Guy Calhoun interview

He’s got an impressive and very Bristol musical history under his belt and now singer/songwriter Guy Calhoun is preparing to launch his new album at The Folk House.

Born in 1975 in Bristol, Guy spent his childhood surrounded by musicians, artists and DJs, attending live music events in Folk clubs, flash art shows and UK festivals. At the age of eleven he was performing his first gigs and busking on the streets of Bristol. He appeared as the youngest ever solo performer on Glastonbury’s Acoustic stage in 1990 aged just 15.

It was Adrian Utley or Portishead who taught Guy to play guitar, helping him find a style which draws on a mixture of cultures inspired by folk, blues and the roots reggae and dub music that was the soundtrack to everyday life growing up in St. Paul’s, the heart of the Bristol Sound System culture in the 1980s. He went on to become a founder member of Dub from Atlantis, Los Mercenarios, Roots Prescription and 5000AD. 

Guy said: “Having grown up in St. Pauls, Bristol, Reggae has always been a big part of my life. I began working with a collective called Armagideon Sounds, playing guitar on Dub tracks in the studio and going to dances. For me all Roots music comes from the heart so it felt like a natural transition to move from Folk to Reggae. Funk and Soul have also been a deep influence on my singing and playing as well. It feels good to make people dance and to shred solos, but in the end songwriting is where I always find myself coming back to.”

He goes on to tell us about his new album: “The album is a collection of ballads and stories about life’s trials and tribulations. They touch on my personal experiences of love, acceptance, joy and loss. It’s been great to have worked with such talented musicians: Gina Griffin on violin, Beth Porter on cello, Joe Allen on double bass, Kesty Morrison on backing vocals, Kit Hawes on lead guitar and Henry Slim on harmonica. The instrumentation brings the songs to life, giving them a textural depth that emphasises the sentiment in each piece.”

Guy’s played many of the venues in Bristol and experienced most to the others as a punter. Through this, he’s developed firm favourites. He said: “There are lots of great music venues in Bristol and they all have their individual charms. For me, it’s always been about who I’m with rather than where I’m at. Going out to see live music can either be a social or a very personal experience, so it also depends on what I’m listening to and why. But to name a few, Trinity for sound systems, Thekla for bands, the Exchange for getting your mind blown and Left Bank on a Wednesday Open Mic night for total unpredictable fun.

He added: “I’m doing my album launch at the Bristol Folk House which I’m really looking forward to as it’s the perfect venue for singer-songwriters.”

See Guy Calhoun live at The Folk House on November 30. 2014. More information at: www.folkhousemusic.com/live_music/guy-calhoun-band-album-lainch_november_30