Today, the LA based pop-punk/emo quintet Calmgrove release a candid and hook-heavy EP, ‘True Color’.
Formed in 2018 on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Calmgrove has emerged onto the scene with a well-honed balance of alternative rock, pop-punk and emo, delivering with an assured cohesion, grit and honesty. As first seen on 2018 debut single “Lifelong”, Calmgrove’s elements of urgency intertwine with hook-heavy melodies and edgy punk tones.
“True Color is several years in the making and we feel like it’s the best collection of music that we have put out. The main things that make up the Calmgrove sound, like palm-muted riffs, catchy vocals, and energetic drums are still present, but we pushed ourselves creatively with these songs. These songs are meant to be played loud, so go for a drive and blast it with the windows down. We hope you enjoy it and we’ll see you at a show this summer!” – lead vocalist Eric Guzman speaking on the new collection
A track by track breakdown from Calmgrove
- True Color, the title track of our EP and the most important song on it, in my opinion. I feel like this song summarizes what this collection of music is all about. We wrote this song while on tour and demoed it in the van. When we got home, we listened through and did some tweaking to it, but even in the early stages, it felt like something special. I love how it’s energetic and in your face from the moment it starts. The song is all about betrayal and not understanding where someone is coming from, and eventually seeing their true colors.
- Say Less is one of the first songs we wrote for the “True Color” EP and comes from a place of feeling like when things sound too good to be true, that they probably are. In this industry, there can be a lot of false promises made and sometimes it’s better to keep your circle tight. Say Less features the phrase “True Color” in it and serves as a little easter egg to keep the theme going. This song starts off very vibey with drums, bass, and some ambient guitars on top, but picks up the pace when the chorus hits. We’re really excited to play this one live.
- Jade is a song that came together pretty quickly. Our guitarist Daniel demoed it out and sent it to us in our chat, and we immediately got to work on it. It’s our first time experimenting with programmed drums (check out the pre chrouses) and we felt that it added a new dynamic to the song. Personally, I love the transition from the first chorus to the second verse. It’s a bass/drum drive part that’s super groovy. Our guitarist Tommy used an E-Bow on this part and it sounds so rad. The song is about people that can get caught up in their own head and let their thoughts carry them away. Sometimes we can help those people out and get them out of their own way, and other times it could be a moment to sever ties.
- Tossing In My Sleep is the song on the EP that probably had the most change to it from when we first wrote it to the final product. We had a different riff for the intro/verses and decided to write something new while in the studio. The line “Shiver even when the sun is highest, couldn’t place my name in the concrete” was originally used for the chorus, but collectively we felt like it would be a better pre chorus. During the recording process, we reached out to Brad Garcia of Locket to see if he would be interested in being featured on the second verse. Luckily, he was down and he absolutely crushed his part. Hopefully we can play some shows with Locket, so we can do it live! I wrote Tossing In My Sleep about feeling overwhelmed while I was in my masters program. I felt like most of my goals were out of reach and it kept me up for many nights.
- Daydream is the final song on the EP and it’s one that I feel that I was most vulnerable on. I wrote this song while feeling like time wasn’t on my side anymore and that at some point you have to know when to call it quits. I think that this song is extremely relatable because we can get so caught up in waiting and wishing for things to be different that we slowly waste away the time we can spend making an actual change. I am excited to play this one live and think there’s many parts for the crowd to sing along.
