It’s not often that members of a band meet while fighting over the preferred lighting at a party, but that is exactly what happened with Red Moses and Sami Knowles. Somehow out of that situation the two hit it off and a musical companionship was born. Three years would pass as the duo crafted their chemistry and in 2009 they emerged as Callow. Their music is often described as doom folk or dream doom, both of which may seem a bit perplexing at first but make sense when you listen to the two LPs they’ve released since officially forming. Interestingly, Moses and Knowles also channel a wide range of influences, from Earth and Swans to the late blues legend BB King.
The two members of Callow have spent much of the last handful of years on the road, but recently they got a chance to return to their Bay Area home base to cut their third LP Mothdust. While the album itself will be out later this year, the duo have a new single and video to share with “Go Down”, which we are excited to premiere on Glide Magazine. The eerie black and white video juxtaposes a low-key night at a neighborhood watering hole with that of a boat caught in a turbulent sea, perhaps offering a visual metaphor towards the downsides of a lush life. The video also features the band performing the song, just a drummer and guitarist, using loose harmonies, simple heavy beats and gritty electric guitar to create a stark and minimal yet hard-hitting rock sound. Listening to “Go Down”, it’s easy to understand where the “doom” label comes from, and that’s definitely not a bad thing.
Reflecting on the song and the video, Sami Knowles has this to say:
“We recorded the song live at Ancient Owl Audio in Berkeley (w/ friend Sammy Fielding). We were just home from a tour in the PNW, where we’d been working the song out at our shows.
The song is about embracing your shadow side… your demons… your sadness, and your darkness.
The video was conceptualized by Jordan Perkins-Lewis. After talking to us about the feeling and tone we were trying to convey, he came up with the idea and we loved it.”
WATCH:
Callow will release Mothdust later this year. For more music and info visit callowmusic.com.
One Response
I would love to see the video.