Formed in mid-2023, Caged Affair is an alternative rock band based out of Asheville NC (USA).
Led by Tyler Kemmerling, a dynamic vocalist and guitarist who writes, records and produces their genre-bending music, the band’s neo-grunge punk hybrid sound has drawn parallels to bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Nirvana and Royal Blood.
indieRepublik: How does the songwriting process work for you / in your band?
Caged Affair: Well, we often jam, listening for riffs and grooves we like. Then we build it out from there. I usually start with a riff as a verse and then write the remainder of the song based on it. I allow the music to inspire my lyricism.
indieRepublik: If your music was a movie, which genre would it be in?
Caged Affair: Sci-Fi because it is never just Sci-Fi, t is something else as well. It’s usually also drama.
indieRepublik: What music do you listen to when you’re touring?
Caged Affair: Mostly trap and hip-hop. Additionally, I’ll listen to a lot of Beatles and psychedelic music. Basically, any type of music with a lot of energy and dynamism.
indieRepublik: What was your biggest stage fuck-up?
Caged Affair: Probably pooping in my pants. But that’s why you wear underwear though, so you get a mulligan.
Best ever compliment? ““You’re good enough.” It was a moment bigger than music.”
indieRepublik: What was the nicest compliment you’ve ever been given?
Caged Affair: “You’re good enough.” It was a moment bigger than music.
indieRepublik: How do you feel about covering a song?
Caged Affair: I usually get joy out of it depending on the song. If it’s from an artist I really love or respect, it can be really satisfying to do it justice.
indieRepublik: Do you prefer to play big festivals / stages or smaller club gigs?
Caged Affair: It’s really not the size of the stage that matters to me, but more so the passion and energy of those in the crowd. I’ve been to 10,000 seat arenas where there was less passion than in some 100 cap rooms.
there’s no way to know you’re in the good old days till after the good old days. I need to remember that
indieRepublik: In ten years you look back to today and think:_____________
Caged Affair: I should’ve been more grateful for the moments I was in. I always think that. There’s a song that goes something like there’s no way to know you’re in the good old days till after the good old days. I need to remember that.
indieRepublik: Do you see your songs in colour or in black and white?
Caged Affair: Neither. I see them in shapes. I just see them as variations of the sine wave. Maybe that comes from my background as an audio engineer, I don’t know. But I always see them that way.
I would like to see ticketing and live events be demonopolized
indieRepublik: How would you like to see the music industry change?
Caged Affair: It’s starting to happen, but I would like to see ticketing and live events be demonopolized. There are a lot of companies that make huge margins on sale and resale of tickets. It’s just not right.
COMPULSORY – indieRepublik: How would you define indie? What do you personally think it means?
Caged Affair: Indie is art or music from the soul. Its primary motivation is not necessarily to generate commerce but to create a shared experience.
COMPULSORY – indieRepublik: What do you like most about indieRepublik?
Caged Affair: indieRepublik offers great opportunities for up-and-coming artists to share their work in a variety of ways. And we appreciate that the indieRepublik Blog shares Music Reviews and Interviews about both established and rising artists.
