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St. Louis-born, Los Angeles-based musician Roe Kapara has finally released his long-awaited debut EP, I Hope Hell Isn't Real. Inspired by the surrealist plots of 90's movies such as Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, I Hope Hell Isn't Real follows a similar formula. Centered around a cinematic storyline, Roe conceptualized a tragic fictional character who lives in a dystopian world full of nothing but apathy. While everything around him is crumbling, he dies, but he's brought back to life in a twist of events. Post-mortem, he gains a new perspective and outlook on life, realizing that it has more meaning than he initially thought.

While willing to expose vulnerable parts of himself in his songs, he's also quick to shine the mirror outward to address the creeping dread of modern life: consumerism, corporate greed, climate change, and the general feeling of the younger generation in 21st-century America. Deeply relatable yet unafraid to stand up and ask life's big questions, Roe's musical journey may be a little kilter, yet all the better and more interesting.

First of all, congrats on the release! How are you feeling right now, knowing that people will be listening to I Hope Hell Isn't Real?

I love when people listen to my music. It feels amazing. What's even better is when people reach out to you and tell me that it made a difference in their life.

You've shared that you're inspired by 90s movies and that the medium influences your music. Can you share some of your favorite films and music growing up and how they present themselves on the creation of this EP?

It's not always just 90s movies, that's just my favorite era of movies, but when I write a song, I like to think of a movie that it could go over. It makes the song… I don't know, have more of a theme and like a feeling to it.

How did it bleed into this EP? Did they inspire any songs on this EP?

Tim Burton on "Everyone's Dying," I specifically thought of Coraline and all his movies, Edward Scissorhands, and all that. Nightmare Before Christmas. That actually inspired the writing of the rest of the song. So it didn't start there, but then I thought of the movie afterward, and I wrote the rest thinking of that movie. That helped a lot.

I'm a huge fan of some of your early releases, especially "Employment Cost!" How do you feel the EP differs in sonics and songwriting from your earlier work? Or do you feel your methods are pretty tried and true at this point?

I think they're very similar to each other. I think the method is the same. I write a song on the acoustic guitar about something that makes me feel a certain emotion. You know, it's something that's cathartic. And then I turn it into whatever it turns into in the studio, or the bedroom studio, rather.

What is your favorite music moment on the EP, and which previously unreleased track are you most excited for people to finally hear?

"This Time Last Week," and then when I sing the word 'down' in "This Time Last Week." I like the way my voice sounds when I sing that word.

Alongside the singles, you've also put out some really dynamic and engaging music videos to further explore the songs' themes. How did you develop the music video concepts, and which one was the most fun or challenging to shoot?

I think I kind of just joke around about what would be a really silly idea and then how I can make it serious, and that's kind of just where they start.

Which one was the most fun one to shoot?

Well, I guess "Preacher" cause I actually had a budget to shoot it!

Earlier this year, you got to do your first live shows and meet your fans! So how did it feel to finally play this music live?

At first, I was really excited just to play the songs live, but what was way more exciting than that was to hear how everyone knew the lyrics better than me. That was way better than playing the song.

Who would you want to play with if you had to build your dream tour or show bill?

That's a good question. I know The Front Bottoms is an easy one. Cage the Elephant, for sure. That band Friko and Djo. Modern Baseball is really cool as well. Yeah. And Dolo Tonight.

Be sure to check out Roe Kapara's debut EP, I Hope Hell Isn't Real, today!