Earlier this month, a 4-song demo by a band called Spam Caller appeared on Bandcamp. The name and artwork intrigued me. I listened instantly and was hooked.
Coincidentally, a few hours later, the Northern California band's guitarist/vocalist, Patrick, hit the No Echo email looking to connect with the site. Hardcore kismet!
"Jesse (drums), Dirte (bass), and I have all known each other since we were kids," Patrick told me once we got to talking about all-things Spam Caller. "We've played in bands together before, and our bands played a ton of local shows growing up. But it had a been a while since any of us got to play in a hardcore band, so it just felt right. Dirte moved to Baltimore, so we have had sort of a long distance relationship thing going. But we are all in our 30s now, we just want to write some fun hardcore songs, the kinda stuff we want to hear."
And it turns out what Patrick and his Spam Caller partners wanted to hear was ripping hardcore in the same vile spirit as Look Back and Laugh, Haymaker, and DS-13.
"It's hard for me to pin point a particular sound or influence," Patrick admitted. "I admire what musicians like James Trejo (Cadaver Dog, City Hunter), Mark McCoy (Charles Bronson, Youth Attack!), and Jensen Ward (Iron Lung, Iron Lung Records) are putting out.
"The songs on the Spam Caller demo are fast and chaotic, but they also do a bit of exploring. Without revealing too much more, our next EP, which is already recorded, does even more exploring. But first and foremost, Spam Caller is a hardcore band, through and through."
Check this shit out, folks:
So, what's the story behind their odd moniker? "We liked the name Spam Caller because it is kind of like a mundane evil that we all just kind of accept and deal with. And the name fits in perfectly with the lyrics and overall loose concept of the band. Although to be honest with you, I try not to give my lyrics or songwriting too much forethought, for better or worse.
"Mark McCoy described the themes of the lyrics best: 'Technology and information turning reality into a living nightmare.'"
Ah, McCoy! He's also behind the intriguing art and layout for the Spam Caller demo cassette. "Mark is like a wizard. He got to the core of what the band is all about through the lyrics, a demo track and a couple of concepts/themes I had. He designed our logo as well, and I just feel like he completely brought our aesthetic to life. It's glorious."
As our chat reached its end, Patrick let me know that we should all be expecting some—[coughs]—calls in the coming months. Yep, Spam Caller already have recorded an EP that is currently being mixed and mastered at Dead Air Studios by Will Killingsworth (Orchid, Laceration, Ampere).
To be safe, just make sure you have your caller ID on. OK, I will let myself out now!
Spam Caller on social media: Instagram | Bandcamp
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Tagged: spam caller
