Behind the music: Mountain Caller

Heavy progressive instrumentalists Mountain Caller are gearing up for the release of their debut album, Chronicle I: The Truthseeker, on November 6. We ask the London-based trio the BIG questions...

Tell us three things about yourselves?
Claire Simson (guitar): Originally, I wanted to study forensic science because of Dana Scully. I was in early Noughties nu-metal upstarts SugarComa. I think sunflowers look menacing.

Max Maxwell (drums): I first started playing music in Chicago blues bands. I was born on the 29th of February. I once ate a fish's eye in China, and it was not worth it, let me tell you.

El Reeve (bass): I'm a UX designer by day. I love weightlifting and Dungeons & Dragons - the ultimate in creative group storytelling and imagination!

How would you describe your music?
Claire: A math rock bassist, a jazz drummer and a grunge guitarist walk into a bar and have a lovely time.

Max: Dynamic, collaborative, and full of heart. We're three people who create music because we love it and we need to, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

El: My favourite thing I've ever made. I hope you'll find it to be very visual music - it tells a story we've written about a nameless protagonist. The structure, dynamics, melodies and feel of the music follow what she's experiencing. I hope you can picture scenes in your mind as you listen.

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Who are your musical inspirations?
Claire: Growing up it was the Seattle scene in the 90s - Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Nirvana - as it was so new, raw and all the bands actually sounded very different from one another. But also, more recently, bands like Elder and Motorpsycho.

Max: Personally, John Coltrane is the first that comes to mind. His complete, utter, quite literally religious devotion to his craft and his relentless following of his own musical path make me want to be a better person, let alone a better musician.

Devin Townsend, who does not edit what his muse communicates to him at any one moment, and that's how I think every artist should be - for better or worse.

And finally, because I ought to give at least one drummer, Ben Koller from Converge. I love drummers who are musical, dynamic, characterful and creative. I also love drummers who just want to hit every drum at the same time as hard as they can and as fast as they can. Ben Koller is both of those things. Animal from The Muppets if he went to Julliard.

El: The ones that come straight to mind today are Queen and Oceansize. Queen were probably the first band I ever heard when I was tiny. My parents had The Works, Greatest Hits and some others, and I was in love with them right away. I remember seeing them on TV playing Wembley and that's the first time I thought, 'I have to play guitar'. As I've got older, the influence they've had on me is to not be especially interested in traditional song structures. They are bombastic; they tell stories, they do really weird things, and yet their music is so listenable, exciting and fun. I think they've long since given me the confidence to write whatever I want, as long as I think it's good.

I know that Oceansize will have plenty of their own influences like Mogwai, but I just loved the album Effloresce so much. The interplay of their instruments is rad; the percussion is a delight to listen to - I could just listen to the drums for the whole album - and the drama in their dynamics and when they drop into heavy sections... Oh man, it's stunning. There are just too many musical inspirations to name, really - plenty that Mountain Caller don't sound anything like, some where you can probably spot influences I'm not even aware of. I've always loved Megadeth, especially the 80 sand 90s records, as well as Sabbath, obviously, Sleep, Earthless and many more.

How did you occupy yourselves during the coronavirus lockdown?
Claire: Writing songs for album number two, hanging out with my cat and my wife, and watching loads of different documentaries, some serious and some not so serious. Currently, I'm watching Ancient Aliens. It's soooooo stupid but so entertaining. I want to believe.

Max: I taught myself to produce and mix, and I've been making Mountain Caller demos! Lockdown's given us so much time to exchange musical ideas back and forth, and the riff bank overfloweth for the next record. Other than that, I've just started a BSc in Psychology with the Open University, so I've been learning how to read books again in preparation.

El: I tried to do a lot of exercise at home. I bought a pull-up bar, and now I can do chin-ups and pull-ups without a band assisting me, which feels like a nice little achievement! I played a lot of videogames too, like The Last of Us 2, Red Dead 2 etc. I've also been reading as much as I can. Now we're not so locked down, I've started doing CrossFit for the first time. I've also been writing for the second album and playing my bass and my guitar a lot.

What's your favourite song right now?
Claire: I've been listening to the new Eyes album, Underperformer, a lot. The title track will peel your skin off and then throw salt at you.

Max: Right now, Next to You by Dirty Loops. Best chorus of the decade? Or ever? Maybe. Listening to Dirty Loops is like eating several bags of M&Ms. I've had to put it on now I've mentioned it. I was listening to Emperor before.

El: Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart by Against Me!. The sound engineer at The Black Heart put me on to Dinosaur Pile-up, so I've been rinsing Thrash Metal Cassette quite a bit - that whole album, really. I'm also enjoying the new OHHMS record, Close, and Svalbard's When I Die, Will I Get Better?.

Favourite lyric of all time?
Claire: The opening to Clutch's X-Ray Visions springs to mind: 'First thing that I did was buy a pack of smokes, check into a motel and consult my horoscope. Sitting on the bed, with the briefcase in my hands, patiently awaiting any word from high command'. What a way to set up a story! Neil Fallon is my favourite lyricist.

Max: 'Now I got shrinks that will not rest with their endless Rorschach tests. I keep telling them they're out to get me. They ask me if I feel remorse and I answer, 'Why of course - there is so much more I could have done if they'd let me'. Been listening to a lot of Nick Cave of late.

El: 'As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti'. But also, most things that Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace has ever written. She's a bloody poet.

If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life what would it be?
Claire: Mirror Reaper by Bell Witch. You get your money's worth.

Max: Lateralus by Tool. Or, Next to You by Dirty Loops. I honestly don't think I'd have a problem with that.

El: Only one song would break my heart. I thought really hard about this and I can't answer! Sorry...

Where can people find your music/more information?
Spotify, Insta and Twitter @mountaincallerldn along with other socials. Our music can be found on
Bandcamp at mountaincaller.bandcamp.com, and on Cargo Records at cargorecordsdirect.co.uk.

Behind the music: Mountain Caller

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