The Calamatix is the self-titled debut album from reggae-rooted, punk-flavored quartet, The Calamatix. Pulling influences from Jamaican rocksteady, and old-school ska, the heart of The Calamatix’s sound is lead singer-songwriter, Raylin Joy. Born in Ventura, California, Joy grew up in Scotland and moved back to the US when she was 23. Joy’s writing and the life experiences that inform it, propels The Calamatix’s triumphant songs about love and life. The contrast between the optimistic spirit of these songs and the struggle that produced them gives each song a real power and weight.
“I had no intention to ever write any sort of anti-establishment songs,” admits Roe Kapara, the incisive songwriter hailing from Los Angeles by way of St. Louis. “I think it’s just the shock of living right now.” With half a million monthly Spotify listeners sharing his sense of hopelessness about the world they've inherited, Kapara translates the frustrations of coming of age in modern America into five sharp-witted songs on his EP Big Cigars and Satin Shorts. In this second release under Epitaph Records, Kapara marries a radical punk ethos with electrifying indie-rock spirit, offering a poignant reflection of how an entire generation of desensitized, bleeding-heart young people are feeling.