Interview With 'Call Me King'

Firstly, introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about the band and how you came to be?

Call Me King is made up of five members. Joel Gauthier is our lead vocalist. In late 2015 he began the process of forming CMK by posting a Craigslist ad that Ruben Tirado, rhythm guitarist, responded to. From there, Zack Akin slowly and somewhat reluctantly agreed to be our second guitarist. Over time we found Brian Lindsey on drums and Nick Wallace on bass. We make Post-Hardcore music, with a focus on melody and lyrical content to balance our fast-paced, heavy instrumentals.

What were you all up too prior to the band, was this always the chosen path or did you have other dreams and aspirations?

Joel: Previous to this band I was in a string of other projects that up to this point were never as serious as I would've liked. This has been what I've wanted to do for almost as long as I can remember, and has been the main pursuit of my life for going on seven years.

Ruben: I was playing in another band and working. This has always been my dream twenty years running and I'm so excited we get to live it out.

Zack: Before joining this band I had dropped out of college and was pursuing music as an electronic musician out of my house. I saw an opportunity here and thought Ruben and Joel seemed to know what they were doing. I always have and will always want to make music.

Brian: I was doing pretty much the same thing as I am now, honestly. Playing music in general has been my aspiration my entire life.

Nick: Before CMK I was an audio engineer with a solo project. I've always wanted to be a musician, or at least work in the industry.

Tell us about your latest Album and why our readers should check it out.

Joel, Ruben, Brian: Our new album, 'The Writer and the Written', released last weekend. It is a project we've worked on for almost a year and a half from the beginning of the writing stage to releasing the album. This album dwarfs everything we've done previously. We aimed to balance catchy, relatable songs against the unique, diverse music we wanted to explore.

We couldn't be happier with the result. This album has something for everyone on it. It gets you pumped and makes you sad. It progresses and evolves the sound from our first album, while bringing in entirely new elements and dynamics. This album is heavier than anything we've ever done, it's also softer than anything we've ever released. It shows off our influences while having a sound that none of us has ever heard before. It is the best thing we have ever created, and we can't wait to show anyone who will listen.

Nick: Because it's dope.

Zack: And I'm broke.

Nick: And we need money.

Have you ever come face to face with someone within the music scene who has left you awestruck and why?

Joel: For me, the first time I met Dustin Kensrue of Thrice was a groundbreaking experience. After the show he went out to the alley behind the venue and played an acoustic set while passing around a hat for Invisible Children. We ended up talking for almost two hours about everything from music to religion and politics. It was a fundamental experience in my life to meet someone that has so seriously shaped my life.

Ruben: I saw Sharptooth for the first time at this last Warped Tour. Lauren Kashan, their vocalist, blew my mind. She's vicious on stage in the most amazing way, but more than that, the conversations she had between songs and the way she was using her platform to reach thousands of kids and speak out about victimhood and self-worth was just incredible. I want to be like her when I grow up. Also, I'm a thousand years old.

Zack: I once met Chris Broderick of Megadeth after a show and barely got out the words: "You had a great set. Thank you so much." I tried to say more, but that was all that came out.

Brian: Joe Taylor from Knuckle Puck. I met him when I was at work and couldn't go to their show. I was taking out the trash and their tour van was there. He popped out and we talked for a few minutes. Knuckle Puck is my favorite band and they inspire me so much to keep going, so getting to meet him was really amazing.

Nick: Meeting Garrett from Silent Planet. He is one of the most genuinely kind, selfless, caring people I have ever met.

If we were to head out to one of your live shows what can ourselves and others expect?

Joel: We put everything we have on that stage. All of our passion and pain and skill and energy gets left on that stage. You should expect us to be lively and interactive and loud and crazy when we're on stage and exhausted when we leave the stage.

Ruben: Our live set is way heavier than our recordings, not that they're bad, but we're just so much rawer and punchier live.

Zack: A very lively performance with a bunch of Punk shenanigans.

Brian: High energy, a lot of dumb jokes, Ruben talking too much. Joel sweating a lot, and dumb faces from me.

Nick: Very energetic, stage presence, emotional connective music, and people who truly appreciate their fans.

If you had one artist/band that you could go on tour with tomorrow who would it be and why?

Joel: Currently? I'd choose Thrice. They're a foundational band for me personally, and huge within the Post-Hardcore genre as well. They put on amazing shows live and I think there would be a lot of overlap with people who like their music and ours. Unless My Chemical Romance gets together. Then My Chemical Romance.

Ruben: I The Mighty. They're a really good fit for us and I pull a lot of influence from them when writing. They're also amazing guys from having met them. They make phenomenal music, they're all incredibly talented musicians and I aspire to be like them. Unless My Chemical Romance gets together. Then My Chemical Romance.

Zack: Every Time I Die. Their live shows are incredible and I want to be a part of that. They're one of the few bands that still has that Punk ethos, that energy and grit that makes people lose their minds. Unless My Chemical Romance gets together. Then My Chemical Romance.

Brian: Dance Gavin Dance. Because they fit closely to our music, but they're also one of my other favorite bands. They're extremely dynamic, they have a great energized live set, and they're namesakes in the Post-Hardcore scene. Unless My Chemical Romance gets together. Then My Chemical Romance.

Nick: Underoath. I think they're amazing musicians and they really brought this subgenre to the mainstream. Plus, we'd fit really well with them. My Chem's early stuff was better.

You can spend an hour with a musical icon living or dead, who would you pick, why and what would you speak about?

Joel: Gerard Way, easily. I would love to sit down with a coffee and just talking to him about his perspective on music and writing. Ask him how he felt about becoming a music icon and how they kept their music fresh from one album to another. And of course if he has any recommendations for my music.

Ruben: Either Tom Delonge, we'd talk about aliens because I want to believe, or Prince. Prince is the artist that got me wanting to play music. He really started everything for me as a kid. He's a multi-instrumentalist and he could play whatever he wanted. I would not talk to him about music at all. I would talk about literally anything else.

Zack: Jimi Hendrix. From all of his interviews he seems like a relaxed and chill person. I think we'd talk about the state of society and probably just play guitar and chat.

Brian: Ringo Starr. No question. He's one of the most iconic drummers in history and was part of arguably the most iconic band in history. I'd definitely chat with him about their whole career and them playing sold out shows at stadiums and all that. I would also talk with him about the transition from their poppy sound to the more experimental things they did. And also what touring in the 60's was like.

Nick: Either Adam Young from Owl City or Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails, both for the same reason. I think they're both incredibly talented and innovative musicians and I'd love to pick their brains and hear about their processes and how they think musically.

And finally and most importantly is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?

Joel: Yes.

Ruben: I agree with Bruce Willis, whatever he thinks.

Zack: Yes, it meets all the requirements.

Nick: Hell yeah!

Website - wearecmk.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WeAreCMK/