re, like, ridiculously stoked on the art. We worked with a gentleman named Jared Sylvia. And I’ve followed him on Instagram for forever. I just always liked his art. I was constantly staring at, telling people to, like, check him out. And then we had the opportunity to work with him, and it was like a pinch me moment. Like, we get to work with Jared. I’m super stoked to do it. And he doesn’t know this yet, but I’m gonna be sending him a vinyl because he deserves it.
V: That is so awesome. I know that feeling having, like, an artist that you admire in such a way that you then get to, like, do something with them. My favorite one, their username is badbadlain. Very cool work. Very cool stuff.
A: I’m gonna look that up.
V: You should.
A: It’s so cool. I got attracted to, like, the uniqueness of his art because it’s it’s like he uses, like, a lot of, like, stippling, which is typically like a tattoo technique. I just, like I said, I’ve always shared his work. So we were like, let’s let’s work with him. And he designed our back cover too. And I think the back cover is, like, arguably cooler than the front, which is crazy.
V: I love that, though. That’s so awesome. With, self producing and recording this album, was there anything during the production that surprised you, frustrated you? Was there anything that was easier than you thought it would be?
A: Well, it definitely wasn’t easy at all.
V: Yeah. I get that.
A: You know, I’ve I’ve been doing the recording thing, like, since I was little, but I have never claimed to be a professional. I mean, totally self taught. Never went to school, or anything like that. I just learned from YouTube and stuff. And it was, you know, the frustrating part about it was, I think we we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get it done in a specific amount of time. So that was a little tough. I mean, we still got it done. There’s some things that I’m not happy with, but that is with every release that we’ve ever done. You know? And we’ll always be like that. Like, I’m my own worst critic. But they think it’s great, and they don’t see the flaws that I’m seeing or hearing, I should say. I guess I just need to relax. But, yeah, it, you know, it was tough. We recorded in a lot of different sessions, so that made it hard to make it all sound the same and cohesive because I was dealing with different mic placements and this and that and the other things. But it totally worked out, and we learned a lot. And going into the next thing that we do, we kinda know how to adjust ourselves and make it as good as it can be.
V: That’s awesome. I know the I know the feeling of, like, it all being recorded in a different way, and it’s frustrating.
A: I would say, you know, doing 10 songs, that’s the biggest undertaking that we’ve done. And I’d say the easy thing about it was just working working together to figure it out. We’ve never had a hard time, like, you know, working together. We’ve never gotten, like, frustrated with each other while we’re recording. It’s, you know, and then the frustration usually happens when I’m mixing it alone in my bedroom.
V: I get that. Well, that was all of the questions that I had for you. Is there anything you wanna add, before I hang up that I should put in the article?
A: Not necessarily. Just that we’re we’re super stoked for people to hear it. We are having a release celebration on the 31st of this month, and we’re playing with some really cool bands, band called Dog Sneeze.
V: Woah.
A: Yeah. They’re, like, KISS megafans as well. And they’re kind of they’re kind of like a raunchy Detroit punk band. Then we got another punk band playing. They’re called Former Critics. And then, a couple of bands that are I I would say a little bit more well known. Like, regionally, we’re playing with Clipboards. And Final Boss Fight.
V: I love Clipboards.
A: So both of those fans are gonna be on there, and we purposely did not call it a release show. We called it a release celebration on purpose because we wanna just celebrate the fact that we’re we made it since we got the album out.
V: That’s so sick. That sounds like you’re gonna have a great time.
A: Yeah. Can’t wait. Can’t wait.
With New Disguise having been out for a little while, it’s been really cool and really exciting to see and hear everyone else’s reactions to the album. What’s also exciting is that Cascade Riot is releasing a vinyl version of this album (which you read about above) and it was announced on January 29, 2025. I will be sure to add that vinyl to my collection, and hopefully display it with my other favorite records. Cascade Riot’s debut album is something that I don’t think I’ll ever get over or forget. I absolutely love this album, and I the energy, positivity, and light that Cascade Riot brings to the DIY emo community, and the DIY community in general. We’re very lucky to have them! If you’re a fan of nostalgic sounds, 2000s punk and emo, 1990s rock, and classic rock, you’ll really love New Disguise and you should go check it out as soon as you can.
Written by Valor
