To start off, let’s rewind to the very beginning and talk about how you first discovered your interest in music. Was guitar always your one and only option? What got you hooked on the instrument and which are some of the players that you think helped shape your sound?
I started when I was ten years old. I remember my parents giving me the option to take piano or guitar lessons and guitar seemed like a more fun choice considering I was gravitating to the rock, grunge and metal genres from what I heard on the radio. From what I was exposed to i’d say Zakk Wylde and Dimebag were probably the earliest influences I had that made me want to play heavier music.

Today, which guitarists do you think stand out (in any genre)?
There are so many incredible players out there lately. A few favorites of mine are Jeff Loomis, Vogg and Rafael Trujillo.

Do you still practice your instrument regularly? If so, what does your routine look like?
I’m usually on and off when it comes to drills. When I’m writing, I’m pretty laser focused on that and nothing else. However, if I have a tour coming up I hone in and focus on practice only. Currently I’ve been trying to get a more organized by keeping a “shredule” Google sheet and tracking my progress on specific exercises. Always use a metronome as well!

Before forming Kallias in 2019, you’d been in different bands across several styles of hardcore/metal. What ultimately lead you down the prog death path?
Before Kallias I had another instrumental prog band, MeridieM, which was essentially my first prog project. I was unsatisfied as a guitarist/musician before that playing in hardcore bands… I didn’t feel I was progressing much so I decided to get a 7- and 8-string in hopes to spark new creativity and a motivation to grow. Haven’t looked back since!

After a string of singles and EPs, you just released your first full-length Kallias album. What are your long term plans and hopes for the band?
It feels amazing to finally have a full length out with a project I started in 2019 with my guys. We’re really happy with the response so far, and have a good chunk of the next record written already which we will be tracking in the spring of 2024. Long term plans are to seek out some good tour support slots and hopefully put out our sophomore album with a label that will complement the work we’ve been putting in independently.

What is your creative process like? Walk us through how typically a Kallias song goes from its first initial idea to a fully fledged song.
When starting a new song I typically begin with guitar or synth. I pick a ballpark BPM in my DAW to riff to, usually something different than the last few tracks I worked on, and I will just jam to the click until something sticks. If I’m feeling like a clean guitar intro or synth intro I will just noodle around then figure out a BPM to match the feel. Once I’ve tracked the first section, I move to programming drums, bass, orchestrations or synth before starting the next section, essentially writing vertically. Writing vertically allows me to see the big picture from all perspectives before moving to the next section since an instrument other than guitar may influence the next part. When I feel like I’ve hit a wall, I’ll export two versions – one with all instruments and one without drums and bass and send to my drummer and bassist to get their insight on what they hear next, as well as give them the option to write to what’s already there and continue on. Since my bassist and I both do vocals, we’ll also map out who is singing where and pick a general theme for the song before writing lyrics. After many versions and rearranging as usual, we will decide that it’s complete.

In this process, which Toontrack products do you use and how do they help?
Since I live across the country from my band mates I often write alone, so Superior Drummer 3 and EZbass have been an integral part of my songwriting and pre-production process. When inspiration strikes, it’s so important to have all the necessary tools to continue writing in the moment and get a clear picture of what the full production could sound like.

Out of everything that comes with being a musician and in a band – writing, recording, jamming, touring, traveling (the list goes on)…what is your favorite part and why?
The most rewarding thing for me is writing and touring. Being able to receive creativity and become the vessel that produces a full song always blows my mind (digging real deep here), and it’s a different kind of high that I feel privileged to experience often in life. Being able to share that energy in a live setting to a room of individuals who are eager to listen is another privilege of its own. I’ll never take either of those for granted and will write as long as I live and share with whoever will listen.