Down in the Valley: Pop-Punk Nostalgia with Mindless Society

Jan 29, 2022 | 2022 Articles, Music, Reedley News, Sarah Peterson-Camacho

Nostalgia is the musical mood of the moment here in the Central Valley, as the coronavirus pandemic stretches on into its second, devastating year. And bringing back that iconic pop-punk sound is Fresno band Mindless Society, including lead vocalist/guitarist Vic Cappelletty, bassist/vocalist Josh “Shua” Lara, and drummer Nico “Wizzle” Jacinto.

Kings River Life caught up with Society founder Cappelletty to talk about the band’s new EP, performing mid-pandemic, and the Golden Age of Pop-Punk.

KRL: Who are Mindless Society’s members, and what is their musical specialty (vocals, instruments, etc)?

Vic Cappelletty: Mindless Society consists of founding member Vic on lead vocals and guitar, Shua on bass and backup vocals, and Wizzle on drums.

Mindless Society

KRL: What genre of music is the band’s specialty?

VC: We consider ourselves nostalgic pop-punk with a modern twist.

KRL: Did you always want to be musicians? What did you listen to while growing up?

VC: I had always been around music since I was a kid because my dad was a bassist and my uncle was a guitarist and songwriter. Being a musician was definitely something I wanted to be. Growing up I listened to a lot of ‘70s rock and ‘90s grunge. As I got a little older, that’s when I got into pop-punk bands like Blink-182, Green Day, and Sum 41.

Vic Cappelletty – Guitar/Lead Vocals

KRL: What is Mindless Society’s origin story?

VC: Mindless Society was founded in August of 2016, right here in the Central Valley. We’ve gone through a lot of members in our five-year span, but have finally solidified the lineup over these past couple of years. Vic is the sole founding member and main songwriter.

KRL: Which musicians/groups have influenced your sound the most?

VC: Our biggest influence is definitely Blink-182. That was the first band that truly gave me the confidence to start writing my own music. That band literally changed my life, and are hands-down the biggest influence. A few other bands we’re heavily influenced by are Green Day and Good Charlotte.

Josh Lara – Bass/Co Vocals

KRL: Where have you performed locally?

VC: We’ve performed at quite a few different spots around the Valley. Our favorites would definitely be Strummers and Tioga Sequoia in Fresno. Other venues we’ve played include The Wakehouse in Reedley, Cellar Door in Visalia, and Barmageddon in Tulare.

KRL: What music projects are you most proud of?

VC: We’re proud of all the music we’ve released since the beginning of the band. But if we had to pick a favorite, it’s definitely our recent music EP, “Hold Dear Those Good Times.” This EP is made up of our most personal and emotional music we’ve ever written. All five songs on the EP have music videos to go along with them.

KRL: How has the pandemic affected your music?

Nico Jacinto – Drums

VC: The main thing the pandemic has affected us is just how up and down the shows can be. There was a long time where we didn’t have any shows going on, so we are truly grateful for every chance we get. But we fully understand that shows can cancel anytime because of outbreaks or unforeseen circumstances. We kept practicing and writing throughout the whole thing; we just had to wait for shows to eventually come back around.

KRL: What projects/performances are up next for Mindless Society?

VC: At this moment we don’t have any new music on the way since we just recently dropped our latest EP. But we are definitely on the lookout for some more shows in the future.

KRL: What is the most rewarding part of making and performing music?

VC: The most rewarding part, I would say, is just being able to have the chance to connect to people through our music. I just want people to know that they’re not alone, and I hope that they can find something that they relate to in our music. When it comes to performing music, it is rewarding to see people getting into what you’re doing. When you’re at a show, you can feel the energy in the crowd, and I am truly grateful that I even get the chance to do this.

You can keep up with the band on their Facebook page. Mindless Society has a Reedley connection through their band member Vic Cappelletty who grew up in Reedley. You can find more Reedley articles in our Reedley News Section.

Sarah A. Peterson-Camachois a library assistant with Fresno County Library, with a Bachelor’s in English and a Bachelor’s in Journalism from California State University, Fresno. In her free time, she makes soap and jewelry that she sells at Fresno-area craft fairs. She has written for The Clovis Roundup and the Central California Paranormal Investigators (CCPI) Newsletter.