\nMacalla Confront Their Ghosts: Inside the Making of Their Debut EP<\/p>\n
By KJAG Radio \/ The Mic<\/p>\n
There are plenty of bands making heavy music. There are plenty of bands combining metalcore aggression with melody, atmosphere and modern production.<\/p>\n
But Macalla are taking a slightly different approach.<\/p>\n
The Prague-based metalcore band have released their debut EP, Ghosts, a project built around themes of loss, regret, memory, confronting the past and learning how to move forward.<\/p>\n
What makes the story behind Ghosts particularly interesting is that the band approached the project without years of songwriting experience behind them. Instead of following a predetermined metalcore formula, Macalla experimented, trusted their instincts and gradually discovered what the band could become.<\/p>\n
The result is an EP that the band describes less as a traditional concept record and more as an emotional journey.<\/p>\n
In this exclusive interview with KJAG Radio \/ The Mic, Macalla take us inside the making of Ghosts, explain what the title means, discuss their influences, songwriting process and individual roles within the band, and look ahead to new music, their first full-length album and their transition from studio project to live band.<\/p>\n
Finding Their Own Sound<\/p>\n
Macalla have already heard listeners describe Ghosts as fresh, something the band believes comes partly from the unusual circumstances surrounding its creation.<\/p>\n
Apart from Daniel, the members had little previous experience writing music, while Daniel himself came from a different genre.<\/p>\n
Rather than being a disadvantage, that lack of experience may have allowed Macalla to approach the songs without worrying about what they were \u201csupposed\u201d to sound like.<\/p>\n
The band experimented with their individual skill sets and followed the ideas that felt right.<\/p>\n
That approach has helped them create a sound that retains the DNA of modern metal while incorporating cinematic and atmospheric elements.<\/p>\n
For Macalla, the goal isn’t simply to sound heavy.<\/p>\n
The goal is to create something recognizable as Macalla.<\/p>\n
What Are the \u201cGhosts\u201d?<\/p>\n
The title of the EP is deeply connected to its lyrical themes.<\/p>\n
For Macalla, the \u201cghosts\u201d represent the memories, regrets, losses and former versions of ourselves that can continue following us long after the original experiences have ended.<\/p>\n
The EP explores the process of confronting those experiences and finding a way forward.<\/p>\n
But moving forward doesn’t necessarily mean those ghosts disappear.<\/p>\n
Instead, the band sees growth as learning how to understand those experiences without allowing them to dictate what comes next.<\/p>\n
That concept was present from the beginning.<\/p>\n
The lyrics were written before the music was fully developed, giving the EP an overarching emotional direction before the instrumental arrangements were completed.<\/p>\n
However, Macalla stress that Ghosts isn’t a traditional concept album with one character following a linear plot.<\/p>\n
Instead, each song represents a particular emotion or stage of experience.<\/p>\n
Together, those songs form a larger journey.<\/p>\n
Listen From Beginning to End<\/p>\n
If you’re discovering Ghosts for the first time, Macalla have a straightforward recommendation:<\/p>\n
Listen from beginning to end.<\/p>\n
That’s the order in which the songs were written, and the band believes it gives listeners the clearest representation of the emotional progression.<\/p>\n
At the same time, they don’t believe there is necessarily a wrong way to experience the EP.<\/p>\n
Life isn’t linear.<\/p>\n
People move forward, fall backward, revisit memories and sometimes find themselves dealing with emotions they thought they had already overcome.<\/p>\n
In that sense, the structure of Ghosts reflects the unpredictability of real life.<\/p>\n
Balancing Brutality and Emotion<\/p>\n
Modern metalcore has become increasingly diverse, combining crushing guitars and breakdowns with melody, electronic production, cinematic textures and atmospheric passages.<\/p>\n
Macalla aren’t interested in including those elements simply because the genre expects them.<\/p>\n
For the band, everything has to serve the song.<\/p>\n
Sometimes a track needs to become heavier.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it needs to open up.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it needs room to breathe.<\/p>\n
The decision is ultimately driven by emotion rather than a checklist of metalcore conventions.<\/p>\n
That philosophy is especially evident in the band’s vocal arrangements.<\/p>\n
William’s harsh vocals provide aggression and tension, while Chloe’s softer vocals and Daniel’s clean singing can represent different emotional perspectives within the same song.<\/p>\n
On \u201cGHOST,\u201d for example, William deliberately maintains screamed vocals throughout the track, allowing the softer elements and clean chorus to create contrast.<\/p>\n
Rather than competing with one another, the different vocal styles become part of the song’s emotional storytelling.<\/p>\n
Guitar as Storytelling<\/p>\n
The same philosophy carries over into Macalla’s guitar work.<\/p>\n
Nikita approached the lead guitar parts with the EP’s emotional narrative in mind.<\/p>\n
Rather than focusing exclusively on technical playing, the goal was to make the guitars feel cinematic.<\/p>\n
Some sections emphasize memorable melodies, while others use layers and textures to create atmosphere, tension and space.<\/p>\n
For Daniel, the connection between vocals and guitar is equally important.<\/p>\n
Because the songwriting process began with lyrics, guitar parts could be created specifically to support vocal phrasing and melody.<\/p>\n
The objective wasn’t simply to write an impressive guitar part.<\/p>\n
It was to make the entire section work.<\/p>\n
How Macalla Write<\/p>\n
Macalla’s songwriting process begins with a central idea.<\/p>\n
For Ghosts, that generally meant the narrative, lyrics and basic melodies were developed before a rough demo was created in a DAW.<\/p>\n
The demo then became the starting point for the entire band.<\/p>\n
The rest of the members would examine the material, question what worked and what didn’t, and determine what needed to be added, removed or changed.<\/p>\n
Importantly, the demo isn’t treated as a finished blueprint.<\/p>\n
Once the musicians pick up their instruments, their individual instincts naturally change the material.<\/p>\n
Those changes can ultimately make the songs stronger.<\/p>\n
A song might start with one person’s idea, but it becomes a Macalla song through the collective personality of the band.<\/p>\n
Learning Through Ghosts<\/p>\n
The creation of the EP was also a learning experience.<\/p>\n
The band’s first priority was simply figuring out how to turn ideas into finished recordings.<\/p>\n
\u201cGHOST\u201d was the first track they tackled and consequently took the longest because everyone was learning as they went.<\/p>\n
But the band also wanted to establish its own identity.<\/p>\n
They didn’t want listeners to hear a Macalla song and immediately think it was simply an imitation of another band.<\/p>\n
The influences are there, but the ultimate goal is recognition.<\/p>\n
They want listeners to hear the vocals, guitars and overall approach and think:<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s Macalla.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Lesson of Structure<\/p>\n
One of the biggest lessons from the EP was structure.<\/p>\n
Working closely with mixing and mastering engineer Ilarion helped the band understand how individual musical sections need to function within an entire song.<\/p>\n
Sometimes a section can sound fantastic by itself but still damage the flow of a track.<\/p>\n
That realization encouraged Macalla to think more about pacing, transitions, tension and release.<\/p>\n
The experience is already influencing the band’s next material.<\/p>\n
Macalla have begun writing for their first full-length album, and the lessons learned from Ghosts are now being incorporated much earlier in the creative process.<\/p>\n
A Truly International Band<\/p>\n
Although Macalla are based in Prague, the band members come from different backgrounds.<\/p>\n
Daniel and William were born in England.<\/p>\n
Chloe is from Ireland.<\/p>\n
Nikita is from Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Because of those backgrounds, the Czech metal scene wasn’t necessarily a direct influence on Ghosts.<\/p>\n
Prague is becoming increasingly important in another way, however.<\/p>\n
Macalla are beginning to build relationships within the local music community after primarily functioning as a studio band.<\/p>\n
The next stage is transforming those studio recordings into a live experience.<\/p>\n
Where Does Metalcore Go From Here?<\/p>\n
Macalla believe the continuing diversification of metalcore is a positive thing.<\/p>\n
Modern heavy music can now incorporate electronic production, pop influences, orchestral arrangements and countless other sounds without necessarily losing its identity.<\/p>\n
The band doesn’t want the metalcore label to become a creative limitation.<\/p>\n
They want enough metal DNA that listeners understand where they belong, but they also want the freedom to follow a song wherever it leads.<\/p>\n
That could mean electronics.<\/p>\n
It could mean cinematic elements.<\/p>\n
It could mean something extremely heavy.<\/p>\n
Or it could mean stripping everything back.<\/p>\n
The song gets to decide.<\/p>\n
The Ultimate Macalla Tour<\/p>\n
If Macalla could choose three bands for their dream touring lineup, the choices reveal a lot about their influences.<\/p>\n
Bring Me The Horizon would be at the top of the list because of their music, visual presentation, world-building and live spectacle.<\/p>\n
The Devil Wears Prada would bring the energy and experimentation, while their willingness to evolve is something Macalla admire.<\/p>\n
And Architects would complete the lineup, bringing together heaviness, melody, emotion and atmosphere.<\/p>\n
It’s a lineup that would certainly make for an impressive night of modern heavy music.<\/p>\n
The Most Difficult Songs<\/p>\n
Two songs stand out when Macalla look back at the most challenging parts of creating Ghosts.<\/p>\n
\u201cGHOST\u201d was difficult because it was the first song.<\/p>\n
The band was learning how to write and record together.<\/p>\n
\u201cPATH\u201d presented a completely different challenge.<\/p>\n
The demo contained numerous individual sections the band liked, but the overall song lacked cohesion.<\/p>\n
It sounded more like a collection of interesting musical ideas than one complete composition.<\/p>\n
Working with Ilarion, the band began rearranging sections, removing ideas they had become attached to and rebuilding the song’s structure.<\/p>\n
Those two tracks effectively demonstrate Macalla’s evolution during the making of the EP.<\/p>\n
\u201cGHOST\u201d represents learning how to write.<\/p>\n
\u201cPATH\u201d represents learning how to critique their own writing.<\/p>\n
When Did Macalla Know They Were on the Right Track?<\/p>\n
Interestingly, the band says they didn’t necessarily have that defining moment during the creation or immediate release of Ghosts.<\/p>\n
They were still trying to figure out what Macalla actually was.<\/p>\n
That feeling is changing now.<\/p>\n
As they work on their first full-length album, the band is taking everything learned from Ghosts and applying it from the beginning.<\/p>\n
The new material already feels more focused and confident.<\/p>\n
There have even been moments when the band has listened back to a new demo and thought:<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, this is it. This is the direction.\u201d<\/p>\n
You’re Not Alone<\/p>\n
Perhaps the most important message behind Ghosts is that listeners don’t have to feel alone in whatever they’re experiencing.<\/p>\n
The emotions explored on the EP are personal, but Macalla hope listeners will recognize parts of their own lives within the songs.<\/p>\n
Loss.<\/p>\n
Regret.<\/p>\n
Pain.<\/p>\n
Isolation.<\/p>\n
The struggle to move forward.<\/p>\n
The band believes that one of the most comforting things about difficult experiences is knowing someone else has survived something similar.<\/p>\n
Ghosts doesn’t necessarily provide all the answers.<\/p>\n
Instead, it offers recognition.<\/p>\n
Whatever ghosts someone may be carrying, Macalla want listeners to know they’re not the only ones carrying them.<\/p>\n
What’s Next?<\/p>\n
Macalla’s next chapter is already underway.<\/p>\n
Their upcoming release \u201cEMPTY: Retold\u201d takes their most-streamed track, \u201cEMPTY,\u201d and completely reimagines it electronically.<\/p>\n
The concept explores artificial intelligence and humanity’s increasingly complicated relationship with technology.<\/p>\n
The band was particularly surprised by how naturally the original lyrics worked when viewed from the perspective of a machine beginning to understand its own existence.<\/p>\n
\u201cEMPTY: Retold\u201d is scheduled for August 28, 2026, alongside \u201cEMPTY Acoustic.\u201d<\/p>\n
The band is also developing a larger story around the release, with their social media channels becoming an important place for fans who want to follow the lore.<\/p>\n
And beyond those singles, Macalla are already working toward their first full-length album.<\/p>\n
Perhaps most importantly, the band is preparing to enter the rehearsal room and develop Macalla into a proper live act.<\/p>\n
Final Word<\/p>\n
Ghosts may be Macalla’s debut EP, but it doesn’t feel like the band intends to treat it as a final destination.<\/p>\n
Instead, it feels like the beginning.<\/p>\n
The band has learned how to write.<\/p>\n
They’ve learned the importance of structure.<\/p>\n
They’ve developed a sound built around heaviness, melody and atmosphere.<\/p>\n
And now they’re preparing to take everything they’ve learned into their next record and eventually onto the stage.<\/p>\n
For anyone who hasn’t discovered Macalla yet, Ghosts is a fascinating introduction to a band still defining itself.<\/p>\n
And perhaps that’s exactly what makes the next chapter so exciting.<\/p>\n
Macalla are not finished becoming Macalla.<\/p>\n
They’re just getting started.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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