Monefa Meets... Calva Louise
Photo: Keira Cullinane.
To say that Jess, Alizon and Ben are talented would be perhaps a gross understatement. If you've seen them live,
you know exactly what I mean. They are powerful and know exactly how to work the crowd. Each month the demand to hear them perform increases. They have blown people away at so many gigs and festivals this year, like when they supported Trampolene at the 229 in September. They were kind enough to have a quick chat with me, before their set supporting Paves' latest single release courtesy of This Feeling at the Monarch last Thursday.
Calva Louise...hello hello!
Calva Louise: Hello!
Can I just first say,I absolutely love your music. Been following it for the past couple of months and I'm like "wow". Literally hit after hit you guys, so so good
Jess: Well...just two for now!
Well I know more will be coming, so don't worry! What do you think has been the turning point for you this year, that's seen your hard work pay off?
Jess: I think it's the release that we did 5 days ago with ModernSkyUK.
What's it called?
J: It's called 'Getting Closer'. This is our first proper release too, so we're really excited!
Which festivals did you get to cover over the summer?
J: We did Tenement Trail in Glasgow, we also did Hit The North, Stag and Dagger and Ritual Union in Oxford.
Have you got any in mind for next year? Where would you like to play?
J: More with This Feeling. It's going somewhere
Absolutely! So how did you get together and form the band?
A: Well, Jess and I knew each other before, and kind of just the two of us playing. Then we met Ben in London, playing a gig actually, and we offered for him to come on board and record some demo's and we just clicked after that really.
B: Spiralled...out of control from that point. Out of control and in to control.
A: Yeah, and Calva Louise was born!
B: Hell yeah!
What do you think, is one of the things that's making it difficult –at the moment- in the music business in terms of musicians getting exposure and getting covered etc?
J: Very few invest in anything. So when you don't really have money, it's really hard to rehearse and do something. You can practise all you want but then if you don't really have some support...
...You mean like in terms of recording etc?
J: Yeah exactly. Even travelling. Travelling is really really hard for us because we travel in a Twingo that has just one door that works.
Ohh bloody hell!
J: We don't really have backlines, and stuff like that either.
So you have to rely on the music venue, the generosity from other bands to help you out?
J: Yeah. Pretty much everyone has been really nice, but people expect and go like "Where's the van? Where is the van?"
B: There's the 2 of us,and we get put into this little tiny car..
J: ...And we're like "Hey, that's why we took a picture with it." Then will people will see,"This is the Calva Louise mobile!" But yeah, that’s the thing. We have met wonderful people, that have helped us a lot. For example, Margo
Broom from Hermitage Works Studios. She has been our mentor throughout the creation process. She's the one who recorded and mixed the new single.
Oh wow, that's brilliant! So she helped from beginning to end?
A: Yeah she helped pre production and production.
J: She's like a Mum to us.
A question that I've been asking a few bands lately...anything you've been following on TV, that you may be a little bit obsessed with?
B: Netflix counts right??
Definitely
B: We've all been binging Stranger Things 2
Oh me as well,I watched it twice actually haha
A: Me as well yeah
B: You watched it twice...without me?!? But yeah apart from that,I'm not such a big TV person.
What about books, are there any you're reading at the moment?
J: I'm always reading this author Carlos Castaneda, I really like him so been reading a bunch of his books and Latin American/South American writers.
I haven't read a lot of Latin American writers,but I like some of the poets,they’re really really good and powerful. I just have one more question before you get ready for your set. When do you think you'll know when, you've found your formula in terms of where you want to be.
(All): Never!
J: ...And the thing is,when you think you know something,a formula,it just doesn't work a second time.
Is it a bit like the minute you think you have it, it can go up in the air again?
J: Exactly! But I think it's fun,it's a challenge. It's like fighting to understand what we're doing and sometimes we're like "oh I think....no,no."
I think it's that creative cycle; you get frustrated, you get a bit of a block and then after the block, comes the lightbulb moment and you go "Yes!" then it dies down a bit again and then up again.
A: Frustration before the inspiration
Ben: There's definitely a stream of inspiration where when you jump on it, it goes faster if you focus on it.
(CL introduce me to their sound engineer)
J: I just wanted to mention, this is the 4th member of Calva Louise. He's our best friend and he's a wonderful sound engineer.
B: He makes the magic happen!
J: He's becoming more like,the 4th member of the band.
A: You also see him featuring in the videos
B: If you look closely, always a cameo!
It was lovely chatting with you all and really looking forward to hearing you play tonight!
You can check out Calva Louise here.
Check out the video for new single 'Getting Closer'
Catch them live Saturday 2nd December at This Feeling at London Water Rats.