Introducing: Captain Crocodile

Captain Crocodile is back with Moon Presence, a slushier, more immersive evolution of his signature sound. Following three acclaimed singles, Jack Norrie and his live band fuse lo-fi psychedelia, post-punk grit, and dreamy slowcore textures into a hypnotic sonic journey. Expect swirling guitars, ethereal vocals, and haunting atmospheres wrapped in raw live energy. With nods to King Krule and Fontaines D.C., Moon Presence captures the chaos of routine and self-doubt in a world of uncertainty.

Your new EP, Moon Presence, explores themes of self-doubt, routine, and coping mechanisms in a chaotic world. What inspired this direction, and how do you hope listeners connect with it?

I think my music is very much a reflection of myself, and every song is a little fragment of my existence for people to see into. Moon Presence in itself, delves into the cycles of monotony and the bad habits in my life, from toxic relationships, to addiction and loneliness. The world is a chaotic place right now and it’s hard to feel normal… These cycles and habits are things we all experience and I hope that by sharing my music, I can try to reach out and provide comfort for anyone who resonates with it.

Your sound has evolved into a richer, more textured experience with this release. How did working with your live band influence the creative process compared to your previous solo efforts?

Previously, I wrote and produced all the songs in my home studio by myself, or with Raye (Co-Producer/Songwriter). But for Moon Presence, we decided to try a new approach. I’d write the core songs and bring it to the full band, then during rehearsals we would work on the songs together, everyone would embellish it with their own ideas which pushed the sound in a moodier, darker direction; It was refreshing to relinquish some of that creative control to my band, it made the process a little less solitary.

You incorporate a strong visual identity into your work, from artwork to music videos. How important is the visual aspect in shaping the Captain Crocodile experience, and what inspired the aesthetic of Moon Presence?

I’m always trying to create a unique audio-visual experience to help show people how I see the world. My visual art is shaped by my life experiences and I feel that it helps me communicate my thoughts and emotions, which in turn helps me form my musical ideas - there’s a strong link between the two which is why I think it’s important that they are both expressed. During the creation of Moon Presence I sunk into an isolated and anxious state which was reflected in the claustrophobic darkness and overall sense of bleakness in the visuals, as well as the haunting figures present throughout. 

My only sense of comfort was my long walks by the Mersey where I’d listen to my demos and process my thoughts. I think that’s the reason the ocean and the moon are a large aspect of this EP, it’s the sense of hope that things will get better…

Your music blends post-punk, lo-fi psychedelia, and shoegaze with influences from artists like King Krule and Fontaines D.C. How do you balance these inspirations while maintaining your own distinct sound?

The truth is nothing is truly original nowadays, it’s just different genres that’s all merged together. The way I try and create my own distinct sound is by taking a wide range of influences, and trying to process those sounds in a creative way that hasn’t been done before. As a producer, I have the ability the truly shape the sound I create, which gives me a lot of control. That being said you can definitely tell where my inspirations come from when you listen close to my music, and that’s a good thing. I want to inspire people with the sounds that have inspired me, and hopefully it’ll inspire some other people to make music to.

You’ve shared the stage with acts like Nightbus and Stealing Sheep and gained significant traction with past releases. How has performing live shaped your approach to songwriting and production?

I think it’s made me rethink my production and arrangement completely. I found that when we are playing live, the songs were a lot more stripped back and raw, and it made aspects of the song shine where they perhaps didn’t before. I still love ear candy and sonic depth, but it helped me to prioritise the most important aspects of the songs, and make them the best they can be.