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Captain Highside on the Intersection of Medicine, Art, and Personal Expression
Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Captain Highside, a multifaceted artist who not only heals through his work as a doctor but also through his music.
GHR: Hi Captain Highside, great to have you here. What inspired you to start writing and making music?
CH: Thanks for being here. I've been playing and learning music since I was 6; my dad has always been musical and was determined to have me explore this passion as well. I think if you love music as much as I do and actually enjoy playing and learning about it and start out that early, there is an innate desire to create. When I was 18, I finally just decided to place a microphone by the speaker for my keyboard and run it through GarageBand. I realized that I kind of liked what I heard played back. That sparked me to make instrumental pieces for fun. I then said "why not try to come up with lyrics? I've written poems before". At first, those lyrics were too flowery and clunky, so I got even deeper into listening to music and searching every genre, every region of the world for years. Then, as I entered medical training to become a doctor, I started to experience stress and emotional taxation like never before. I leaned into my creativity to provide an outlet. That's when I really started to work at new compositions, new lyrics, new songs. I spent a large part of the early pandemic making 20-30 songs in a really amateur fashion. That prep work was crucial as I got to Nashville for transitions related to my medical training. I was now in a place with a surplus of musicians and creatives; once I started showcasing my abilities at karaoke nights, I met musicians, and they inspired me to keep making music. So that sparked a fire for me to write more and also to improve to the standard of the music I was hearing around me.
GHR: Can you tell us more about your experience performing live at gigs and what was the most memorable experience you had?
CH: I have only showcased my original music in front of audiences 3 times, and each time has been 2-3 songs with backing instrumentals from my releases. I have yet to perform the live show I want to perform: with a full band and for a full set. I do sing in a cover band, the Alter Ego Band of Atlanta, and this has increased my comfort with live performance. I would have to say, however, my fondest memory thus far is getting to do 3 songs at The Underdog in Nashville. My friend, King Kai, was putting together a showcase and over a beer asked me if I'd like to bring some of my original music to the night. I bounced the instrumentals for 3 of my songs and sang them live in front of a small crowd. There were fog machines, mood lighting, the works. There were cheers and claps at the end. To be able to perform my music for the first time in front of my friends in a venue that I loved was a moment I can never experience again, but it is the moment that lit a fire in me to keep working towards my first live show.
GHR: How is your process of songwriting and production set around?
CH: Ideas for songs honestly just come to me as a stream of consciousness, and often happen at 6 in the morning as part of a dream. I have the benefit of having my music set up (microphone, keyboard, bass, guitar, interface) in my basement, so am able to quietly go downstairs and in a private setting put that idea down into my music software. As soon as that idea is done (usually a piano chord progression or a vocal melody), over the course of the next day or days, ideas for other instruments build; I then record a bass line or a guitar melody, work on a chorus with vocals or a verse, then do harmonies. Then finally I come up with a bridge. I have been really into collaborating lately, so I will reach out to friends who may fit the style I've come up with to see if they'd like to add something. I have been blessed to make many friends who are talented musicians, producers, and engineers, so once my ideas are formed, I may take it to them to mix and master to create a more professional touch. I am learning more every day about producing myself, so I will mix and master my own songs from time to time too; I tend to do this if I'm happy with the raw sound and feel there needs to be less intense production done to the project before arriving at the final sound.
GHR: What motivates you to create music and bring awareness to different situations through your songs?
CH: The message of my music is my experience. I write about my life in the hospital, difficult encounters with the healthcare system and how it affects social structure. I also write about how my work weighs on me mentally. I also talk about my struggles with mental health, namely anxiety and poor self-esteem. By exploring these themes, I know from living my life so far that these are things that many other people deal with too, so I hope these messages can relate. I have been blessed to travel all around the world and explore many cultures and customs, so I have a wide bank of imagery and moments to source from for my lyrics. I feel like I need to create music to be able to cope with my anxieties and the stress of daily life. If I didn't have music, I'm not sure I would be able to function.
GHR: Could you share some insights into your next projects?
CH: After I released SAGITTARIUS I on January 16th (I released SAGITTARIUS II, a compilation of my more modern sounding recent work, November 12th, 2024), I plan to take a brief break from creation to process my past year of work (16 or so songs created in one year) and want to research more music from my upbringing, Carnatic and Hindustani classical music from India and see how to fuse these themes with the blues music of the American Southeast that I have grown to love. I will also in the coming months work on finding a band to work on playing my music with me so I can plan live gigs within the next year. My responsibilities at the hospital will continue to be demanding, so I know that I will dive into music more intently soon to provide balance.
Don't Forget To Follow Captain Highside on Instagram and listen to his latest album SAGITTARIUS I all streaming platforms
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