Toronto Alternative artist Caldher is a uniquely engaging artist who captivates audiences with his refreshingly honest lyrics, warm vocals, and creative arrangements. The 2nd-generation Chinese-Canadian musician is a Humber College School of Music graduate who poignantly addresses difficult to discuss topics with a current focus on the societal differences between his traditional Chinese upbringing and Canadian culture. Inspired by the music of Radiohead, Phoebe Bridgers, and Arctic Monkeys along with artful sounds of the Jazz and R&B genres, Caldher’s own invigorating sound combines a multitude of musical influences with his uniquely stirring concepts. As a former member of the Toronto All Star Big Band, a celebrated group of young professional artists and musicians performing spirited music from the 30’s and 40’s Caldher’s versatility as an artist who can perform old-school classics to his own brand of modern-Alternative is constantly on display. As he gears up to release his debut EP this year, Caldher will be releasing, “Signal”, a melodic, intricate new single that will serve as the perfect introduction to the emerging artist. “Signal” will be released on Friday, February 24 2023.
Toronto Show:
Caldher will be performing at Toronto’s Dakota Tavern on Friday, March 3rd 2023.
Recorded at Gordon Wragg Recording Studios in Etobicoke, ON, “Signal” was co-produced by Caldher himself along with Suho Lee. The song was engineered and mixed by Wayne Cochrane (Arkells, City and Colour), and features outstanding musical performances by a number of Caldher’s classmates.
About “Signal”:
From its stripped down opening with just piano and vocals, “Signal” slowly builds into an expansive, invigorating Alternative-Pop ballad that is impossible to listen to just once. A personal account of loneliness and how it relates to his traditional Chinese upbringing clashing with Canadian society, Caldher uses both lyrics and music to poignantly communicate feelings of isolation and confusion following a breakup. Acknowledging that sharing emotions and feelings was a practice he never saw modeled in his traditional Chinese home, “Signal” confesses both the challenge and hesitation the artist experienced when he attempted to reach out to friends for support. With stunning harmonies, rousing electric guitar, and intoxicating synth lines, “Signal” is both emotional and whimsical and jam-packed with imaginative creativity. Chronicling a struggle to connect in a society with never-ending digital opportunities to communicate, Caldher’s “Signal” also describes the relatable worry of not wanting to bother people in their busy lives. Nearly three months in the making, the song was musically inspired by the groove of Elliott Smith’s music, and the idea of having two halves of a song blending together.
Caldher’s upcoming EP is an inventive, imagination fuelled project about emotions, namely loneliness and isolation, and how society deals with them. Using an astronaut as the protagonist, the outer-space based project is a uniquely creative musical journey through experiences that unite us all.
From Caldher:
“Signal is a song which explores the topic of inherent loneliness and how prevalent the feeling can be, even in a time where we can be connected to anyone within an instant. It revolves around the concept of how we as humans are intrinsically a social species, yet are separated by how society and technology is structured.” – Caldher
Biography:
From the word caldera – a depression created after the eruption from a volcano. The sense of melancholy after the fleeting moments of excitement. Chinese-Canadian artist Caldher draws inspiration from his upbringing, seeking to depict this dichotomy through his songwriting. Balancing between two seemingly different worlds – his childhood rooted in Chinese culture while growing up as a 2nd generation Chinese-Canadian child – Caldher always felt most at home through music. It was when he discovered his first punk band where he became enamoured by the craft of songwriting, being inspired later on by musical geniuses such as Thom Yorke and Phoebe Bridgers. “Out of sight, out of mind” is a phrase that applies far too well to many Chinese families, in particular pertaining to the expression of negative emotions or thoughts. Through music, Caldher was able to understand the importance behind articulating one’s feelings, and strives to unlearn this way of thinking that is deep-rooted in his culture. Telling a story through multiple lenses, Caldher simply wishes to make a connection in an increasingly distancing world the one way he knows how to – through his craft.
In his debut EP to be released later this year, Caldher explores elements of loneliness and isolation through the eyes of a distraught astronaut who ultimately sends himself to space because of these overbearing emotions. In this four-track project, the astronaut explores the stages of grief caused by his isolation, and comes to accept the pain he is feeling. Alongside electrifying synth lines and driving guitar rhythms, Caldher’s wistful singing and lyricism cuts through as he narrates through a cinematic and engaging experience.
Connect with Caldher:
Website: https://caldher.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caldhermusic/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caldhermusic/
