Introducing: Callis

Rising from the heart of the Calder Valley with a sound that echoes both the shadows of post-punk and the grit of classic metal, Callis are quickly making their mark as one of the UK’s most electrifying new acts. Formed in late 2022, the trio—Dean Molyneux, Tyler Hanley, and Bryn Davies—have already carved out a unique space, blending atmospheric melancholy with thundering intensity. With their Gordon Raphael-produced debut single Dream Sequence turning heads and a reputation for blistering live sets, Callis are poised to explode onto Europe’s festival circuit in 2025. Before they do, we sat down with the band to talk origins, influences, and what’s coming next.

1. Your sound blends the atmospheric mood of post-punk with the heaviness of Sabbath—was that fusion intentional from the start, or something that evolved naturally as the three of you I came together?

- I wouldn’t say the combination of atmosphere and heaviness is something that has been intentional from the start necessarily, although our sound has definitely changed over the years. Essentially our sound is an amalgamation of our individual tastes, we do have similar tastes but with slight niche differences that definitely shine through (Tyler like more obscure ambient and atmospheric folk, Dean pulling influences from an anthemic shoegaze and songwriter-esque background and myself from post punk/goth). So I’d generally say our tastes blend in a way that compliments our sound as a whole. As a result, I’d say we’ve refined our sound as we’ve got used to playing with each other over the years to something that represents us in a cohesive way.

2. “Dream Sequence” made an immediate impact, especially with Gordon Raphael on production—how did that collaboration come about, and what did he bring to the track that shaped its final form?

We met Gordon in a park in Hebden Bridge - we grabbed a coffee and spoke for a while about the Strokes, Rough Trade, Seattle and where to find the best coffee in Manchester - he then offered to record us so we took him up on it. We recorded the track live and he mostly brought a lightly guided, hands-off approach for the music but he went to town on the vocals. It was quite intense. There was a lot weird noise coming out of a storage unit in Burnley that day.

3. You’ve quickly become a name within the Calder Valley scene—what’s unique about making music in that part of the UK, and how has the local scene influenced your identity as a band?

We’ve all been playing locally since we were really young and been part of the scene one way or another. Where we make music, there has always been something that’s neither here-nor-there, historically the land was bandit country and that spirit one way or another continues to flow. It makes for an interesting vibe in which to create art. People are drawn to the land and the music that goes with it. Which is nice. 

4. You’ve shared the stage with some major names already—Toploader, The Orielles—how has the live experience shaped your sound or your dynamic as a band?

We come into our own when we play live. We’re proud of our recorded music, but it takes on a different form altogether when it’s performed in front of a crowd. Ultimately, before every gig, we ready ourselves to put on the best show we can, for every single show we do. Each of us has been around in various different musical iterations but to this day we still learn from other artists we perform with, how could you not? We discovered very early on that playing live is also one of the best ways to develop a song to its best. 

5. Looking ahead to your European shows and festival slots in 2025, what can new audiences expect from a Callis set, and how are you preparing to take that next step?

There is a vision and a strategy which is yet to be executed - but it’s one we’ve got full confidence in. We’ve done what needed to be done to help us really push the boundaries with this and take it as far as it can go. Change is of the hour, and the hands are about to strike.