With a garage rock-flavored style, tight rhythms and alt rock flair, Cptn Over is the kind of band that thrives on energy and good vibes all around. The Bend-based rock band blends psychedelic tones with raw garage rock grit, creating an electrifying sound that’s loud, loose and undeniably fun. The group is made up of Brian Roudnev (guitar), Jason Roudnev (drums), Tom McCall (guitar) and Tyler Otis (bass).
Cptn Over’s roots stretch back to childhood when brothers Brian and Jason dreamed of starting a rock band together and wrote songs based on the parody film “Airplane!” — a movie that would later inspire the band’s name and nostalgic identity. That dream came to life in 2020 when Tom and Tyler joined the mix. The four musicians instantly clicked and officially formed the band Cptn Over in 2021.
Now, the band is set to open the four-day HomeGrown Music Festival, a celebration of Bend’s vibrant local music scene, kicking off the festivities on Thursday, April 17 at the Volcanic Theatre Pub with Amargoso.
“We’ve wanted to be a part of HomeGrown for the past few years, but our schedules just never lined up,” the band shares. “We’re psyched to be involved finally! We have a lot of friends in bands throughout town, and we’re also really looking forward to catching some music from those we’re not as familiar with. Bend has such a cool music scene that continues to grow every year, so it should be a weekend full of really cool music!”
In 2023, the band released its debut album, “Rad,” followed by this year’s, “Oh No It’s the Cops!” — a collection featuring fuzzed-out guitar riggs, heavy rhythms and bursts of psych rock energy.
The band’s songwriting process is collaborative and often starts with loose jam sessions in Jason’s garage before shaping the ideas into fully formed tracks.
“For ‘Oh No It’s the Cops!’ we found ourselves sitting on a bunch of relatively heavy songs that fit together nicely,” the band explains. “We got into a groove and rolled with it.”
Musically, the band says they strive to find a happy middle ground between Johann Sebastian Bach and Black Sabbath — pulling from a wide spectrum of influences.
“We like making a variety of sounds. Hopefully we’re able to connect with people who have a variety of musical tastes. We want people to leave a show having heard at least one song they enjoyed.”
For those who have never seen a Cptn Over live show, the band puts it this way: “Remember the scene in ‘The Lion King’ where all of those water buffalo get bottlenecked into that canyon and then Mufasa dies? It’s kind of like that, I guess.”
Beyond the laughs and the loud amps, Cptn Over is focused on having fun, connecting with listeners and continuing to grow.
“I think we’re all entertained watching each other play, so when we get on stage, it’s pretty easy to let loose and just have a fun time playing for our friends,” the band says. “We’ve got a couple of shows coming up this summer, so keep an eye out. As a band, we really want to focus on writing and recording more new music. We’re just really grateful that anyone wants to listen to us at all.”
Catch Cptn Over kicking off the HomeGrown Music Festival at the Volcanic Theatre Pub on Thursday, April 17 with Amargoso — doors 7pm, show 8pm, all ages, $15
This article appears in Source Weekly April 10, 2025.
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