In our next band spotlight from Reverbnation, we chat to Chris Callen from Through These Walls about the band’s music, and inspirations.
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What inspires your music?
We draw inspiration from multiple forms of art and observation. We are music addicts who listen to and are inspired by a very broad range of musical genres. We’re inspired by photography and adventure, and the events in each of our lives, and how one event’s cause and reaction divert us to where we need to be in life. Our new album, Time Is a Storm, is a full length concept album, about a deep story that is inspired by love & hope during trying times. We want to let the listener craft their own meanings to the songs, and draw emotion from it in their own ways. As far as musical inspirations go; we’re heavily influenced by bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Killswitch Engage, Dream Theater, Brand New, Prince, and a hell of a lot more to name.
What motivates you outside of music, think people and places?
Outside of music, I spend a lot of time in public places, observing the world and peoples’ interactions and emotions. I have headphones and sunglasses on almost everywhere I am, I close out some of my senses to create a movie scene in front of me, a soundtrack dictating the fictional story I think up about the people I see at the table next to me, or walking by me. It’s a way of crafting a storyline in real-time, out in the world, that I can use to spark thoughts for songs, or in our most recent case, to spark a whole full length concept album.
What has been a defining moment in your career?
We saw a lot of things start to break for us when we got to piggy back on some shows with Avenged Sevenfold. It was a perfect match of sound and fan base. But personally, I will always remember the feeling when after a show a twenty something year old guy came up to me, and asked for me to sign his shirt. He went on to tell me how he recently had returned from the Middle East, where he was in combat most of his time there. He continued on to tell me that each morning he would start his day with his ear buds in and listen to our first album on repeat. He said that it gave him hope, it gave him confidence, and it made feel energized to face the day ahead. I hugged him and thanked him, and asked for him for his autograph. It was a reminder of the things in this life that are bigger than any one of us. Ever since then I’ve taken that to heart and when I write music I always want it to give off an aura of hope, with a fire roaring off of it.
What message do you have for your fans reading?
We make music because at the end of the day, we want to help people. We want to help the kid who is going through his/her first break up. We want to help the person who just lost a loved one, and is grieving for hope. We want to help those that are feeling lost, searching for a creative outlet. We want to help those that need motivation to overcome whatever holds them down. Without music, I would have never progressed in my life as a human being, and because of what it did for me, I spend every day trying to create art that I hope will inspire someone else with whatever it is that they need. It’s a beautiful art form, and it’s a way of life. I’ll be doing this until the day that I die, and if only a handful of people feel something so unique from my music that it changes the course of their lives for the better; than hell, I’d call that a successful career. Life is beautiful, all we want to do is help it sound beautiful too.
