Western Maryland’s Calisus

 

Calisus is a five man band currently consisting of Zach Constable on lead vocals, Matthew Alsop on drums, David Shrader on bass, and brothers, Patrick and George Koch both on guitars and backing vocals. Hailing from western Maryland, the band was formed in 2009 and has since garnered much local success. They cite some of their biggest influences as Stone Temple Pilots, Shinedown, Foo Fighters and Bad Company.

 

In the summer of 2009 they independently booked a full tour that spanned the east coast shores to the southern states. By 2011 there was a plan to release a $20,000 self funded EP, but when it was fully completed they decided that they were not satisfied with anything on it and it was scrapped. After all the material on the EP was discarded, the band decided to do some musical soul searching down in Memphis, Tennessee. They hired Casey Sabol as producer, and Justin Gosnell (of the band Vestascension) as engineer. Mastered by award-winning producer, Brandon Paddock, the completed result is titled Skeleton Key. More than 6,000 copies were distributed independently without any label support. Subsequently after the EPs release, a music video for the title track was shot in Saylorsburg, PA at the legendary Hotel of Horror.

 

Shortly after the release of Skeleton Key, Matthew Alsop joined the band as drummer, completing their current lineup. By 2015 they were ready to begin writing and recording of their next EP, entitled Human. The drum tracks were recorded at the Acid Lab in Frederick, MD and the remains of the recording were completed at Hybrid Soundscape Studios in Hagerstown, MD. Produced by their very own Co-founder/Guitarist, Patrick Koch, Human was officially released regionally in August 2016 and worldwide in 2017.

 

Their repertoire of bands they’ve played shows with includes Hoobastank and Saving Abel. The latter show being the first time I’ve personally seem them, and because of the performance I would go out of my way to catch one of their shows.

In reality, Calisus are just a few real and unpretentious guys with a passion and drive for the music that they love which will inevitably transform them from local success to national fame.