Cal Osten
- R.A.G.
- 5 days ago
- 1 min read
Cal Osten is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, and graphic artist based in Seattle, WA. His strong DIY approach is on full display in his latest project, in which he performs all instruments and vocals, as well as production and mixing duties. His debut album Sweet Lines to Read Between was mastered by “Godfather of Grunge” Jack Endino, producer of legendary acts such as Nirvana and Soundgarden, and released on his own independent label, Eggplant Records. After years of toiling in the Seattle underground scene as frontman of prog/psych/grunge outfit Ocelot Omelet, Osten finally decided to confront his love/hate relationship with alcohol by getting sober in 2022. What resulted was an outpour of dozens of songs, the strongest of which are represented here in this offering. Drawing from a wide range of musical influences, including dreampop, shoegaze, classic country, folk, new wave, and 90's alternative, Osten weaves these into a tapestry of sound that has been described as "sober psychedelic". Lush layers of piano, guitar, percussion, and synthesizer present a dreamy landscape while his lyrics touch on feelings of crippling anxiety, addiction, depression, and loneliness, as well as finding love and embracing queer sexuality. Osten has always viewed his music as a sort of catharsis, and aspires to reach and inspire like-minded listeners both locally and globally.
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