Life & Work with Zach Lugo of Yellow Springs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Lugo

Hi Zach, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Red Cap Society is a three piece doom-punk band hailing from the famous village of Yellow Springs, Ohio. The heart of the band is personified by the brotherhood of three best friends. Formed in 2014 by middle school buddies Alex Lugo and Charles “Chuck” Moran under the primitive name “Battery,” the duet started learning their favorite songs after school on bass and guitar, respectively. Influences ranged from early punk such as The Clash and Dead Kennedys, to 80s thrash metal giants like Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer. Artists from the 90s’ grunge movement like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden also played a substantial role in the early influence of the band.

As the two improved their play, a drummer was necessitated and the eyes of Alex and Chuck perused the roster of percussionists at school. To their surprise, no one fit the bill better than the younger brother of Alex, Zach. He had no clue how to play drums, but taught himself under the scrupulous mentor of a cassette deck. By listening to hand me down cassettes of the band Rush, another massive influence for the now trio, he was able to teach himself how to get around on a 60 year old Kent drum kit pulled out of storage.

The triage now became a full on band, playing not just covers, but originals written from the angst of uncertain times and an ever changing world, many of which are heard on the debut released in 2024. The band went on to play many shows making friends and fans along the way.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. We have been together for a long time now (over a decade!), and we have experienced many changes, challenges, and the trials and tribulations of keeping three very creative minds on the same track. There were times where we moved practice spaces and had to uproot our location or even take prolonged breaks from rehearsing due to life’s inconveniences. Not that it was an inconvenience, but Zach went away to college in 2019 and that led to difficulties in regular practicing, but also led to great playing, networking, and growth opportunities! We also learned helpful remote communication skills, such as video calls and even putting together power points to share ideas when we couldn’t be together in person. We never truly felt that we were apart, as we were always sharing ideas and working together.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m going to take this opportunity to explain the roles we each have in the band!

Alex Lugo:
Alex is the lead guitarist and lead singer of the band, as well as the chief lyricist of the currently written material. Alex was originally the bass player of the band, though. Alex writes a lot of the vocal material and melodies of our songs, and specializes in producing material and bringing it to the band to evolve into songs. Alex is most proud of his ability to adapt and be creative in his guitar writing, something he has put a lot of time and effort into improving.

Zach Lugo:
Zach is the drummer of the band. Zach is also responsible for running the socials of the band, and keeping up with promoting the band online. He is most known for his oversized, maximalist, drumming style, typically bringing a nine+ piece drumkit to every show. Zach is most proud of the growth he has made as a drummer and self-taught musician.

Charles Moran:
Chuck is the bass player of the band, but was originally the guitar player. Chuck is most proud of his transition from being a guitar player originally, and learning a new instrument and falling in love with the different tones, styles, and sounds of his bass playing. He has been incredibly dedicated to becoming a better bass player and has a work ethic that is very headstrong. His ability to incorporate different sounds and techniques in his bass playing is something that sets him apart from others.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can collaborate and work with us by reaching out to us via Instagram or email. We love connecting with other venues, musicians, and bands that are interested in putting together shows. People can support us by listening to our music, coming to our live shows, and purchasing our merch at shows. We are very outgoing and love to talk with anyone interested in music.

Pricing:

• Currently we sell pins for $5.
• Songs are available on basically any streaming service.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/red.cap.society/
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Img1m9lqkkR6xmakboJvl?si=LHakBsRjTLqClgB9ZZ1TGw