Doomed Confessionary: Dom Murphy (Callas)
Callas is an experimental post-rock/metal band hailing from Cork, Ireland. Comprised of seasoned musicians Dom Murphy (vocals, guitars), Cormac Shanely (bass), Ruairi Lynch (production, guitar) and Evan Prendergast (drums), the band is driven by a collective desire to push the boundaries of heavy and experimental music.
Callas crafts an ambient soundscape that’s both heavy and otherworldly on their new EP, »Days«. This release embodies a dreamlike quality, featuring textures that fuse a diverse array of influences. It’s a masterful juxtaposition of light and dark, exploring profound themes such as loss, death, despair, rebirth, and the transcendental forces of nature through its lyrical content. Throughout the track list there’s a cathartic journey filled with moments of melancholy, hope, and a profound sense of time designed to take listeners on a transcendental experience. Callas consistently aims to capture those chilling, spine-tingling moments, creating sounds that seem as if they emanate from another planet, making »Days« not only catchy but deeply immersive throughout.
Can you say a few words about your band?
We are a new alternative and experimental metal band hailing from Cork city in Ireland. The band is comprised of former members of post-rock group Ealadha with myself (Dom Murphy) on vocals and guitars, Cormac Shanley on bass and producer Ruairi Lynch from Bantum. We enjoy crafting songs that have an otherworldly and ethereal vibe.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Finding a drummer…luckily we found our very own ‘Josh Freese’ with Evan Prendergast from Worn Out who stepped up to the kit as a session drummer for our EP.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Our Debut EP »Days« which we just released. We are really happy with how it turned out and the reactions so far have been extremely positive.
What was your biggest regret?
Not ensuring there was adequate ventilation during recording.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
We are a brand new band so too few to pick from right now.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
How particular and possessive drummers can be about their thrones…I mean you can barely make eye contact with that thing.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Yob – »Our Raw Heart«
Anathema – »Pentecost III«
Tool – »Laterlus«
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Keep creating and putting stuff out there. Seems obvious but oftentimes it can be tough to pick up a guitar after a period of inactivity and that fear of facing a blank can be really overwhelming. It’s just so easy to fall into the trap of consuming stuff all the time instead of being creative. But the payoff is just so much sweeter when you create something out of nothing, experience the camaraderie of the collaborative process and hit that moment of beauty when the song starts to take shape and form its own identity.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Wagon Wheel Biscuits & the Rocky 4 soundtrack. Not required together.
Can you say something more about the music scene in Cork / Ireland?
Despite the distinct lack of venues in Cork city, a really strong and vibrant community of creatives and musicians exists that are cutting through the noise and bureaucracy. There are far too many artists for me to name here and I really don’t wish to exclude any, but some standout gigs from local talent that I have been to over the last two weeks included crushing sets from the likes of Ten Past Seven, Partholón & Uncultivates.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We will be focusing our time on writing more songs, so there is zero to slim chance you will find us on stage this year.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We are aiming to release our next single »Porous« with a music video towards the latter half of the year. Following that, the long dark nights of an Irish winter will provide the perfect setting for us to delve deep into the followup to our EP.
How can people best support your band?
Head on over to our Bandcamp or help share our music via social!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Thank you for listening to us and for the kind words and support we received about our EP »Days«.
Our debut EP – »Days« is streaming now on all platforms. Play it loud!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well