Noah Renken-Kapatos of Bloomington coined his psychedelic rock trio Great Value Jesus after friends said his long hair and beard gave him a passing resemblance to the conventional depiction of Jesus.
He says his spirituality generally aligns with “be nice to others and the rest will follow”. On the band’s new album, “Disassociation Nation,” Renken-Kapatos turns that kindness on himself, examining his past struggles with mental health.
Before the album launch show at Nightshop in Bloomington on Saturday night, he told WGLT that he used relationship problems as the backdrop for many of the songs, including the title track, which he said set off the rest of the album. of seven songs.
“Any kind of relationship issue, I think it’s very relatable,” Renken-Kapatos said. “That can be a trigger for some people. In this case, I had written this song, ‘Algo en el camino’, without knowing about my partner at the time. I didn’t realize until we parted ways. And when I say it, it triggers the rest of the album. It’s like a falling domino, you go through this mental whirlwind and go through an emotional journey.”
The relationship metaphor could also be interpreted as a self-examination. Renken-Kapatos agrees, saying some clues describe his own state of mind at the time.
“I think it’s very common to be like a deer caught in headlights…to be frozen…to have a lot of static to be so overwhelmed by the trigger of this initial event. So, you have the cause and this is the effect,” Renken-Kapatos said.
The album’s fourth song, “Stan”, explores the obsession with death, specifically suicidal thoughts.
“Dealing with being so depressed for so long that everything turns gray,” Renken-Kapatos said. “The hook of the song ‘in a miracle I walk through the gray fields’ really describes my own ‘in a miracle I’m still alive’ experiences.”
In a miracle I walk through the gray fields
Who are you to deal with the pain?
Hoping never to change my ways
Who am I to pass the blame?
“And I’m still walking in this kind of middle ground where I feel so disconnected from reality, but I’m still here. Fortunately, I’m still here.”
On this song, Renken-Kapatos layers vocals in a way that sounds hazy, dreamy, medicated…well, psychedelic, an effect he said represents competing voices in his head.
“And the reason I wanted to overlay it is to get to that point where there’s a high-pitched part, and maybe that high-pitched part is either the bad part of your brain or the lower-pitched part,” he explained. “I really liked it, because it creates a lot of depth that almost makes me feel like I’m walking in some kind of purgatory.”
According to the World Health Organization, more than 700,000 people worldwide die by suicide each year.. The United Nations has warned that the pandemic is increasing risk factors for suicide. It can be difficult to combat due to the stigma that still surrounds mental health. Renken-Kapatos explains the pain as he felt it and why someone might consider taking their own life.
“You are at a point where you are in so much pain that you want this permanent solution to be relief from what might not always be considered temporary pain. At that time, emotions can be very intense. I know myself, if I get a little manic, a little crazy. It is difficult to have rational thoughts. Fortunately, I have reached a point where I am really happy in life. But it took me a long time to get here. You have to have some dreams, goals… live for the people. And that’s what I think you forget when you’re in that state,” he said.
“Disassociation Nation” concludes with the upbeat “The World is Not Changing for Free.” Renken-Kapatos points to childhood as a guide to mental straightening, a return to his essence.
“That song is probably the easiest song on the record,” Renken-Kapatos said. “Lyrically, I’m very proud of it. The depth that I tried to put into the visualization and all of my imagery and metaphors and stuff… but there’s a line in the chorus, ‘fight hard for the boy you once were.’”
Fight hard for the boy you once were
Step aside and let dreams guide your light
Become what you set out to be
God knows the world isn’t changing for free
Lightning in my hands and in my heart
I know there is love, it falls apart
Even though there’s a million ways it can go
I think we can be anything
“It’s a call back to when you had dreams when you were growing up. There was so much mystery, wonder and optimism. You know, even children in the most difficult situations… we all have dreams and it is important to use them to guide you and keep you alive.”
Great Value Jesus plays Nightshop in Bloomington on Saturday night. Parachute Day, Norobot and Aquila are also on the bill.
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