Calva Louise: At The Edge Of The Abyss
The modern rock and metal scene thrives on innovation, and few bands embody that spirit as fiercely as CALVA LOUISE. Comprised of Jess Allanic (vocals/guitar), Ben Parker (drums), and Alizon Taho (bass), this multicultural group hailing from Venezuela, New Zealand, and France have spent years carving out a space in the UK scene where punk ferocity and sci-fi storytelling collide. Fresh off the heels of their most recent tour with Indian metal sensation BLOODYWOOD, Ben and Alizon sit down with us to discuss their whirlwind last few months, the making of their latest album Edge of the Abyss, and what lies ahead for the genre-blurring trio.
CALVA LOUISE themselves are no strangers to the DIY spirit, with Alizon himself having built their singer Jess a sliding keyboard rig, which has now become a hallmark of their live performance. From self-produced music videos filmed with friends, to funding tours on a shoestring budget, the band’s scrappy determination has become their defining feature, and inspired the narrative for their latest album, Edge of the Abyss, out as of July 11th.
Through their latest singles and music videos, CALVA LOUISE have been weaving an intricate sci-fi narrative (playfully dubbed the Calva Louise Cinematic Universe) across their releases. “People are really catching on to the storyline and characters,” Alizon explains, “when the first couple of videos came out it was like ‘oh, that’s cool, sci-fi’ but then now that there’s been a few out that contain part of the stories and recurring characters, people are really catching on to that.”
Whilst the dazzling spaceship featured in the music video for Under The Skin may look like it was part of a high-end production, in reality the entire project was spun up solely by Allanic. When speaking about the storyline development of the ‘doubles’, Alizon highlights, “Jess literally does it all on her computer upstairs, all the 3D, [she] directs it and we all kind of chip in and do everything, moving lights and holding cameras and stuff.”
Edge of the Abyss is another leap forward for CALVA LOUISE, both sonically and within the band’s self-made sci-fi lore. While the visuals might a team effort, the music itself is bolder and more experimental than ever, doing the unthinkable and blending even more genres than before. Ben cites Tunnel Vision as “just a great song to play live”, while Alizon admits his favourite has now switched to Hate in Me: “we’ll see what other people react to it but, I think there’s probably something for everyone in that album.”
Reflecting on their journey to this point, Alizon emphasises the band’s relentless drive. “It’s hard to pinpoint something but I feel like Edge of the Abyss, it’s also kind of how we always lived and how the band’s always been, moving forward. It’s like we never had a backup plan and never had a safety net.”
With the band’s origins in London having been a tumultuous one, sleeping on sofas and trying to make industry connections, even as recently as their last tour, CALVA LOUISE have still been practising a fine balancing act. When speaking about the Return of the Singh tour, Ben reveals they “were actually at Shiprocked, on the boat discussing [the tour offer]. We were just talking about, like, ‘we need to find a way to do this’ because, obviously we’re currently in the States at the time, so it’s like ‘okay, how are we going to afford this now, it’s like two weeks after we land back in the UK, it starts’ so, like, gonna find a way!”
“But it’s always been like that,” Alizon reiterates, “it worked out just about because of the fantastic audience that supported us by getting some merch and stuff. You think ‘oh, it’s impossible to plan these things’, because it feels like a coincidence, almost, it’s too perfect. But it worked out just about right, and it’s been like that since the start of the band, because we put everything we got into it and sometimes it’s like, if you do one misstep, you’re just gonna fall in the abyss. But yeah, we’re still here!”
Sonically, CALVA LOUISE’s evolution hasn’t been linear, initially emerging from the indie scene and evolving their sound into a heavier, more experimental space. “He was a big inspiration for us, as well as THE STROKES,” Ben recalls, referencing their early “indie days” supporting ALBERT HAMMOND JR. in 2018. “The first album, we had like literally 10 days in the studio and that’s it, just to produce an album, so it was much more kind of shaped to be a certain way,” Alizon explains, but the heavier, more experimental sound they’ve embraced lately feels like a homecoming. “We’ve always loved indie music, but there was definitely all these things inside, especially for Jess I felt like, she’d been told ‘you can’t scream’. Our roots as you know, when we met as teenagers, we bonded over bands like SYSTEM OF A DOWN. I feel like now, over the years Jess has been able to just more freely write and explore. It’s cool that there’s no barriers now, to the sound or to what can be done.”
It feels like CALVA LOUISE have touched nearly every genre, be it electronica, funk, metal and even Latin rock, but the band don’t feel pressure to go in any sort of direction. “[Jess] bought a Quattro for the album, and that’s where the little stringy Latin sound comes from. So who knows what’s going to be on the next one!” Alizon jokes, with Ben piping up “I’m sure the orchestra will come, at some point.”
So, what is next for CALVA LOUISE? The band’s momentum is undeniable – at the time of interview, they had just been announced as a surprise act at 2000trees Festival, playing songs off of the new album live for the first time. True to form, they’re already plotting their next gamble. “We were planning to do some touring after the album’s out for the fall,” Alizon teases; a UK headline tour this autumn. Later, the trio were revealed as supports on STRAY FROM THE PATH’s farewell tour, along with hardcore upstarts ALPHA WOLF. Just last year, they were touring in the USA with Scottish rockers VUKOVI, however Ben states his dream of playing Japan and his home country of New Zealand, while Alizon eyes up the French festival Hellfest, or “anywhere where they will have us”. The band is gearing up for an equally busy second half to the year, taking the only approach they know how – by leaping first and figuring it out mid-air. CALVA LOUISE’s message is clear: expect the unexpected, and if Edge of the Abyss proves anything, it’s that their best is yet to come.
Edge Of The Abyss is out now via Mascot Records. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS123 here:
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