Interview with Hermes Augusto (vocals) of Calling For Chaos
How did Calling For Chaos get together, and how diverse are your musical and geographical backgrounds?
Calling for Chaos started in January of 2024. Matt Mier (bass) was basically the middle man. He already knew all the members of the band however; most of the members didn't know each other. The band begun to write ideas and in 6 months comprised an EP which was later released in the fall of that same year. The band is very diverse. Hermes Augusto is from Brazil, Matt was born in Spain but grew up in New Mexico, Geoff Franchi (guitar) was born in New Port Beach - California, Gabby Mata (guitar) was born in Tucson, Arizona, Matthew Wineinger was also born and raised in Tucson. The music styles vary from Avril Lavigne to Slipknot, to Korn, to Killswitch Engage, to Dream Theatre, Seven Dust and Chevelle. Also Jazz influences, as well as Tool. I can break it down by members if you'd like.
Describe the personal tastes of each band member, along with their environments and experience,
As far as personal taste is concerned, the band is very diversified. My influences are Iron Maiden, Angra and Dream Theatre when it comes to prog metal, but I also really like Coheed and Cambria, I the Mighty and Circa Survive which is more on the alternative side. My Brazilian culture allows me such influences from a more local scene with some different styles of Rock, Samba and MPB the popular Brazilian Jazz such as Tom Jobim and Joao Gilberto. I also attended school for Vocal Performance and my undergrad was in Classical singing. So I have a lot in my bag of tricks and I am fortunate to always meet people from whom I can learn something new and keep on adding new ideas to my repertoire.
Gabby’s major influences are Avril Lavigne, Chevelle, the Pretty Reckless, Orianthi, In This Moment, Yours Truly, Volumes and Architects. She grew up in the small town of Benson, Arizona, where she was introduced into the world of music when she was eight years old. She was brought up listening to classic rock bands like Van Halen, Kiss, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and Journey. Gabby started playing in a Heart tribute band at 16. She was able to play with Roger Fisher (original guitarist from Heart), she describes that moment as one that really solidified her want for making music her career.
Geoff’s inspiration comes from Avenged Sevenfold, Killswitch Engage, as well as Slipknot. To him, these bands are a combination of softer melodies mixed with heavy riffs quite often. He sees his place as the "Bringer of the heavier riffs" in CFC. Most of the breakdowns he's all about it. His motto is "Sometimes you gotta throw it to the wind and go fast and heavy".
Matt’s inspirations and aspirations come from pop punk, more towards the hardcore side of it. His influences are Blink-182, Sum41, Korn, Sevendust, Slipknot, P.O.D and Limp Bizkit. If it has a nice drop he's all about it. In the two decades of playing, he has accumulated a lot more inclination to heavy grooves and melody.
Led Zeppelin has been Matthew’s main influence along with AC/DC, Rush and more prog bands. While growing up he was only allowed to practice for 30 minutes a day because of the noise. He would usually wait for Sunday mornings when his family would go to church and he could actually put some more tie into his learning. In his last years of High-School he started to join jam bands and was able to learn from various styles and players who had been playing Tucson since they themselves were young. He's been a part of well over 37 bands and has many shows and recordings under his belt. With all of that experience, he sometimes feels like he's been able to travel the world through music while in the comfort of his home.
I myself like many of the bands you cited, and was wondering how much work is involved in incorporating these influences in a natural progression?
Now that you know all of our influences combine, when it comes to the writing process, we've been learning within the past year how to work remotely and I must say it has become a very natural thing for us.
It is like: Gabby or Hermes comes up with a riff or a chord progression, a quick demo or voice memo is sent into the group, everyone evaluates it, someone else perhaps, Geoff weighs in, gives a complementation and we keep on passing that file back and forth until one day Hermes usually will sit down, structure the song into a manner where we are able to tell a story and we start to rehearse it while working out the kinks.
So, to answer your question properly, the many influences is what makes our music what it is. Having the heavy from Geoff mixed with Gaby's melodies and overtones, makes it so that when we're editing the song, we have so much to work with it opens a lot of avenues for us to choose from.
Have you tried more than one of the avenues you mentioned before making a decision?
Yes, we’ve tried changing things a little bit right as we started the band, and I was playing around with a different method of singing while the band was still trying to find its sound. We had to take a major break from the song, mainly because for whatever reason it just wasn’t going where we knew it should be. When it sounds wrong, there’s no point in fighting it. You have to take a major step back and start to connect the pieces again. At the end of the day, screaming just wasn’t for me. But we are still developing and finding our niche. It’s not something we want to throw out of the window. When the ideas present itself, we’re always open to try them and see where it takes us.
With many bands, there's a combination of harsh vocals and melodic vocals. As Melissa Cross and other coaches point out, both styles rely on similar techniques. Is CFC doing anything inventive combining both styles?
With our newest material, we’ve discussed adding some extra backing vocals and collaborating with other artists. However, when it comes to our core sound, we’re not looking to explore harsh vocals too much unless a band member feels they can bring something unique to the mix. That said, musically, Geoff and Gabby are always pushing the envelope with driving riffs and fresh ideas.
When your songs are completed, how do they come across as stories?
I knew that one day I’d be asked this and I wanted to have a great response to it. A quick back story, when I first started to write at fourteen-fifteen years of age, I was very bold. I’d write in Portuguese and express a lot of feelings not understanding that most people are uncomfortable with that much sincerity. So, fast forward a few years and I moved to the USA, my writing started to mature as far as the music was concerned, but my lyrics started to shift very quickly towards the abstract. I’d be jotting down phrases that didn’t feel like they belonged but in my heart I’d feel the pain and struggle it was trying to portray. For example: I wrote a song back then called Land Of Life. My wants were to share the struggle that life is and to have all the necessities we all have while in the flesh. No one could ever get that with phrases like: “When divided, when you cry, a little fan of truth inside, I’ll describe… Like dreams, when those times of trial comes and just destroy them…” and so on. With time, I decided to read more, and English being my second language there are times I still second guess myself and then I search online to see if the phrase or word that I’m thinking is real and if the meaning is what I’m going for. In the past decade it has made a huge difference to me. So, these lyrics in Calling For Chaos are in its most raw and intimate form that I can possibly detail without it becoming uncomfortable. So when in Lunatic, when it says “I shut off the lights, turn the locks on the door, I’m holding my breath till I can’t anymore JUST to feel my heart”. The lyrics invite the listeners that can relate to the certain moments in life when perhaps a certain disappointing situation may have contributed into making us lose touch with ourselves and when we hold our breaths until our body forces us to breath, if you cover your ears, you can actually hear your pulse and then know that you’re alive and like everyone else, we’re all beings living a human experience, within different realities.
Did writing in Portuguese enable you to communicate easier than writing in English? Or did it not make a difference?
As strange as it may seem. I find myself blown away when listening to some Brazilian songs and lyrics I never paid attention to before. So, somehow, I feel that I need to think more when working with anything in Portuguese and when it comes to writing down my feelings, English seems to deliver it more, to me. That’s why I have a hard time translating some song’s lyrics, because when you speak of things abstractly or more from an artistic perspective, the translation may miss the meaning of the song.
How does the name Calling For Chaos relate to your range of influences?
When life becomes chaotic and you can no longer face it, we must invoke change into our lives to be able to close those chapters in order to start a brand new one. With how wide our influences are, we see that within our genre, be it rock, metal or alternative metal, we have a combination of ideas that isn’t found just anywhere. With the amount of baggage each one of us brings from past experiences and learning, it’s like we’re always ready to pour way too much of ourselves all at once into any new song and ideas that we come up with. But here is where it is becoming very interesting. We’re learning to find harmony amidst our own chaos of ideas.
When it comes to lyrical content, how important do you consider relatability? Do your lyrics convey the chaos you feel in a straightforward manner?
Yes and no. Growing up in Brazil, many of my favorite songs resonated with me through melody and musicality alone. I didn’t always understand the lyrics. That experience showed me how powerful music can be, even without deeply impactful lyrics. That said, I do understand the importance of relatability, when someone says, 'That song speaks to me,' I get it. It can make you feel understood, even in a dark way. These days, I only carry the chaos I choose to, whether for creative expression or to connect with others who might need it. But I’m grateful to be in a place where my focus is on moving forward and prospering, rather than dwelling on the past."
What material does the band have available, and in what ways can listeners distinguish it?
Our website callingforchaos.com is the best place to keep up with music, events and news from us. We have all of our social media available there as well as a member area and people can sign up to our newsletter which goes out every month. We released our very first single on August 2 of 2024, quickly after on September 28 of that same year we released our most anticipated EP Broken & Untied. I chose to describe it as “most anticipated” because people were just reaching out to us and requesting to hear what we were up for the entire year. We didn’t open our social media until July of 2024. With a few teasers for Lust, people poured in with all of the love we could never have predicted. It’s like they had all the faith that no matter what, from following us individually and in other projects throughout the years, no matter what we were working on, they already wanted it. We were able to get signed with Curtain Call shortly after the EP came out. We are ready for the journey ahead of us. It is the melodic tones and ideas that meets with the heavy groves that makes us unique. Not just by the instruments alone, but our vocal melodies are not something you hear so much anymore. I feel that what makes Calling for Chaos special is that we bring a lot of experience, and we lay it on a very simple blanket. Nothing too flashy, just enough to call your attention and when you least expect it’s taken over your heart.
Based on audience reaction, do you think you're heading toward new musical precedents?
From what we’ve experienced since October of 2024; basically, the last four months, people have been extremely kind, supportive and very vocal about their love for our music, but they have also been hinting to us, and this is not a direct quote but, “I want to see what you guys will do next”. This is so daunting (laugh), I know we’re going to keep building onto what we’re constructed thus far, but I’m not sure that I could focus on that while writing music. It may cause us to burn whatever we are cooking, for not paying attention to the way we feel and what must be written next. Our goal is to keep pushing boundaries, but we haven’t had a lot of opportunities to be together and really work on that yet. Working remote doesn’t allow me to influence my bandmates as much as I’d like to or vice versa. So, we are learning how we can still have an impact on each other while still writing and creating remotely. Yet, I know that Gabby never fails to impress me.
Were you working with professional mixers and producers while working on Broken & Untied, or did you prefer to handle it independently?
As far as in a million-dollar studio, we were not. But I consider myself a professional producer and we worked with Andreas Asbeck from Sao Paulo, Brazil who to me is damn near one of the best producers in the planet. The guy is phenomenal. I, having worked with Andreas in the past pitched to everyone that I really believe in what Andreas could do for us and how well he and I have been working together. So, everyone put their faith in his work along with my ideas on the recording side. It definitely exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Explain how you hooked up with Andreas Asbeck for production and how he benefited the band. Which studio did you and he collaborate in, and what equipment was available?
I met Andreas when I was 17 and he was a couple years younger, but a prodigy. This kid was eating that guitar and making sure everyone knew about it too. I used to have a band, and we got a big show/festival and invited him to play with us because we wanted to play songs by Angra, and he could play those fast solos and all. We then parted ways when I left and moved to the USA. I went to college, and he went to music school. He then went on tours in Brazil while I did music in the USA. Between 2015-2016 we linked up and he was already working with producing. He did a lot of producing for me as a solo artist, as well as writing many songs with me. Also, we made a tribute to Chris Cornell, and it was awesome. We’ve done so much work together; no disrespect, but I can’t trust my work in the hands of anyone else but him. When we recorded the EP Broken & Untied and I basically asked everyone to please give Andreas a shot and that I knew he would not be disappointed. The best phrase from the band was “This is the best I’ve ever sounded in a recording”. My favorite part of working with Andreas Asbeck is that he always stays true to the music and makes us record the song exactly as it is instead of making a bunch of masking to whatever we work on. Yes, his work is very important to us, and I am grateful for his experience, abilities and best of all, his care to stay true to the work.
Do the five songs on the EP form a narrative, or do they complement each other as separate narratives? How personal are they to you and the band?
To most in the band the songs carry their own relevance, each with their own story and sentiment. To me as a lyricist I look at those six songs from the perspective of the story behind it, the understanding of entering the door of a curator and walking away with a feeling of clean spirit and being able to leave the past behind. I see a lot of people that grew up with me and around me still struggling to leave the past behind. We had a very difficult and rough upbringing but some of them have a hard time leaving it all in the past. Some relationships and occurrences are just like that as well. Some people are able to learn from those moments of struggle and take refuge in their new and improved self instead of moping in a long memory past that will never come back but can still hurt if kept around. The entirety of the concept of the EP is found under the Member Area in our website.
Which of the EP's tracks best captures the band's development musically and lyrically?
Lust. That is the first song we wrote together and everyone in the band actually had an input and parts written for it. And I mean that each contribution had a major impact in making the song what it is today. I wrote it about the dating life of people these days. Most relationships start out of lust instead of actual love. I know couples that are dating or married and are very happy with their physical relationship with their person but can’t even hear their voice without it feeling like nails on chalkboard. It’s more peculiar than anything else.
How many promotional videos were made to help promote Broken & Untied? Are the narratives in those videos similar to the lyrics?
For the lack of a good PR team at the time of the release, we did what we could with sharing parts of the music videos as they were being released. Lust was the one we shared a lot more teasers about because at the time, we had no content out and people were pretty eager to hear what we’d been working on. Then we shot the Lunatic video and also shared a few teasers but nothing with too much on the narrative side. Sometimes too much description can get in the way of people and their own relationship with the songs. I do understand the importance of guiding the listener but with some songs we prefer that they are left to an open interpretation.
After being signed with Curtain Call records, there are a lot more ideas involved, and their team is amazing. We are learning a lot from them in such a short period.
Discuss the lyric video for Lust, as well as your other videos on YouTube. How much attention have those received, and are you planning future videos?
Lust, it was never intended to have a music video, but a friend of Matt (our bassist) offered to create a lyric video while experimenting with his software. At first, I was hesitant, unsure of how it would turn out, but after seeing a few previews, we were excited to share it. We launched our YouTube page, shared some teasers, and after the video’s release, we gained over 1K subscribers. The overwhelming support confirmed we had something special. That momentum led to the Lunatic video, which we shot in Benson, AZ, at a tattoo parlor with an amazing wall design. Gabby’s cousin Sydney played the lunatic girl, and despite the 100°F heat, it was an incredible experience. I love building a story, shooting scenes, and editing. It’s so fulfilling to bring a vision to life. A month later, while playing shows in Utah (where I currently live), we filmed the Mistake video, marking Matthew’s first appearance with us.
These videos have opened so many doors, from new show opportunities to podcast features and even connecting us with Curtain Call Records.
Looking ahead, we have a new video and single in the works, with more music planned for summer. We’re mindful not to oversaturate our market, we want to stay relevant, so we’re always testing what resonates best with our audience.
To what extent has Curtain Call aided the band in terms of publicity and promotion?
I’ll be totally honest with you, with have started with Curtain Call a month ago, and the year starts very slow in any industry and that is no different with the music industry. So, we don’t really have much experience with them aside from seeing their dedication to the artists, they seem like a very big and committed team. I’m hoping that in the following few months I can give you a more direct answer once we have more experience with Curtain Call.
What is the band learning about the recording industry from Curtain Call, and what ideas do you and the label thought up while you’ve been with them?
Calling for Chaos records their own music. We have our methods and how we like to work. Very closed doors and mainly just the band together. We do share ideas with Andreas, but that is as far as we are willing to go now. For some, it would be considered a “low budget” method to record and produce but when you hear the final product, Andreas’ magic shines on. We are so grateful for his expertise and phenomenal professionalism.
How often has the band performed to promote the EP? What types of venues have you appeared in, and how well have your shows been received?
We have had four shows so far, as a band. One show happened two weeks before the release of our EP on Sep 13, 2024. We then played two shows in Salt Lake City on November 8 and 9. The reception the band had was awesome. We practically sold out of merch in those two days and had some extra made for when we were invited to play in Tucson, AZ on December 14. The biggest realization we’ve had so far is how much talent there is in this world. We are truly grateful to our community and those who are joining our community every single day. We wouldn’t be able to keep pushing forward if it wasn’t for our fans and most importantly, our families’ support.
How do you plan to expand your fan base by playing shows and broadening your musical horizons?
We have a website where we send out monthly letters to keep people informed about the band and any news that is worthy of mentioning. We invite and encourage our fans to join our newsletter and our member’s area. It has become a full-time job to keep everything updated and up to date, we might soon need to hire someone to take care of social media while we do the music and business side of things.
The best way to connect with people and expand our fan base and to be out and play as much as possible. We’ve been in contact with different venues and booking agents and we can’t wait to hit the road and start to branch out into different states and across the world.
What impact do you want to have on underground metal and on what grand of a scale?
As someone who understands how fleeting life is, I want Calling for Chaos to reach heights beyond what we can even imagine. My vision extends far beyond local or regional venues. I want us to collaborate with incredible artists and create heavy, meaningful music that truly resonates.
More than just making an impact on underground metal, we want to deliver a message: You are worthy of love. Learn to love yourself before trying to love anyone else, only then can you truly share that love with others. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries that protect your well-being; you are the only person who is with you 24/7. Honor yourself, embrace growth, and never be afraid to admit when you’re wrong, learn from it and become better.
Thank you so much for having me and for such a great time.
Much love. – Hermes Augusto.
-Dave Wolff
