CLOAKZ began as Zac Ciangaclini's solo project while he was drumming for Raccoon Fighter in New York. After recording the first EP, Semi-Autographic, in between studio sessions and at home, Ciangaclini moved to Philadelphia in 2017. There, he recruited longtime friend Tony Aquilino on bass and eventually formed a full lineup by 2019 with drummer Greg Foran, guitarist James Keary, and keyboardist S. Catoe. Despite a COVID-era derailment in 2020, CLOAKZ released the single and video "Head FX" in 2022. They are now set to release their debut LP, Control Program, in August 2024 via Mint 400 Records. In support of the album, CLOAKZ will perform in Philly, NYC, and New Jersey, with release shows at Our Wicked Lady on August 17 and Johnny Brenda’s on August 25.
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
CLOAKZ started as a recording project towards the end of my stretch in Brooklyn, around 2014. I spent countless nights in my small rehearsal space experimenting with writing and recording and I eventually ended up with enough decent tracks for an EP. When I moved to Philly I linked up with Tony Aquillino, who also had moved to Philly shortly before me and we started putting together a live lineup.
The band name stemmed from my own self-consciousness as someone new to singing and writing songs. I would only record after 2am because I didn’t want people hearing me and I rarely showed anyone what I was working on. I needed that “cloak” until I was confident enough to start putting myself out there.
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
My main project before CLOAKZ was a garage rock band in Brooklyn called Raccoon Fighter, where I mainly played drums. My bandmates were really close friends of mine from back in South Jersey—almost like brothers. We were together all the time making music and hanging out. We toured and played tons of shows over the course of six years or so. It was a great experience and really shaped how I’ve approached band dynamics since then. The other members of CLOAKZ have played in so many bands in New York and Philly—Gunfight!, MiniBoone, Control Top, Flatwaves, Heavy Shrug—almost too many to name. We sometimes joke that CLOAKZ is a supergroup but we’re the only ones who know how super it is.
Like so many guitar players around my age, I got into playing music by learning to play “dammit” on guitar when I was like thirteen. My parents weren't really into music, so unlike most of my musician friends, I didn’t grow up listening to the classics from my parents generation. Around that time I was really into skateboarding, but one summer I broke my arm and was super bummed because I couldn’t skate and there was really nothing else to do in my small hometown. My buddy had just bought a cheap guitar and was learning to play “Dammit” and I remember thinking “ok this is cool, good for you but I still can’t skate.” He then put the guitar in my lap and taught me how to play the left hand part (my right was in a cast and sling) while he picked the strings. After a few days I finally got it and was immediately hooked. For the next month I attempted to learn to play guitar with one hand, counting the days till I had both. Once the cast was off I knew I had a new passion that would last a lifetime.
First concert that you ever went to?
Locally it was definitely either a South Jersey VFW show or this place in my hometown called Eugenes. They both would host local underage post hardcore/pop punk shows. I grew up going to and playing a countless amount of those shows. They were fun, grimy, semi dangerous and easily the best thing to do on a weekend in South Jersey.
My first national concert was the Y100 Fest in 2001. It was Sum-41, Bush and Blink-182 at the now Wells Fargo Center in Philly. Definitely an interesting lineup looking back now but I was a huge blink fan at the time and was blown away by seeing one of my favorite bands in an arena. It seemed surreal and I was so young and thought “Oh this is what it looks like to make it in a famous band on a big stage.”
What's your writing process like?
It’s definitely changed since I started but I do still incorporate a lot of the same fundamentals. Initially I would start with a guitar riff and build on top of that with the drums, etc and then add vocals last. For this record I took a different approach and made the foundation of the songs more focused on the groove and vocals, then molding the other instruments around those. It definitely shows in the vocals on this record compared to previous releases. I’d say the biggest difference writing now vs previously is now I’m about 50/50 with the writing vs production. I’m more conscious of the production, arrangement and how the song will translate in the studio. I also make it a personal rule that for each release there is one song that I write in the studio with no pre-production and minimal time devoted. Ironically those usually turn out the best.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
The Rentals - Friends of P. - I like the straightforward big drums, dry vocals and sawtooth synth vibe. The catchy pop hooks and dynamics in the verses make this song a must for me.
Built to Spill - The Plan - Besides this album being one of my all time favs, with this song in particular I love how it feels like a rollercoaster. The song flows back and forth from big open hits to condensed guitar licks. By the end of the song when it gets mellow you feel like you’ve just finished this crazy rollercoaster and are at the end of the track where you're just coasting, taking it all in.
The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio - While I do like The National I picked them for this list particularly because of Matt Berninger’s vocal range. When I heard “Bloodbuzz Ohio” on the radio for the first time it was like someone was sending me a message saying “Hey you know that you can sing in an indie band and have a low male vocal range right?”. That was one of the biggest moments of inspiration for me as a new singer trying to find my sound.
My Bloody Valentine - When you Sleep - This album and song constantly remind me that you don’t need conventional arrangements and sounds to make an amazing record that can break through the indie barrier into the mainstream. This song to me is the perfect blend of shoegaze and pop, with the catchy synth hooks and buried vocals glazed over with truly unique sonic landscapes.
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring for My Halo - For this one I think it’s more about the entire album. I was fortunate enough to have worked as an assistant engineer on some of the tracking of this record and observing the way Kurt and the rest of the band vibed together really made me appreciate the art of making a record in a studio. The relaxed, melancholy vibes all around while still making amazing artistic decisions in the moment really stuck with me. Not to mention the songwriting and production on this record is through the roof and produced by one of my all time favorites, John Agnello.
The Replacements - Bastards of Young - I love The Replacements and Paul Westerburg so much it’s no surprise they’re on this list. The way they make some of the catchiest songs while still sounding like they aren't trying is the level of genius I think all songwriters strive towards. The rawness in the vocals and loud guitars is what I’m a sucker for.
M. Ward - Poison Cup - This is a beautiful song down to every note. I love the arrangement and the transition from the small soft intro into a big stereo sonic landscape when the drums hit. This song has a lot of things that I aim for in my own songs: dynamics, simple structure, short and sweet. The last song on my record entitled “Vacant” definitely has some Poison Cup vibes.
Guided By Voices - Glad Girls - Although most people (including myself) associate Guided By Voices with their more lo-fi records and recording techniques, there is something to be said about this album and specifically this song. Right out the gate it's bursting with energy and never once lets up. It’s catchy, hi-fi and everytime I hear it I’m immediately encapsulated and struck with a burst of energy. It’s one of my all time favorite choruses hands down.
Grandaddy - AM180 - For as lo-fi as this song comes across it has so much production value to me so I’ll just nerd out on that for a minute. The contrast between the fuzzy hard panned guitars and the mono cleaner keys strikes a certain chord with me. Having the guitars drop out in the verses when there are vocals only to have them come back in when the vocals disappear for the chorus makes such a strong statement. I love Grandaddy and this song because they aren't afraid to take risks.
Drive-By Truckers - Goddamn Lonely Love - A lot of people don’t know, including my band and close friends, that I’m a huge Drive-By Truckers fan. Although I can’t say that I draw direct inspiration from them sonically, I draw inspiration from how these three amazing songwriters are able to tell stories in rock songs without it being cliche. This song in particular got me through some really rough times and to me this entire album (The Dirty South) is a hidden gem for anyone who hasn’t heard it.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be it's own thing?
CLOAKZ live is very fluid and dynamic. I’ve always believed in letting the members of the live group bring what they do best to the table and then tailor our sounds around each other rather than defining specific parts based on the album. I admit I am a stickler in the studio but when it comes to the live show I sort of have the opposite mindset of let’s just play it the best we can even if it differs from the record.
This summer two of our main members James Keary and S. Catoe will be taking a break to have their first child and we will be playing with an alternate lineup. This will be the third lineup for CLOAKZ and each iteration sounds different in an exciting way.
Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows?worst shows?
We haven’t toured much in this band. All of us have toured with prior projects but since CLOAKZ is a little more recording-focused, we’ve mostly kept the shows to Philly, NYC and Jersey. It’s definitely a goal of ours to hit the road a little more this coming year and hit Baltimore, DC, Delaware, Boston, etc.
Some of the best shows for me personally were in Philly right before COVID in late 2019/early 2020. We were starting to quickly pick up momentum with the new lineup and then the world just shut down. As far as worst shows go, they just kind of happen, ya know? I don’t think there’s anything in particular that I can directly relate to a bad show unless it’s not promoted well or your drummer is wasted haha.
What's up next for the band?
We’ve got a string of shows this summer to support our first LP, Control Program, which comes out on August 23rd via Mint 400 Records. We’ll be closing out the summer with a local record release show at Johnny Brendas in Philly on 8/25. Check out some dates on our socials and we’ll catch you soon!
NEW CLOAKZ SINGLE AVAILABLE TODAY “Vacant” : https://open.spotify.com/artist/6F6Bzne4CHh3YNSs6unjFY?si=S1k4GPfjSPi-C8b4tcVlOA