Hailing from Oakland, California, the members of Calling the Skies grew up in the vibrant and diverse Bay Area music scene.
Taking influence from a myriad of genres, Calling the Skies have crafted their own unique sound mixing the aggression of metal, the speed of punk, and hooks that echo pop hits and classic rock. With the release of their debut EP 'Delirium,' the band is eager to embrace their bright and shining future as musical creators.
Taking in the boisterous sounds of ‘Delirium,’ tracks like the introductory, “Days Long Gone,” have us hearing weighty synths that play into the speakers as the intensity is amplified with chugging guitar riffs, and a deep sense of urgency. Following suit with the EP’s fourth record “Mortal,” the musical elements that form these tracks have us transported to a mind-altering state that has us peaking our head into a newfound dimension of polished grunge. There’s a brilliance that lies within the formation of musical components, as the amalgamation has us thriving on what Calling the Skies has to offer. From yearning timbres that perform words of passion, the manner in which we’re easily transported from chaotic bliss to laidback anticipation is truly remarkable.
“Get Through This,” comes in second on the tracklist, and we’re immediately grooving along to the resonated bassline that resides in this composition. Complemented by the rhythmic essence of the colossal drum patterns, we find that this particular song falls into a deeper state of pop-punk vibrancy with the heavy-hitting elements encompassing a polished finish that has us eager to explore the progressions before us.
Although the somber spirit of “Endless Nights,” carries a protruding melancholy, we hear this track follow in the footsteps of “Get Through This.” Dousing us in dynamic instrumentation that makes you want to two-step where you’re standing, the lyrical content performed through the speakers allows us to latch onto the depth that the storytelling holds within itself.
As the fervently professed croons emphasize the emotion that’s dispersed throughout this record, “Endless Nights,” has us in the thick of what Calling the Skies stands for all while “In Your Eyes,” has us falling right into the middle of what Calling the Skies conveys as a band. Defying genres, and bringing you the quintessence of eclectic rage, we’re delivered directly into the up-tempo liveliness that has you aligning perseverance and determination.
Finishing ‘Delirium,’ off with a thought-provoking rock ballad that invites us into a slower tempo exposed by Calling the Skies, we admire how the outro stands out from the collection of songs in a way that ultimately ties them all together in the end. Welcoming us into the authenticity that remains in the reverberated chambers of final words, this impression of Calling the Skies has us feasting on ingeniousness that is placed into the smoldering vocals riddled with a deep message.
Listen to Calling the Skies EP, ‘Delirium,’ on all major streaming platforms today.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Calling the Skies. A huge congratulations on the release of ‘Delirium.’ We love how you managed to showcase all flavors of your artistry in the sounds you convey on this project. Do you happen to take a different approach to songwriting when it comes down to genre, or does the process generally remain the same?
The songwriting process does vary from song to song, but not necessarily by genre. Sometimes one of us will have a part of a song, such as a riff or a chorus, and then write around that. Some of the best songs come together when we take the best parts individually and bring them together to make one good song.
For those about to tune into the body of work, what are the main themes that you cover in this EP’s overall concepts? What inspired the title ‘Delirium?'
A major concept and theme throughout ‘Delirium’ is personal growth. A lot of the songs are about looking at the parts of yourself or actions that you’re ashamed of and identifying how you can become a more empathetic person going forward. As for the title, the process of growth is a tiring one, hence ‘Delirium’ as the name. Furthermore, the song that the word comes from “Endless Nights” is inspired by the work of Neil Gaiman, writer of “The Sandman” graphic novel. One of the characters in that work is named Delirium with rainbow hair and the colors of the crow on the album artwork reflect that.
Is there a particular song that resonates with each member more than the others? Why?
Eric (vocals/guitar): For me, it’s Endless Nights. As I said before it’s inspired by my favorite graphic novel “The Sandman” and it has the most themes that I personally relate to. I think the chorus is fun for a crowd to sing along to with the gang vocals.
Anthony (drums): Favorite song is probably Deeper Waters. I think that it's the drum part that I'm the proudest of. I love how it builds on itself, and calls back to itself in the last double chorus. I also like it because I feel like more than the other songs, it gives us a chance to display our musicianship. It also grooves.
Chris (guitar): It's Mortal for me. The hard, driving feel brings me back to the thrash metal I grew up on, and the whole song is so much fun to play. The breakdown is one of our most brutal, hitting the very lowest note I can play on my 9-string. It's devastating.
Aaron (bass): It’s Get Through This for me. Maybe it’s gauche to pick the one with the bass intro, but of the songs on the EP, it’s the truest to how we sound live, and I find it playing in my head almost as much as Deeper Waters.
How long did it take for the creation and release process to happen? How does it feel now that this project is out?
The overall process was rather arduous. Production began way back in January 2019. We recorded at a couple of different places with different producers, then because of scheduling conflicts recording wasn’t completed until March 2020, just before the lockdown due to covid-19. We ended up hiring another producer to finish it but then faced more delays. There were many times where we as a band just wanted to give up on the EP and not even release it, but once we finally got it back, released it, and heard the positive feedback, we were feeling pretty proud.
Are there any major takeaways from releasing your debut EP? Anything that you would change or like to try for the next time?
Centralize our production, and be a lot more deliberate in describing what we’d like the end result to sound like. We’re already about to start production on our follow-up EP to be released this October, and we’re already in talks about the specifics of what we’re looking to get put to record. We’re still trying to nail down a specific sound, so you’ll be hearing plenty of genre-bending material from us going forward.
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