It’s all coming together for Australian heavy band Earth Caller. Though COVID cratered their touring plans just as the band was finding their footing a couple years ago, Earth Caller wisely worked on a plethora of new songs during the pandemic. As worldwide touring is starting to resume, Earth Caller decided to bring on producer Misstiq for a new song, “Choke”. The two are now teamed up in a permanent capacity, and with new music coming fast and furious, it’s a match made in heaven.
We spoke to both Earth Caller about the band’s upcoming new music, as well as how Misstiq manages to balance a busy schedule with touring, downtime, and growth. Enjoy!
EARTH CALLER
What was it like having Comeback Kid’s Andrew Neufeld on your Degenerate album all those years ago? What was it like working with him?
Given that CBK are one of the most prolific and legendary hardcore bands of all time it goes without saying that it was an honour to have Andrew perform on one of our early tracks. Andrew is a very close friend of mine (Josh) and working with him was great. He completely blew our minds when he delivered the first draft of his verse and at that time was so encouraging to our newly formed band. Still so grateful he did it and so excited to collaborate with him again.
What were the biggest obstacles for you as a band during the COVID lockdowns? How did you cope?
The only obstacle of the COVID period was how disheartening it felt to drop new music and not be able to tour it. Outside of that, Earth Caller treated this downtime as an opportunity to outwork and outthink our competition and make huge moves that would benefit us in the long run.
We wrote and put out 2 records during the pandemic and have emerged from this period stronger than we went into it. While most bands couldn’t get funding for their new records from their labels and/or chose not to work hard – we chose to flex our independent status and out-work 90% of the bands in our radius.
Now that we’re on the other side of this pandemic we have quickly secured several domestic and international tours/opportunities just in time for the release of the next record which we also wrote during lockdown. Hard work and perseverance through adversity pays off.
Drop 5 bands or musicians that you think deserve a lot more attention.
DVSR, Banks Arcade, The Gloom In The Corner, Windwaker, To The Grave
What does Misstiq bring to Earth Caller in terms of influences and talent?
The value that Misstiq has brought to Earth Caller is almost immeasurable. She has lifted our sound through her notable musical talents and lifted our spirits through her work ethic and vibes. Getting to know her personally I’ve found her to be extremely inspiring and there’s nothing that makes me prouder than to work side by side with her. Her contributions to our upcoming release are epic and we can’t wait to share these tracks with you.
How is the new album coming along? Can fans expect any curveballs that might deviate from the sound they might expect?
The new album is coming along swimmingly. Without giving away too much I think this record is one giant curveball. Expect the unexpected.
MISSTIQ
How do you manage balancing work with now being a musician that tours?
As someone who used to juggle three jobs and do Misstiq content as a hobby, planning and scheduling are things I’ve grown to become really familiar with. Before touring, I need to ensure I have my client work completed as much as possible as well as my own content edited at least 3 days prior to leaving on tour.
This allows me to feel energized even more when playing shows and lets me really soak in the excitement that the tour brings. Also, when I am away with my band, I am always noting down content ideas for both Misstiq and Earth Caller.
How often do you get approached by prospective bands and musicians wanting you to feature on their music? What goes into accepting those invitations?
Every week, I am working with about 4 bands/artists on projects. These projects include features, instrumentals or me putting together some rad promo videos for their new releases. I’m always open to working with everyone and anyone – it keeps everyday interesting and really helps build my work ethic as well as my musical versatility. The best way for artists to approach me is by email (hello@misstiq.com) and we take it from there!
In what ways have you been able to make a living doing what you love? How difficult was it?
At the beginning, it started off with me just doing covers and fun types of music videos online. After some time when I developed a genuine fanbase and my content started to gain some traction, I received messages from people saying “hey, can you write that kind of piano to my song?” I immediately got a taste of what my life could be if, not only I worked hard, but smart. In a way it was tricky to get a lot of client work at first but I knew I had to be patient and put out good content in a timely manner to flex what I can do, and in turn, I’d reel people into wanting to work with me.
Once I knew what my fans vibed with, what was missing from the internet and what I enjoyed, I strategically developed content to build my brand and watch the client work flow in.
