Have you ever felt your interest flip a switch partway through? Where you almost expected to not connect with something, whether you were just in a bad mood or knew you weren’t the target audience? Everything about Tales from Cazilor: Wyldflowers screamed at me personally that “this ain’t for you, chief.” An ode to internet/video game humor, dungeons and dragons, and presented as an album that split itself into two halves: skits and indie hip hop.
I am a Millennial, so the humor was a potential olive branch; however, the other aspects of Naethan Apollo was something I filed into “well done but not for me.” However, about halfway through the record, an amazing thing happened: that switch was fully flipped. The amount of care, attention, detail, and clear joy poured into this release will win over even the most unexpected. For Apollo, he’s been floored that so many already have joined him, and like the best D&D campaigns (allegedly), mutual affection elevated everything:
“I joke that my fans made a big mistake by showing interest in this world. Because I have truly fallen off the deep end. I can’t close my eyes without seeing scenes play out in my head between characters. I can’t drive for longer than 10 minutes without brainstorming new ways the Atrarian giants may launch an attack on the human Cazilorians. I have plot points brewing in my head that may not be revealed for years. My mind is always firing. And i love it. This is what I love. Storytelling. Worldbuilding. Music. The fact that other people love it too, is a blessing beyond my comprehension. And now that we’re able to take everything that people loved from the first album, and make it bigger and better with more characters, more scenes, more songs, and animated music videos to bring the world to live. I’m like a kid in a candy store.”
“I’ve always ridden the line between fun and corny,” he adds, “and somehow I keep ending up unscathed! This project is all about found family, and making the most out of the situation you’re in. The title track, Wyldflowers, perfectly describes these characters. Wyldflowers grow without anybody caring for them. They grow in the ditch off the highway, they grow between the cracks of the sidewalks, their conditions are constantly fighting against them, and yet, they still find a way to blossom. Much like these characters are finding their own ways to blossom. They are all failures, denied by a system of high standards. And yet, the very same traits that society said were weaknesses, may just end up becoming their biggest strengths. And above all else, from a human perspective, nothing in your life will change unless you do something about it, and you don’t have to do it alone. After all, Cazilor and our world aren’t so different. We both face giants who oppress us, and they can only be stopped if we work together. And I think that is a message that everyone can get behind.”
Today, Apollo is debuting the latest single off the album ahead of its July 25 release. The new single is called “Go! Go! Go!” and it’s a frenetic pop tune with hip-hop elements that will get your fist pumping. You can check it out below.
Tales from Cazilor: Wyldflowers is out on July 25 and you can pre-order it from Naethan Apollo’s website. Follow Naethan Apollo on Instagram and TikTok for future updates.
