”L.A. band Calling Cadence has released a new song with an old-school vibe. The band says the song “Throw My Body” was recorded without the use of any computers; the performance was captured with a vintage tape machine.” - KTLA (on “Throw My Body”)
“...it’s a smorgasbord of folk, rock, soul, punk, jazz, and country with an easy-to-digest attitude and gotcha hooks. All that, coupled with the extremely high level of musicianship, makes the end product easily absorbed.” - The Audio Beat
“The band casts a large net and has clearly soaked up inspiration from a disparate cross-section of some all-timers while forging their own sound that could sit comfortably next to Chris Stapleton (“Took a Chance”) or… Michael frigging Jackson (“This Time”). There’s Memphis Soul, and A.M. Gold in them hills too. A veritable smorgasbord of sonic exploration and goodness. “ - Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
CR: Michelle Shiers
LISTEN TO “JUST THE WAY IT GOES” : HERE
Los Angeles band Calling Cadence have released their latest single, “Just The Way It Goes”— out today on hi-res records. Fronted by Oscar Bugarin and Rae Cole, and backed by a wrecking crew of LA musicians, Calling Cadence is a band rooted in harmony — harmony between voices, between songwriters, between genres like rock, country and Southern soul. The result is a sound that's as warm and diverse as the duo's native California, where Oscar and Rae first crossed paths. He was an ace guitarist from L.A. who'd grown up listening to old-school rock and roll pioneers like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, only to discover country music while serving in the U.S. Army in Kansas. She was a lifelong vocalist who'd grown up onstage, starring in countless theater productions in her hometown of Huntington Beach before exploring her interests in classic rock, folk and modern pop as an adult. Together, they began writing songs that blended their vintage influences — the dreamy pop of Fleetwood Mac, the sunny soul of Stevie Wonder, the rootsy rock and roll of the Eagles — with modern melodies.
“Just The Way It Goes” is a revenge song for anyone who has ever been ghosted, in addition to being a lament on modern-day dating. Oscar was listening to a lot of Motown and Sam Cooke when this song came about. “Oscar brought this song to the group, and described it as a slap in the face for people who ghost other people,” Rae told Folk n’ Rock magazine. “We only jammed on the song a couple of times before he brought it to the studio. Once he got it going, everyone was super stoked on it, and we had to add it to the album. It was also a new experience watching Oscar in front of a mic without a guitar, but he killed it.”
The song is off the band's self-titled debut album, whose songs nod to the past while resolutely pushing forward. It's a classic-sounding record for the contemporary world. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered straight to analog tape. Computers were only employed for streaming prep and CD replication. Produced by David Swartz and Matt Linesch, the album is being released on their label, hi-res records. The producers and band thought long and hard about diving into the all-analog domain but came to the conclusion that the final product would benefit in a way that digital would not allow. The 15 songs shine a light on Calling Cadence's strength as a live act, blending Oscar and Rae's entwined voices with vintage keyboards, guitar heroics, and plenty of percussive and low-end stomp. The accompanying musicians on this album include Josh Adams on drums (Jon Batiste, Norah Jones, Devendra Banhart, Beck), Mitchell Yoshida on keyboards (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros), and Elijah Thomson on bass (Father John Misty, Nathaniel Rateliff).
For Calling Cadence (whose name pays tribute to Oscar's time in the army), recording to analog tape wasn't just a production choice; it was a way of maintaining honesty with themselves and their audience. Like the classic albums that inspired Calling Cadence's layered vocal arrangements and warm, guitar-driven sound, the record is a genuine snapshot of a band on the rise. And, once again, it all comes back to harmony.
"When you're playing live and people know your songs, it's like you're calling cadence in the military," Oscar says. "There's that connection — that call and response with your audience — that brings everyone together. And that's what we hope to do with these songs.”
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