Alternative-pop duo Calloway Circus might be young, but they’re no strangers to the music industry. Having started Calloway Circus in their teen years, the duo – comprised of Ben McGuiness (vocals, guitar, bass, keys) and Tyler Andrew (drums) – have practically grown up while writing and recording music and now, they’re ready for their next big step and the release of their upcoming album, Entropy. Filled with incredibly personal tracks that cover a full range of emotions and contrast one another throughout, Entropy finds the duo finally discovering their voices and running with it.
With Entropy out on February 14th, we caught up with Calloway Circus to talk about the process behind the new album, their growth over their years in the music scene and plans for the rest of 2020. Listen to their single, “Oxygen” and read the interview now below.
Can you tell us a little bit about Calloway Circus for anyone who might be hearing you for the first time?
The whole point of Calloway Circus was to start something larger than ourselves to make music that we want to hear. Our main goal is to work as hard as we can to make sure as many people as possible hear our music and our message.
You guys are getting ready to release your new album, Entropy this month! What are you most excited for listeners to hear on the album?
We’re definitely really excited for everyone to hear some our favorite songs we’ve written. In particular, I think we’re mainly just excited for people to see the singles within the context of the record and take it all in as one whole piece.
You’ve released a handful of singles from Entropy so far – most recently, “Oxygen.” You’ve mentioned that “Oxygen” is the sweetest song you’ve ever written – can you tell us a little bit about it?
Oxygen is a song about my first real romantic encounter when I was around 14/15 years old. We had very little time together but the feelings were so raw and the whole scenario felt very romanticized. So I basically had that experience in mind while working on Oxygen, the main sentiment being that no matter what has happened since we last saw each other, I’ll always look back on that experience, and nothing else has ever truly felt the same.
Were there any subjects that you wanted to touch on with Entropy or any sounds you wanted to explore with the new songs?
As far as subject matter, I wanted this record to be a triumph over trauma. There are a lot of moments on the record that are really dark and almost feel hopeless, but then there are other moments of joy and beauty. The overall goal contextually is to tell a story of hardship that leaves the listener feeling as if they went on a journey.
Sonically, I really wanted to push barriers of genre, and incorporate as much influence as I could on this album. I love how there are songs with blaring guitars, then others with barely any guitar parts at all. I think this album really came to life through synth and production techniques, because those sounds are the most intriguing to me.
Many of your long-time fans may be familiar with some of your older material which is no longer publicly available – how would you say you’ve grown as artists since those early days of Calloway Circus to now?
The early days of Calloway Circus were really just me throwing paint at a wall till something stuck. I tried a lot of different things and really was just trying to find my voice as a songwriter. Personally, I don’t think I had a real artistic voice of my own until Entropy, which is why we decided to take the old stuff down.
You’ve been involved in Calloway Circus since your teenage years. How would you say this project and your local music scene has shaped you as musicians?
I’ve been doing this for about 5 years, since I was 16. It’s kind of strange to be so young in this industry, especially in St. Louis where many of the larger local acts are established in the scene and have been for a long time. I think this project/local music in general have shaped me to be a much better person. Dealing with local venues, other local bands, and all the other frustrating things in a band at such a young age really prepared me for being on my own and being an adult. I think the frustrations that have come from this project are really what have shaped me into the person I am.
With Entropy coming soon, do you have any shows or tour dates lined up? Any big plans?
We have a few local shows lined up:
April 4th at RED FLAG
Do you have any other goals for 2020?
Our first big goal in 2020 after the release of our album ‘Entropy’ will be entering the studio with producer Courtney Ballard (Waterparks, Emarosa, Stand Atlantic) this Spring. Our goal is to make as many great songs with him as possible.
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