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Brisbane based alt/rock five-piece Calais – comprised of Tim Lollback (Vocals, Rhythm -Guitar), Joseph Fleming (Lead Guitar), Guy Stacey (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Synth), Liam Roberts (Bass Guitar), and Will Mogg (Drums) are emerging with a melodically driven sound built upon pounding drums and deep-driven bass.
The guys recently released their single “Time & Space” and with a debut EP on the way GroundSounds had to find out more, so we caught up with Calais for an exclusive interview. Check it out below.
Calais’ debut EP “Silhouette” is set to drop in April.
For those just discovering Calais could you tell us about the formation of the band, how you guys came together and started making music?
Most of us met through the music program at our high school and started playing in bands together through a number of school groups and in music class. Will and I have been playing in school bands together since we were 12 and 13 respectively, so I suppose we were always destined to be in a band. Calais came about later on in high school when Tim came to our school for his final year. We came across a battle of the bands that we were really keen to play at, so Will and I quickly recruited the other guys in the band, signed up to play and then realised we didn’t have any songs… so we had a busy couple of weeks writing music.
How did you guys decide on the moniker Calais?
We desperately needed a name to put on the application for the battle of the bands. I was sitting in history class where we were discussing World War II and the French town ‘Calais’ came up which instantly struck a chord with me. We liked the idea of having one word and thought that it rolled off the tongue fairly well so we kept it. What we didn’t think about at the time was how the french spelling of the word would sometimes make it difficult for people to say/spell haha, so we’re often called “Kalayis”, or “Kalis”.
We are definitely diggin’ your latest single “Time and Space,” could you tell us about the creative and writing process involved with this track?
Thanks! We wrote the song in August last year just before we recorded the EP, and it came together really quickly. The song initially came about when I started humming the general rhythm and progression of the bass line in the shower (always the way), so I rushed out and recorded it while I was drenched with nothing but a towel on before I forgot it. I added some rough guitar lines and drum beats and sent it off to the other guys in the band. The rest of the song came about quite swiftly and just made the cut to be on the EP. During our time at the studio the song really evolved with the help of Joel Adams, who was recording the EP. He really pushed the 80s guitar tones and licks which helped add some energy to the track. It really became the dark horse of the whole EP, from just making the final cut to becoming our lead single.
Can you tell us about filming the video for “Time and Space”? What was it like on set?
We were lucky enough to film with Robbie Porter who brought a lot of experience and some really cool techniques to the table. It was a really cool vibe on set, with heaps of smoke and cool lighting effects. There was a bit of a delay at the start of the day as our bassist, Liam rocked up and eventually realised he forgot his bass – the only thing he needed to bring haha. There were a few funny things we experienced, like singing the song at 3x the speed to achieve a super slow-mo effect and being blasted by feathers but it all turned out looking really cool on camera. Definitely have to thank Robbie Porter, Jake Koning and the rest of the guys for the work they put in!
What do you guys enjoy most about Brisbane? What is one thing every visitor should see or do?
There’s an awesome music scene in Brisbane with some bands and musicians that are absolutely killing it, so we really enjoy going out to see them play. There are a lot of really cool venues around so it’s been cool to be able to play in some sick places in our own city. If a tourist is coming to Brisbane I’d probably direct them to the Gold Coast which is an hours drive south so they can see and enjoy Surfers Paradise because that place is pretty sick if you enjoy beaches. Or all the theme parks which are close by. In Brisbane we have a place called South Bank which is pretty cool, other than that I’m not really sure haha, I suppose it’s hard talking about the tourist stuff in your own city.
Could you tell us about your upcoming debut EP “Silhouette,” what has it been like bringing this project to fruition?
This EP has been in the works for quite a long time. We released a couple of CDs when we were younger and grew out of that early sound pretty quickly so we wanted to start going in a direction that we really liked and this EP is one of the first steps in that direction. We decided we wanted to record an EP around this time last year and started writing songs for it straight away. There ended up being quite a large pool of songs to choose from and we actually struggled to decide which four songs would make the cut. We recorded it in late August last year so it’s also been quite a wait between recording and releasing so we’re just keen to get it out there.
What inspired the EP title “Silhouette?”
It’s kind of a reference to the development of the band. A silhouette shows the shape of something but doesn’t show the detail and colouring of the object and that’s how we like to look at this EP. It’s something that shows generally what we are as a band but we also know we’re going to grow so we want to leave the door open for progression and leave the exact detail of what we are for later on.
What is it about alt-rock, tight drums and deep-driven bass that attracts you guys to this sound?
We’ve grown to think that groove and rhythm is the most important element to the music we want to play. When we were younger we were all about guitar solos and really complicated parts because we thought audiences would dig them, but in reality there’s nothing like a really groovy drum beat locked into a matching bass line. Obviously melodies need to finish the song off but as a foundation we like to start with beats that we like. When we’re playing live we can especially see the effect that a strong rhythm has on a crowd so we’re always looking to put these elements into the songs we write.
After the EP drops what is next for Calais? What can fans look forward to?
There has been quite a long time since recording the last EP, so we’ve had plenty of time to write a new batch of songs and they’re starting to show some promise. We’re definitely looking to release things a bit more consistently than in the past, so we’ll hopefully have a new single or another EP ready to release sooner rather than later!
