Learning "MATHCORE?" with The Callous Daoboys

Band interview with Dan and Maddie from mathcore band Callous Doughboys before their headline show at Brighton Seafront. The conversation explores what makes mathcore accessible while remaining technically challenging, with melodic choruses providing entry points into complex music.

Gear and tuning: The band plays primarily in drop D, using Kemper profilers to switch between drop B, drop C, and E♭ throughout the set. Dan's custom Dunnabelle Minotaur features Direwolf and D90 pickups, while Maddie plays Valer guitars with Bare Knuckle Blackhawks and Telecaster lipstick pickups for dramatic clean/dirty tone contrasts. They use heavy gauge strings (11-56) even in drop D, with the Kemper handling all tuning changes mid-set.

Playing approach: Rather than counting complex time signatures, they think of songs as patterns and puzzle pieces. "Douchebag Safari" exemplifies this - the grind section requires recognizing when the same chord played twice versus three times leads to different follow-ups. The Kemper's morph function allows switching between multiple effects instantly, replacing what would require several pedals.

Recommended songs to learn: "Douchebag Safari" for its disjointed grind section that teaches pattern-based thinking, "Full Moon Guidance" for its massive opening riff, and "Pushing the Pink Envelope" for string-skipping techniques. The key advice: don't just write one style because you're labeled mathcore - you can make melodic songs like "Lemon" or "Mona Lisa" alongside technical material. The genre allows complete creative freedom while maintaining technical complexity.