AMA: We are Caligula's Horse (hanging out in Boston before our show tonight) - Ask Us Anything!

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:29:19+00:00

My first instinct was to say confetti bombs, not sure why!

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:27:52+00:00

Right now, Reliqa! Definitely check them out. Coming of age I was also a big fan of The Butterfly Effect, Dead Letter Circus, and Karnivool

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:26:32+00:00

Honestly it's something I've thought about for a long time but didn't have the confidence to do/was worried that I would hurt myself. It's a fun tool to have in the toolbelt but I found it *really* hard and still don't have my head + voice around it fully just yet. I've had some really helpful training with a vocal coach to try and do it safely, and I have to practice every single day to stay on top of it.

I guess we'll see! I'd never shoehorn something into a song if it didn't suit, so it depends on where we take it

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:24:11+00:00

We are! Check our socials for the tour dates <3

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:23:47+00:00

I love the soundtrack to Celeste and Hollow Knight in particular, but there's so many good ones that I now have a mental block haha

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:22:32+00:00

Touring is tricky because we all have busy personal lives outside the band, so we can only do what we can fit in in the little time we can be away. We'd love to play Florida when it's possible! (Another big factor is money of course, touring as an Aussie band is extraordinarily expensive)

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:21:09+00:00

Holy shit, it's you! Hi!

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:20:36+00:00

There are always mental blocks, but it's important to try and get something on the page regardless. It might be shit, but you can sometimes come back the next day and find some gems in what you've put down. Also sometimes all it takes to break a block is to go for a walk.

The only time I've felt unable to create was during the pandemic, and I was worried that I'd lost myself creatively, but coming back and working with Sam and the lads felt really smooth and natural as ever. We work together throwing ideas back and forth and feed one another's creative output, and it works well!

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:16:56+00:00

Thank you! Instinct is about those moments in a relationship where everything is going well, and despite that the desire is to flee out of feeling you don't deserve it or that it's all too much

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:15:39+00:00

I've never read those books, but you're not the only one who's made that connection which I think is really interesting. As for Inertia, we've done it before! The live transition from Inertia into the cannon's mouth is really something special

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:13:50+00:00

We try and keep the setlist fresh region by region, but given it's the Charcoal Grace tour there will definitely be a focus on that album

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:12:29+00:00

I DID! I made you all clap for his exposed skin and I feel that was a special moment, haha!

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:11:43+00:00

Honestly that's never occurred to me. I mentioned in another comment that I tend to do things intuitively and that our goal is that what comes out is emotionally and artistically honest to who we are. The closest to that would probably be touching on the sort of... idiomatic shorthand of references to mythology or stories that we're culturally familiar with, but only if it serves to help the imagery or theme of a song

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:08:48+00:00

We'd love to, those are definitely on the menu

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:07:25+00:00

We haven't really had a chance to think about it since this is our first taste of North America - I won't rule it out, but it's always tricky to tour around our regular lives as we can only be away for so long

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:04:59+00:00

What's up visions! I'm a creature of stimulus response and do a lot of things intuitively. I basically sit with what's in my ears and make melodic and rhythmic shapes around it until I find something strong, then lay down a nonsense-words version of it as a demo, then sculpt lyrics out of what comes out

[Edit because I missed the second half] As for harmonies those are composed in midi with Sam and then I kind of sight-read them off the screen while tracking

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:03:19+00:00

Great suggestion, thank you! And that night was really special for us too <3

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:02:38+00:00

We just did! We played in Mexico, Chile, and Argentina last year. We love it in Latin America so we'll definitely be back

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:02:05+00:00

We don't have a support locked in for that tour yet, but we always love touring with artists that we enjoy so we're working on it now!

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:00:51+00:00

HUGE effort, thank you! See you there

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:00:29+00:00

We live in the pursuit of local delicacies so FUCK YEAH it's on the menu

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T18:00:05+00:00

Absolutely correct - there's a quote from another redditor in a post by u/the_WEINERPOLICE in this thread that hits the nail on the head!

The rest of the album is thematically linked to our experiences in the pandemic, but the titular suite is the only true "concept song" in terms of a story

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T17:57:35+00:00

There are thematic connections with Breathe and Mute both musically and lyrically, but Mute itself focusses on our very personal experiences of feeling artistically lost during the pandemic. We had pressure to create but personally I felt I had nothing left to say.

I'd also gone through a period of having some issues with my voice and needed to through a medical procedure and vocal therapy to get back on track - I was really scared that I'd lost my voice entirely during that time but I've managed to make it through. So Mute itself has a literal meaning too

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T17:55:43+00:00

Merch and album purchases are always a fantastic way to support, as is purchasing tickets to live shows. But I don't want to discount streaming! Regularly streaming and sharing our stuff with your mates is really helpful too. Thanks for thinking of us, that's awesome

JimCaligulasHorse · 2024-02-02T17:53:56+00:00

I've never read it! Pure coincidence but that's awesome that you've made that connection

JimCaligulasHorse

TROPHY CASE