Harry Kappen is a musician and music therapist from Holland. He is a multi-instrumentalist who composes his tunes in his Dutch homestudio. His music is eclectic, including catchy tunes, dramatic compositions, poppy, solid guitar rock, gentle ballads, and classical pieces. The majority of his lyrics are incredibly intimate. Regarding his past, his love, his anxieties, etc. Text and music are presented as a unified whole. A pleasant blend of Bowie, McCartney, Motorpsycho, and an abundance of “Harry.” His most recent album, ‘Escape,’ contains 12 songs about escaping reality through dreams, fantasy, art, hope, love, and misery.
In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a great deal of musical protest, notably against the Vietnam War. Although there are many grounds to protest NOW, the present music charts lack resonance. Simply refer to your Top40. Aren’t war, climate change, poverty, fake news, mistrust, and ignorance sufficient motives? So comes the new single titled WARGAMES. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
HARRY KAPPEN: I was born and raised in the Netherlands and I have been playing the guitar since I was 10 years old, which means that I occasionally stole my sister’s acoustic guitar and tried to play it. My best friend Hajo was a drummer. We were in class at the same time; he on drum lessons, I on guitar lessons. Soon we found playing ourselves more fun than taking lessons and we founded a school band. The repertoire consisted mainly of blues songs and rock music, so a good learning experience. We really learned to play very tight, but also to play dynamically at the same time.
2. Who were your first and strongest musical influences?
HARRY KAPPEN: Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck and John McLaughlin were my earliest influences. Paul McCartney as songwriter and singer, the other mainly because of their exceptional guitar skills. Later there were more musicians like: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Yorke, Prince, Dave Grohl, Bjork, John Mayer etc etc
I like a lot of music, also classical and latin. I have undoubtedly been influenced by all and many other musicians, but I have also always remained to myself, I do not like to imitate anyone, but try to find my own language to express myself musically.
Maybe others will say ‘oh that looks like so or so’, but maybe I will do that subconsciously. I play the way I think is right and that’s the only way I’ve mastered.
By the way, on the second track of my Escape album, I personally encounter some of my influences in my dreams: ‘When I sleep’.(check spotify and my website www.harrykappen.com)
3. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
HARRY KAPPEN: I like a solid guitar sound. But can also enjoy compelling complicated string arrangements. I like a nice structure and the grand gesture. A melody shouldn’t be boring for me and the chords shouldn’t repeat too much, so I like using inversions and parallel chords. At the same time I like to keep it ‘manageable’. Usually it is a puzzle that I pay a lot of attention to.
I don’t wonder beforehand whether my music resonates well or badly with others, I leave that to others. I do my thing my way and hope people like it too.
4. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as ROCK?
HARRY KAPPEN: I love rock music, but also the beautiful music Bjork makes for example; I like to be enchanted and taken into someone’s unique world. Arvo Part is another example, in this case a modern classical composer, who can do that well. Many Scandinavian bands have that too. I think it has a lot to do with the connection with nature. I love that.
Because I also work as a music therapist in daily life, I have gained a lot of experience with improvisation and being ‘in the moment’. From that attitude and feeling I make my songs. So if a subject of a text requires appropriate accompaniment, it may be that it becomes a rock song, but it may also be that a different approach is more desirable in my view. Then I’m not stuck with ‘rock’.
5. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
HARRY KAPPEN:
I think enough music is already being made that doesn’t require too much thought. That’s fine with me, but I also like an extra layer or two in the music or in the lyrics. It may have some depth and make people think as a reflection on society. You could call my single ‘Wargames’ political. An indictment of war, of indifference, of a Russian leader who has invaded a democratic neighboring country on the basis of medieval ideas.
I make both types of music; sometimes pleasing to the ear and sometimes inviting to think. I think I always think about a healthy balance when I release an album. In any case, there is always a personal touch to my songs.
6. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
HARRY KAPPEN:
I make music primarily because I love the composing/production process; I like to put the puzzle together and work it out. When a song is finished I take my hands off it and it takes on a life of its own. Of course it’s great if others then appreciate the songs, but that’s not my primary concern. In the process of composing and producing I encounter myself in my own world of thought and music and I can challenge and even surprise myself. The process is then very satisfying.
7. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
HARRY KAPPEN:
I usually start with my guitar and humming melodies. My phone is full of little snippets that I’ll work out at a later date. Usually the music comes first and I listen to the MP3’s in my car for weeks while driving, and sing along. At a certain point the melodies are really fixed and I start with the lyrics. And that text arises from words, sentences or situations that stay with me during the day.
After this, the real work begins; recording, improving yourself, making choices, changing or adapting instruments, searching for the sound you like. It always remains a mysterious event. Sometimes it takes days and weeks before you’re satisfied, sometimes it’s there after a few hours. And I don’t always understand exactly what ‘it’ is, but there comes a moment when all the pieces of the puzzle come together. it’s always a wonderful moment.
8. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
HARRY KAPPEN:
Fortunately, I don’t suffer from those so-called difficulties. I’m just happy and thankful that I was given the talent to make music, both for myself and for someone else. I like to be of service to others to support them mentally and musically.
That’s why I also became a music therapist. Music is a wonderful tool to help people with all kinds of problems. In music you encounter the everyday: communicating with others, understanding yourself better, processing traumatic experiences, improving your self-image and self-confidence.
So I don’t see my music career as something separate from my own being. I am music and I am a therapist and I am a lover of music, but I am also a human being with ideas and feelings. I am one. Everywhere and always you encounter setbacks and windfalls in your life and I accept them as they come and deal with them, one time more successfully than the other. So be it.
9. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?
HARRY KAPPEN: As a music therapist I might take it professionally and ask myself; what is under the negative behavior that people show, where does the frustration come from, where does the aggression come from and how can I help.
But in general as a musician I don’t care. Occasionally I make use of the social movements and like to hold up a mirror to people, or describe what my opinion is. But my musical life is very personal and just an expression of who I am. No more and no less.
I am very happy with my management at the moment, I value the personal connection and try my best to make beautiful and interesting music.
10. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
HARRY KAPPEN: I have played in many bands and performed a lot in the Netherlands and abroad. Playing live is very nice and forfilling and I like the direct contact with the audience. Interaction with an audience can lift you up and ensure that a common flow is created that you never get alone in your home studio.
But on the other hand I also like to be on my own; tinkering with my music, making sure everything is right and when it’s done coming out with it. I enjoy both situations.
11. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
HARRY KAPPEN: As a Dutch speaker, I used to not always understand what a song was about, but I felt the atmosphere, listened to the way it was played and created my own truth around a song. So I can imagine that this works for others as well. Everyone can interpret as they want, fine. I don’t want to force anything on anyone. If someone responds to my good intentions, that’s fine too. Music is always something personal, both for the maker and the listener. Let’s keep it that way.
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