Calhoun

Calhoun
Falter • Waver • Cultivate
Depending upon what part of the country you're in you may or may not have heard of Calhoun yet, but when you listen you will know. You will know that Calhoun is picking up where many others have left off. Picking up and taking off with breathtaking views and sweeping wide open sounds. A worthy companion to the epic landscapes and big skies of Texas, from where Calhoun hails.
Singer and songwriter for the band, Tim Locke is well known amongst the Fort Worth scene for his work with former bands Dead City Radio and Coma Rally. In Calhoun, Locke soars to a new level of soundscape glory with a band worthy of his grand vision. Blending folk, rock and pop genres effortlessly, Calhoun envelopes the listener within their music and lyrics that in time can seep into the psyche and take hold with its building grip.
Falter.Waver.Cultivate is Calhoun's third record and really the first as a full-time band. Grammy®-winning producer/engineer Stuart Sikes (The White Stripes, Cat Power, Hot Hot Heat) helped recreate in the studio the same crackling kinetic energy that has captivated live audiences throughout the band's native Texas and on its frequent forays across the country.
Locke credits those audiences for persuading band members to truly dedicate themselves to Calhoun's ongoing success. We were very encouraged by peoples' responses on our first couple of trips out across the midwest, he says. We were doing other things on the side, but each of us chose to set those projects aside and give Calhoun our total focus. A focus and commitment that becomes quite evident when one experiences Calhoun live.
Falter.Waver.Cultivate reflects the newfound cohesiveness that developed while touring in support of Calhoun's 2006 self-titled album. The last record was still basically a singer/songwriter record, Locke says. I went into the studio with a bunch of songs written on the acoustic guitar and just had people I knew come in and play whatever they wanted. There were a lot of overdubs and a lot of drum loops and it was just a stylistic mish-mash.
Now this record-this is the band, he adds. It's not entirely live; obviously there are some overdubs. But it's the band and it's real. It's raw. Everything is quite dry. And it's the way we sound on a stage. I've never made a record with so few tricks and to be honest, it was a little terrifying.
The we in Calhoun is Locke (lead vocals, guitar), longtime collaborator Byron Gordon (bass), Jordan Roberts (guitar, keys), Mike Ratliff (drums) and Nick Groesch (keys). Together, their music has been described as full of catchy melodies and irresistible hooks, and even as gorgeous, melodic, sorta poppy, sorta rootsy, sorta rockin', really splendid music.
You can call it what you will, but Locke says, We're just a pop band. Then he laughingly concedes a nod to the root-rock and alt-country influences that others hear in the band's music: Well, let's say we're just a pop band with a pedal steel thrown in occasionally.
Calhoun will tour throughout the Midwest this spring, including a prime showcase slot at the SXSW Music Festival. Northeast and West Coast dates will follow in the summer.
Check myspace.com/calhoun for the latest tour dates and band updates. Calhounmusic.com up soon.