All Punked Up caught up with Ben McGuiness and Tyler Andrew of Calloway Circus, an alternative-pop duo from St. Louis, Missouri to talk about their debut album Entropy dropping February 14th.
The band has already released four singles: “Gray,” “Unpredictable,” “Oxygen,” and “Kind to Myself.” Calloway Circus’s latest single “Mess” will premiere this Thursday on Billboard.
Q: So, your debut album Entropy is releasing February 14th! What are some things you’ve learned as musicians when you were writing and recording this album? Did you encounter any challenges/surprises?
The recording/writing process for Entropy was nuts. I recorded songs in Lancaster, PA, Columbus, OH, Blue Springs, MO, and Detroit, MI, and some songs ended up being mixed in Australia. There ended up being 6 producers/writers on the record, in comparison to just me on all of our previous releases. I think discovering the act of collaboration and co-writing is what really shaped and elevated this album to the next level. I think making the record come together from all these different sources was probably the most challenging.
Q: Which song are you most proud of lyrically? Which song are you most proud of musicality-wise?
Lyrically, “Kind to Myself” is the strongest in my opinion. I think it’s a really unique message that not enough people hear in their lives. Musicality-wise I think Look What You’ve Done excites me the most since there’s a lot of instrumentation and probably the most guitar work that’s ever been done for a Calloway Circus song.
Q: If you could describe this album in one emotion or word, what would it be and why?
I would use the word chaos since that is the overall theme of the record.
Q: You’ve released four singles from Entropy, three of which had music videos. Plus, the video “Mess” is dropping this week. Can we expect some more music videos from you guys? Which video was your favorite to create?
We absolutely love having music videos along with our songs. It’s a way to add an extra layer of depth that music just really can’t do. I think my favorite video to shoot was “Kind to Myself” because it was just such good energy and atmosphere and we all just had a blast shooting it.
Q: Do you have any upcoming shows or tours planned?
We’re working hard behind the scenes trying to get a summer tour going and play regional shows in the mid-west for the rest of the year. However, we will be celebrating the release of Entropy with a hometown show on April 4th.
Q: What artists do you look up to for inspiration?
My all-time favorite band is The Killers and I will always love listening to them. I think they’re one of the only bands that successfully changed with the times while simultaneously staying true to themselves.
Currently, we’ve both been listening to a lot of The Plot in You, YUNGBLUD, Varials, and Bring Me the Horizon.
Q: What song(s) do you have on repeat right now?
Currently, I can’t get enough of “RIGGED” by The Plot in You, “Ludens” by Bring Me the Horizon, and “TANTRUM” by Waterparks.
Q: What goals do you have for the year? Where do you hope to see yourselves in 10 years? (Happy new decade!).
We plan on hitting the studio with producer Courtney Ballard (Waterparks, Emarosa, Stand Atlantic) this Spring to start work on a new album. Our goal is to keep creating great songs and play them as much as possible!
Hopefully, in 10 years I’m still enjoying myself and connecting with people through music.
Q: Do you have any advice for other young musicians who are trying to make big strides in the music scene?
I’d say there are no off days. If you want this, like really want it, you will have to work every day. I think a lot of people don’t know that about this industry and get really jaded when it doesn’t work out, but I believe it really comes down to what you put into it.
Q: Is there anything else you want to say to your fans and APU readers?
We’d just love to thank everyone who got us to where we’re at and hope we can find some new people to continue on this journey with. łł
Click here to pre-save their debut album Entropy!
Be sure to check out Calloway Circus on Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify!
Featured photo courtesy of Ryan T. Phillips.
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