Calcutta

Calcutta was formed in the quiet suburban town of Camarillo by several high school friends in 1995. Their years of musical training on a variety of instruments, combined with their diverse musical tastes, led to a love of rock music and technical skill that quickly distinguished them from other local garage bands. Over the years, their unique sound of quotable lyrics, screaming guitars, catchy melodies, and energetic rhythms have attracted a loyal following. After graduating from high school, the band members pursued college degrees around Southern California, all the while continuing to write and record music and play numerous shows. During this time, Calcutta won the KROQ and UC sponsored UCLA Battle of the Bands, as well as the prestigious UCLA Spring Sing, which had been previously won by bands such as Maroon 5 and Phantom Planet, and continued to play shows in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. While recording their third album, …and I remain unchanged, the band’s momentum quickly grew as they found themselves as supporting acts for artists such as Sum 41, Yellowcard, Unwritten Law, as well as on the 2002 and 2003 Vans Warped Tours. Perhaps what truly sets Calcutta apart from your “average rock band” is their knowledge of a wide variety of trades outside of music. Calcutta’s members have training in varied fields such as engineering, graphic arts, and finance, with members pursuing a law degree, a Ph.D. in engineering, and a B.A. in journalism, which gives them the advantage to produce, record, and market their music to a wide and diverse audience. The varied interests and knowledge of the band make it possible for them to bring new sounds and new ideas to their rock sound, from making their own custom guitar pedals and sequencing to creating and designing an interactive website. Calcutta recorded, engineered, and produced their latest full-length release (and fourth album) The World Alone, an album that reflects their fine-tuned style and has continued to generate an enthusiastic following throughout Southern California. Calcutta’s fan base also continued to grow across the nation, having found themselves as a featured artist on the soundtrack of ESPN NHL 2K5 for the X-box and Playstation 2, which featured six songs from The World Alone. Calcutta’s success has been chronicled in local media outlets such as the Ventura County Star, Daily Titan (CSUF), Daily Bruin (UCLA), The New University (UCI), 95.1 KBBY, www.buzzcast.com, www.purevolume.com, www.themusicedge.com, among various others. In the summer of 2005, Calcutta performed as a showcase artist at the Midwest Music Summit in Indianapolis. Calcutta has been performing shows in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange Counties, and just recorded an acoustic session for Sony/BMG studios in Santa Monica, CA, which will be released in early 2007 on Sony Connect’s website. In the midst of playing shows, Calcutta has been writing new material and has finally headed back into the studio to record their forthcoming album, to be released in summer 2007.