It's All Connected: Volbeat's Rob Caggiano on Doing Something That Feels Important

The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once claimed, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” If we take that aphorism as gospel, then New York native Rob Caggiano is a very fluent linguist indeed. Supremely accomplished in the fine art of rock ‘n’ roll guitar, and able to switch between genres with dexterous ease, his six-string work with Anthrax, The Damned Things and Volbeat has connected with audiences all over the globe.

It’s no coincidence that, since Caggiano joined Volbeat in 2013, the Danish ‘Elvis metal’ gang have morphed from promising upstarts into bona fide title contenders. Led by founding member and principal songwriter Michael Poulsen, the band’s uproarious and idiosyncratic blend of rock ‘n’ roll, metal, rockabilly, pop and country hasn’t just positioned them as one of the best bands on the scene, but also as a natural successor to all those festival headlining rock and metal behemoths nearing the end of their storied careers. 

With Volbeat stationed in the UK for a massive arena tour in support of 2021’s ‘Servant Of The Mind’, we spoke to Caggiano about the unique circumstances involved in that record’s genesis, what it was like playing to most of Poland (in one day) and how working with a legendary icon, who was also born in the USA, “changed his whole world.” 

Because of the distance between yourself and the rest of the guys, due to it being made during the pandemic, and the fact you couldn’t co-produce the record as a result of that, were you able to feel as connected to the material for ‘Servant Of The Mind?’

It was different. Usually we’d all be in a room together working with new ideas, doing pre-production, then go into the studio together right after that, which didn’t happen this time. When it was my turn to lay down my parts, because of everything that was going on in New York City, it was a really dark time, it took me a little bit to get into the groove of the record. I wasn’t inspired at first. I recorded all my stuff and then, after listening back to it a few days later, scrapped everything and re-did the whole record. That’s the first time that’s happened to me, but everything happens for a reason and I’m really proud of the way everything came out. The music speaks for itself at this point.     

When you’re living in that situation and feeling that dark energy, does it come out in your music?

One hundred per cent. Definitely. Speaking for Volbeat, any time we make a record it’s very much inspired by what’s happening in our lives, what’s happening around us, what we’re listening to at the time, what we’re reading. It’s all connected.  

You took a lot of time writing and pre-producing 2019’s ‘Rewind, Replay, Rebound.’ In contrast, Michael said making ‘Servant Of The Mind’ was a very quick process. How is that reflected in what we hear on the album?

There might be a different spirit to the music. It’s a little bit heavier in the riffs, but overall it still sounds like a Volbeat record. Wait A Minute My Girl could easily have fitted on any of the last three albums. To me it’s like part two of a song from the last record, Die To Live, which was a big hit for us and is also a crowd favourite. Those two are like the party songs of the set and, to my ears, that’s a continuation of the same vibe. 

One of the most surprising but delightful moments is the collaboration with Alphabeat’s Stine Bramsen on Dagen Før. How do you build a guitar solo for a more pop focused song like that compared to the awesome ripping climax you deliver on The Sacred Stones?

That’s a good question. When I’m constructing solos, I take the approach of a song within a song. There’s no point in a guitar solo if it’s just widdily diddily shred stuff. Sometimes I’ll play off the vocal melody or try to capture the mood of the song, but in my own way. It needs to say something. It needs to take the song to another place. That’s what I always strive for. It has to be fun, has to be lyrical, has to be catchy, exciting and has to sound inspired. Those are the things I’m looking for in my own playing and when I’m recording stuff. If it doesn’t check all those boxes, like I said before, I scrapped the whole fucking thing and re-did it.

Although there’s a healthy slice of metal in Volbeat’s music, you incorporate a lot of genres into your predominantly rock ‘n’ roll based sound. As someone who’s been in and around the metal scene for the best part of their life, do you think the metal community is more open minded to that kind of thing, and therefore less insular, than in the 1980s and 90s?

That’s an interesting question. I definitely am. I listen to stuff now that I never, in a million years, would have listened to when I was 16. No way. It’s pretty cool. If that means I’m getting old, I don’t know, but I always try to be open minded because, for me, I’m constantly looking for different stuff to be inspired by. As someone that loves to make records, it’s great to have all this different stuff in the back of your head. But fans are definitely more open minded than they were years ago.    

It’s well known you left Anthrax because you weren’t creatively fulfilled. So how creatively satisfied are you now you’ve got a more regular outlet for that creative drive?

I’m always making music. My time in Anthrax, maybe I wasn’t as creative as I would have liked to have been, but outside of the band I was making tons of records and working on all kinds of music. So I was always creative. I’m a creative guy. That’s what I do. In the big picture, I don’t feel I was ever lacking that in my world, but being in Volbeat feels very good. I’ve been a part of the creative process on a bunch of really cool stuff, in this band. It’s been a wild ride. The shows are awesome and we all get along really well. We’re basically brothers at this point and are bringing people together which, right now, makes it feel like we’re doing something super important.

You’ve talked about the awesome vibe you had with Michael when you first began working together. What sensibilities do you and he share that caused you to hit it off so well?

Obviously the guys all grew up in Denmark, and I grew up in New York City, but at the end of the day we all grew up on the same diet of music. We’re all influenced by the same stuff and, let’s face it, at the end of the day this is rock ‘n’ roll. We’re only dealing with 12 notes. It doesn’t matter where the hell you live in the world, it’s the same fucking 12 notes. Michael and I think alike musically, about how songs should flow, what we like to hear and want to hear. Our musical instincts are very much in line with each other.    

I’m sure you’ve been asked hundreds of times about your musical influences, but who are the biggest inspirations when it comes to your work as a producer?

There’s so many. Mutt Lange has always been one of my favourite producers. He’s done some of the most legendary, unbelievable records. Jimmy Page is a massive influence. He was just an all encompassing wizard. Not only is he one of the most amazing guitar players and riff writers of all time, but his recording techniques, what he accomplished with Led Zeppelin, he pushed the envelope in every possible way. That’s hugely inspiring. Some other guys as well. There’s a guy named Joe Chiccarelli who I love. Jack Antonoff. I love his stuff with the Bleachers and think he’s a phenomenal songwriter and amazing producer. I love what he did with the new Taylor Swift record.  

As a producer, what did you make of the whole loudness wars business, with many releases being mastered way too high for comfortable listening?

It’s like ‘that’s why the volume knob was invented.’ If you need it louder turn the fucking thing up. It’s not that hard…and it’s fun. For me, music needs to breathe. When I’m producing a record, as I’m recording, it all comes together. It’s almost like a puzzle and I’m always thinking about the big picture and how everything works. So when you slam it like that in the final process, you suck the life out of it. Music should be loud, especially the music I work on, but it doesn’t have to be loud to the point where you’re sacrificing the quality. That’s the problem people started running into. It was just like ‘make it as loud as possible at all costs.’ So I’m glad that that’s on its way out at least, if not over.     

You’ve said that one of your proudest moments came when you got to produce Bruce Springsteen for Jesse Malin’s ‘Glitter In The Gutter’ album. When you were working with him, was there anything about watching his process that made you think ‘that’s why he’s the Boss?’

Well, first of all, he’s the most humble, nicest, sweetest guy I’ve ever met in the music business. Besides maybe Jerry Only from The Misfits, who is one of my dear friends. But Bruce was awesome. That day, and that whole experience, not only did it make me a way better producer for having worked with that guy, it made me a better musician overall. 

In what way?

Where do I begin? We were basically recording a song called Broken Radio. Beautiful song, beautiful lyric. We had sent Bruce the track, called him once prior, and didn’t hear anything. We didn’t know if he liked it, if he’d heard it or whatever. So  Jesse ended up singing the entire song. At the eleventh hour I was cutting some of the vocals with  Jesse. I’ll never forget this. I was in LA, he was in the vocal booth, the phone rings and I hear it through the microphone coming out of the speaker. I knew instantly who it was. It was Bruce. And the long and short of it was he loved the track and invited  Jesse and I to go to the studio out in Jersey. He has this house that is set up as his recording studio, super cool, and the engineer he’s been with since ‘Born In The USA’, Toby Scott, he’s been living at the house since then. 

At this point we were really familiar with the song. I had a very strong vision for how it should be. But when we started tracking Bruce, for the first bit, it was obvious it wasn’t his song. He sang it a few times and it wasn’t hitting the mark. That’s when I was like, ‘I need to push this guy. I need to make this what it needs to be.’ When I said it made me a better producer, that’s what I’m talking about. Because, first of all, he didn’t have to listen to me. Obviously.

Thinking back on it now it’s actually very funny, but he was so cool, so professional, and after a few takes of going around the houses he definitely got it. There was one time I hit the button, he sang it and I got fucking goosebumps. It was like, ‘There he is. There’s Bruce Springsteen.’ It was one of those things where he just needed some guidance, some direction, to get in the zone because, like I said, it wasn’t his song. It was a phenomenal experience and I will forever cherish that day. And that album, ‘Glitter In The Gutter’, it’s just been reissued so check it out.    

Talking of special moments, I need to clarify something I read to make sure it wasn’t a typo. Did Volbeat play to 600,000 people in Poland?

Yeah, we did. I’ve done a lot of big shows, I’ve been doing this a long time, but that was crazy. I love smaller shows as well, I just love to play, but as far as big shows go I’m used to having the crowd straight in front of us as far as the eye can see. That particular show, I think it was called Woodstock Festival Poland, there were people as far as the eye could see straight ahead of us, to the right of us as far as our eyes could see, to the left of us…and behind us. It was insane. I can’t even explain. They were so far back it was like they were in a different city.     

You’ve been asked in the past about headlining Download one day. With experiences like that under your belt, and with the kind of acts that usually headline that festival coming to the end of their cycles, what has to happen for Volbeat to make that leap?

We’re ready. Give us the green light, we’ll be there. I’ve played it so many times. At one point, I don’t remember who it was, someone told me I’d played it more than anyone else. Between Anthrax, The Damned Things and Volbeat I’ve played that festival a ton of times. I don’t know if that still holds true, but it’s always been one of my favourite festivals and the UK holds a very special place in my heart because most of the music I grew up listening to was from the UK. I love it. And the last show of this whole tour is at Wembley on December 20, so we’re super excited for that. But as far as headlining Download, we would love to.

Volbeat Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:

Thu December 15 2022 - GLASGOW OVO Hydro
Fri December 16 2022 - LEEDS first direct Arena
Sat December 17 2022 - CARDIFF Cardiff International Arena
Mon December 19 2022 - NOTTINGHAM Motorpoint Arena
Tue December 20 2022 - LONDON OVO Arena Wembley

Compare & Buy Volbeat Tickets at Stereoboard.com.

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