Callback have released their debut EP ‘Overobsessed’.
The 7-track EP presents a blend of their musical influences from garage to metalcore translated in their layered pop rock sound.
Speaking of the EP, the band said: “I think this EP was a lot about learning what Callback is, and how we want to express ourselves. We didn’t have a formula going in, so we just kind of got in the room with each other a bunch of times and tried to make the best music we could. It feels great to be as proud as we are about a project that was basically us getting to know each other musically, and we’re excited to keep it going.”
To celebrate their EP release, the band shared with us 5 tracks that influenced ‘Overobsessed’.
Hotel Apache – Dialtone
We’re far from the first people to be inspired by a lot of the sounds that came out of the 80’s, and that’s definitely a part of what inspires us about this song. The coolest thing to us though is the infectious groove that this song possesses. The drums are so energetic and frantic, but you still never lose the pulse of the song. The production is also so engaging, with sparkling synthesizers popping up in different parts of the track, as a perfect response to the catchy vocal performance.
The Night Game – The Outfield
This is a pretty important song to us for a couple of different reasons. Most notably, this was the first song we rehearsed as a band, while we were just getting to know each other musically. Martin Johnson’s production with The Night Game is very reminiscent of 80’s synthwave, rock, and pop—all sonic palettes that we draw from regularly. This song specifically has an amazing hook that I like to think is the standard for how we want all of our choruses to hit. The drum work on the track is especially inspirational as well, engaging from start to finish, with memorable fills and a killer, roomy sound.
Knox – I Don’t Wanna Know
Knox is an outstanding artist, and this song is a great example of that. ‘I Don’t Wanna Know’ is such a well written song. The guitars in the post-chorus are especially inspirational to what we love to write—high-energy pop music. The recording and production is super tight, and it definitely sets a high standard for bands in a similar genre. The song starts to blur the line between pop and hard rock, which can be an abrasive sound, but he does it so smoothly. There are a number of fundamental musical elements that we try to capture with Callback, a lot of which can be found in this song.
The 1975 – I Think There’s Something You Should Know
We’re such huge fans of this specific genre of music which I’d describe as UK Garage/Electronic with an awesome pop song on top of it. The 1975 do it better than almost anyone. This song is just probably our favorite example of it. The drums are rich, textured and busy, but never too much, and the sound design work on this song is fantastic. The band blends hi-fi elements and autotune with a retro-sounding upright piano progression perfectly. However, what pushes the record over the top is the great songwriting.
Arlie – Karma
This song makes us want to go crazy on stage. There aren’t many other songs that handle momentum as perfectly as this one does. The instrumental hits as hard as anything, but Arlie pulls things back in the verses to showcase a sticky, cute vocal melody that gets stuck in my head every time I hear it. ‘Karma’ is truly a masterclass in tension and release. Building in the pre choruses for longer and longer each time until you just can’t handle all the energy, the final chorus feels almost euphoric. This song is wall to wall fun and by far the best song on the NHL ‘22 soundtrack.
Listen to Callback’s musical influences:
Stream Callback ‘Overobsessed’ via Spotify: