With “Be Brave If You Can” out now, we took some time to hear from Harry Kappen. Read below to learn more about Harry Kappen, the story behind “Be Brave If You Can,” and what’s to come.

Hi Harry Kappen! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?

By birth, thanks to my parents.

What city are you from and where are you based now?

I come from the north of the Netherlands from the city of Groningen and after a few wanderings within the Netherlands, I recently lived in Mexico City.

At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?

I never planned a career in music. From a young age, I played music, was in bands, and performed extensively both in the Netherlands and abroad. I made albums, worked for radio and television, all of this alongside my work as a music therapist in youth care. It wasn’t until the COVID period that I started working more professionally as a musician, partly because I came into contact with Michael Stover’s MTS Records from Pittsburgh through an American blog. He’s been my manager ever since.

How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?

I make pop songs that are eclectic in nature; from symphonic ballads to heavy rock music and everything in between.

Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?

Music takes up all my time these days. I’m currently preparing another solo album, which will be my fifth in five years. And, I also write music for drama series, commercials, and games. But besides making music, cooking is a big hobby of mine.

Who are some of your main musical influences?

I’m inspired by musicians like Lennon and McCartney, David Bowie, and Tom Yorke. But, there are so many influences. Jeff Beck, Knower, Michael McDonald, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Scandinavian rock bands like Motorpsycho—oh, the list is much longer.

What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?

The fact that I’ve already racked up almost half a million hits on Spotify is something that I’m proud of. But honestly, I get my pride more from myself than from external reactions; it’s more of a ‘satisfaction’ that I experience when a song has become something that I’m happy with. When the music and lyrics strengthen, when the sound perfectly suits the subject matter—in short, when everything has become a coherent whole—I get a sense of satisfaction. And that ‘pride’ doesn’t depend on the opinions of others.

Also, I’m a finalist again this year for both the ISSA Awards in Atlanta and the Josie Music Awards in Nashville. I just mentioned that I get my pride and satisfaction from myself, but since I’m a finalist for both awards, I’m definitely going to participate with enthusiasm. 🙂 It also helps me gain a bit more name recognition.

What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?

The most important lesson is that I listened a lot to others, other musicians, but also people around me, and from there, I found my own sound. Ultimately, everyone is unique, and it’s sometimes tempting to follow the latest trends, musically as well, but I find satisfaction in creating my own sound. Since I’ve adopted that mindset, my musical development seems to have progressed much more rapidly.

Now onto your release, ‘Be Brave If You Can.’ What inspired this song?

I’ve written a few songs protesting war, the rise of AI, and the dire situation in the US (‘Wargames,’ ‘The Freedom Inside,’ ‘Not All of Us Agreed,’ etc.). But I also know that things happen the way that they do, and we can’t always influence them. We all have to deal with threatening situations sometimes, and then we hope that we’re brave enough to face them. We already have to do so much ourselves. Sometimes, I think ‘dealing with the situation’ is courageous enough.

What was the creative process like when making ‘Be Brave If You Can?’

Like all my songs, it develops gradually. From a rough sketch to a concrete form. It’s not a pre-programmed process. I usually create the music first; the lyrics often come later, as was the case with ‘Be Brave If You Can.’ Then comes the phonetic singing along to the musical foundation in my car on the way to work, and an idea for a theme and melody emerges. I take my time with that process and don’t rush it. I change the lyrics, change the mix, adjust the music again, but there always comes a moment when everything comes together.

How long did it take to complete ‘Be Brave If You Can?’

I created the song along with other songs from my fourth album, FOUR. I often work on several songs simultaneously, so I can’t say exactly how much time that I spent on this one. Besides my work as a music therapist, I mainly worked on it in the evenings and on weekends. And sometimes I’d do nothing for a week. I have to step back from everything every now and then to come back with fresh ears. All in all, I spent six months working on the album. Ultimately, ten songs made it onto the album.

What is your favorite lyric in ‘Be Brave If You Can’ and why?

I’m not picking out a single line to comment on; I’m happy with the overall thrust of the lyric. It exudes resignation, but also something relatable for many other people, judging by the reactions that I’m getting. Be brave if you have to, but if you can’t, that’s okay too. We already have to do so much, and we have to measure ourselves too much against the ‘ideal’ world the media presents us these days.

What message do you hope fans take away from ‘Be Brave If You Can’ and your music in general?

I write my songs in the moment, influenced by societal trends, but also by the smaller things around me, the love for my wife and family, and my amazement at the events that I encounter in my life. I hope that I don’t impose my opinions on others, but I do speak my mind. Others can do with it as they please; that’s not my decision.

What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?

I’m not performing at the moment; after all, I’m a solo artist releasing albums with songs that need to be played by a full lineup. In my studio, I play everything myself. But as soon as there’s demand, I’ll definitely put together a band that can play the entire repertoire. I think that my songs are very suitable for live performance. For now, I’ll continue on this path. As mentioned, I’m working on my fifth album. I expect it to be released in the spring. 🙂

Where can we follow you on social media?

Website: https://www.harrykappen.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kappenhe
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kappenharry
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@kappenharry
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@harrykappen
YouTube: ‘Be Brave If You Can’ – lyrics video: https://youtu.be/knvksaSGYis

Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!