Australian artist, actor, writer, provocateur and musician Kirin J Callinan has shared his highly anticipated, long awaited new album If I Could Sing. Written between Sydney, Los Angeles, and an extended period of pandemic-era isolation in a coastal batch in New Zealand, If I Could Sing is a deep and personal exploration into the depths of Kirin’s inner workings. From pure pop bliss, to grosgrain-like hymns, the record spans all corners of Callinan’s creative world.
Kirin J Callinan, first came to prominence as the flamboyant, wiry and wildly original guitarist in the internationally hyped Sydney band Mercy Arms. As a solo artist, he is known largely for his highly charged, physically daring, and often equally vulnerable & heartfelt as they are hysterical, live performances. As a guitarist and writer, has collaborated with the best of them, from Connan Mockasin to Weyes Blood, Mac Demarco to Mark Ronson, and most recently working with American pop-sensation Caroline Polacheck on her latest album Desire, I Want To Turn Into You.
A note from Kirin on the conception of the album: “Dear listener, Thank you for taking the time, and welcome to my latest public display of creation, truth, absurdity & revelation!
“Initially, when setting out to write & record this album, I hoped to capture, in the bottle, the fun and play and spark and spontaneity of people playing music together in a room. Sharing in some ecstatic joy and raw power, and possibly bearing witness to some divine combinations, making something outta nothing and then giving it away. It might seem obvious, but so little recorded music today is made this way, performed live & improvised by people listening and communicating with each other. I find it’s often and continually a revelation for me, to be making noise with people I love. ‘Young Drunk Driver’, ‘Anæmic Adonis’, ‘Chop Chop’, ‘It’s The Truth’ were all born this way, captured at the source.
“Also captured, however, were things I never intended, and things I had forgot. My stark limitations, for example. My isolation & my loneliness. My hurt. My silliness, my malice even, my ego, my surrender. Repeatedly and throughout the making of this album, I had to reckon ‘n’ wrestle ‘n’ push n ultimately make peace with these sides of myself, my prisons and their wardens.
“In the midst of self doubt, in the fog of war and in the depths of heartbreak, the only way out of the smoke is through the flames. No up & over, or under, no going round the side. Humility, patience & faith can help, but that’s not all. You gotta be able to do a little dance.
I hope you enjoy If I Could Sing.“
Release: February 2nd, 2024, Worse Records / [PIAS]