For the Sake of the Song - Maita, Caleb Nichols and Wryn

3220 El Camino Real,Atascadero CA 93422

17 August, 2022

Description

Maita:maitamusic.com Hot off the heels off MAITA's 2020 debut, Best Wishes, named one of the “50 Albums that Define Oregon” (Portland Monthly), MAITA’s sophomore LP, I Just Want To Be Wild For You, digs into the crippling oxymoron of modernity: the constant bombardment of communication paired with utter disconnection. Released February 18th via venerable indie label Kill Rock Stars, I Just Want To Be Wild For You grasps passionately for a world that too often seems at a gauzy distance. Of the new record, Bob Boilen (NPR music) says "She just has this sensitivity to her sound that I really really love." KEXP calls MAITA, "a master storyteller who can turn intimate moments into quippy, catchy indie-rock songs. Splitting time between her mom’s Japanese-speaking home and her father’s English-speaking home, songwriter Maria Maita-Keppeler found an expressive avenue out of her childhood shyness through music. The Portland-based songwriter tapped into that grand yet intimate reverence for MAITA’s sophomore album, from the churning twinkle of “Pastel Concrete” to the riotous give-and-take of “Honey, Have I Lost It All?”. In those moments of disconnect, of confusion, of isolation, I Just Want To Be Wild For You thunders ahead, forging unexpected connections along the way. Named Portland’s "Best New Band by the Willamette Week," MAITA, has gone on to reach national acclaim, opening for the likes of Mirah, Blind Pilot, Horse Feathers, Typhoon, as well as completing a headlining national album release tour culminating in official showcases at Treefort and SXSW, where they were named one of the 101 Essential Acts (Austin Chronicle). “A clear-eyed look at growing up and holding yourself responsible for actively creating the life you want to live instead of just waiting around for it to happen." — Cyrena Touros, NPR’s All Songs Considered “I Just Want To Be Wild For You is emotional gold.”- BUST "One of the most impressive and shining acts to come out of Portland in quite some time"- Portland Mercury "The rarified class of artists with the ability to enthrall the listener right from the jump"- Spin Since 2005, Caleb Nichols has played guitar, bass, and sang in bands as disparate as DIY folk-punks the Bloody Heads, mid-2000's Pitchfork buzz band Port O'Brien, and Rogue Wave side project Release the Sunbird, not to mention his own projects, Grand Lake, CHURCHES and Soft People. After nearly a decade of touring, recording, and struggling, Caleb took a break from music in 2013, earned master’s degrees in Library Science and English Literature, and began working as a librarian and teacher, as well as a poet. Caleb has published poems in places like the Longleaf Review, Redivider, Queerlings, 14 Poems, Dear Poetry Journal and many more. His first chapbook was published as an ebook by Unsolicited Press in 2020 and his debut print chapbook was called “a gorgeous abundance” by celebrated poet Chen Chen. Caleb’s poetry has won an Academy of American Poets University Prize, and he is currently working on a PhD in Creative & Critical Writing at Bangor University in Northwest Wales. He also serves the literary community in San Luis Obispo by running the SLO Book Bike: a pop-up, bike-powered bookshop that specializes in small press and LGBTQ+ poetry, fiction, and memoir. In August 2022, Caleb’s debut non-fiction chapbook is out from iconic UK imprint Broken Sleep Books. In 2021 Caleb was signed to legendary indie label Kill Rock Stars. His new EP “Clarion” is out now, and he’s been playing shows with an epic cast of rotating band members that includes Adam and Alex Nash (Goodnight Texas), Kevin Middlekauf (Proxima Parada), Pat Spurgeon (Rogue Wave, the Dandy Warhols) and Joshua Barnhart (Port O’Brien, Strange Pilgrim). The shows are joyful, contagious, and electric, and mark a stunning return to music from a poet and musician who’s just never given up. Kill Rock Stars will release Caleb’s full-length debut solo album on all formats in 2022. Follow Caleb on Twitter and Instagram @seanickels. Wryn is a musician, writer, and video artist based on the central coast of California. Their work investigates transmutation, reflection, gender, parenthood, and absorption of the self. Wryn’s music has been described as “Introspective.. lyrically sincere yet sophisticated”, “ tough yet heartfelt, and loaded with potential”. The depth of their live performances and recorded work has lead them to be compared to heavy emotional hitters such as Adrianne Lenker, PJ Harvey, Phil Elverum, Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olson. After years of bedroom recordings Wryn is currently working on their debut Album ‘Shapes’ with producer Bella Blasko.