Biography

RANCHO CALIFORNIA by CALICO the band at radio now!

CURRENT RADIO PLAY:

KCSN 88.5 FM LOS ANGELES, CA
KBAC 98.1 FM SANTA FE, NM
KZSC 88.1FM SANTA CRUZ, CA
KRSH (THE KRUSH) 95.9 FM SANTA ROSA, CA
KZME 107.1FM PORTLAND, OR
KRLT 93.9FM LAKE TAHOE, NV
KAFF COUNTRY 93.5FM FLAGSTAFF, AZ
KXLU 88.9FM LOS ANGELES, CA
BBC - Marie Crichton's Country Show
WRIP 97.9 FM CATSKILLS NY
WBSD 89.1 FM Burlington WI
WMVY 92.7 FM Vineyard Haven, MA
KNBA 90.3 FM Anchorage AK
KXT 91.7 Dallas TX
KPFT 90.1 FM Houston TX
KUT 90.5 FM Austin TX
KSER 90.7 FM Everett WA
KVNF 90.9 FM Paonia CO

Online Radio:
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NewFolkRadio.com
OceanBeachRadio.com

~ Bio ~

CALICO the band is three: Kirsten Proffit, Manda Mosher, and Aubrey Richmond. All are great and dedicated musicians, each with accomplished and celebrated solo careers under way. That is, until Calico brought them together. As powerful as each is individually, an undeniable magic occurs when all three come together. It’s at the heart of their debut album, Rancho California, which is replete with singularly strong songwriting chops, rich harmonies, and a pervasive Americana passion. Like the expansive spirit of Laurel Canyon that spawned so many famous bands and artists, now comes this new spirit, rooted in the vast valleys and canyons of L.A.

Calico stands for California country, and also for the cat that appeared at Manda’s door one dark night, and a ghost town about halfway between L.A. and Vegas. It’s in the gentle mystery of that cat, and in that dusty stretch of desert that their music starts, haunted by Western ghosts of the past, but gentle with modern spirits, too, all blown together like tumbleweeds towards the big city. Calico is about that eternal place where the big city meets that lonely desert, where the freeways converge at the ocean. It’s about timeless roots music; it’s about voices singing in harmony.

“We’re very connected to a community of artists and venues that are flying the Americana flag,” said Manda, “deeply influenced by the old scenes from the Palomino days, the Bakersfield Country sound from Buck Owens carried on by Dwight Yoakam, the sound of Gram Parsons’ music, Joshua Tree and more.” “We’re here to tell people that Americana music is very much alive,” said Kirsten, “and California is a viable source for this style. We’re passionate about carrying on the tradition by incorporating these influences, but through a new lens, and always with respect.”

CALICO the band extends the tradition of groups like Crosby, Stills & Nash, Fleetwood Mac and Eagles, both in terms of their L.A. roots, and by being a band of songwriters. “When you have bands where everybody’s a songwriter,” said Manda, “and everybody could lead on their own, and have a lead voice, but share that, it is powerful. That is who we are.” Indeed CALICO the band is much about sharing: about sharing a musical vision, as well as sharing verses, sharing harmonies, sharing a singular spirit. “Bands that have more than one songwriter can be problematic,” said Aubrey, “or just brilliant. And Calico is brilliant. All of our different songs and visions combine to make something great.”

Formed in 2012, CALICO the band started touring right away performing over 130 shows a year, which led to receiving National Touring Artist of the Year for the Los Angeles Music Awards in 2013. They’re known for their electrifying shows deemed “jaw dropping” by Neil Portnow, President of The GRAMMYs. Their debut album Rancho California releases on September 2nd on California Country Records, LLC distributed by Smith Entertainment Group. The first single, “High Road,” adds at radio on August 25th. Focus tracks are: “Fool’s Gold”, “San Andreas Shake”, and “Runaway Cowgirl”.

This year they played at STAGECOACH Festival 2014 along with many of today’s top Country and Americana acts, and were joined onstage by special Foo Fighter guests, Chris Shiflett & Rami Jaffee. You can hear CALICO the band’s music on TV shows such as ABC’s hit series Nashville, and NBC’s The Night Shift.

Kirsten Proffit is an award-winning songwriter whose songs have been heard in countless movies and TV shows, including “Friday Night Lights,” “Dawson’s Creek,” “Smallville”, “Party of Five” and Jiminy Glick in Lalawood. Her critically acclaimed solo album, Lucky Girl, generated two singles, both of which garnered much airplay, “Something I Can’t Be” and “Redemption Day.” She’s also a celebrated solo performer who has shared the stage with Duncan Sheik, Paula Cole, the Steve Miller Band and others. Born in Santa Cruz, California, at 10 she moved with her family to Majorca, Spain for three years before returning to California. In 2006 she was named Best Female Artist in the Orange County Music Awards.

Manda Mosher is, remarkably, a sixth generation Angeleno. She spent her first years in a Victorian house, since bulldozed, in Glendale. Her Everything You Need album, and the EP follow up City of Clowns, won her rave reviews and a legion of fans around this country. As a teen she fronted rock bands, but knew there was more to learn, and studied songwriting at Berklee before returning to L.A. She worked inside the music industry, at a label, in music publishing and at The Recording Academy, all the while honing her singing-songwriting chops. In 2005, she won Female Singer/Songwriter Of The Year at the Los Angeles Music Awards, which led to her first album, produced by Guy Erez, on Red Parlor Records. She toured extensively, and released her EP, which contained two singles, “City of Clowns” and a poignant cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper.” In 2010, the Los Angeles Music Awards awarded her with National Touring Artist of The Year.

Aubrey Richmond is a celebrated and award-winning violinist/fiddler as well as a gifted singer-songwriter. A respected and sought-after live and studio musician, she’s performed and recorded with a vast array of artists of every genre, as well as GRAMMY and award-winning producers and songwriters. Her credits include working with Shooter Jennings, Jason Charles Miller, Dan Navarro and the Celtic Tenors, to name a few. From sitting in and trading licks with world-class musicians at home, to performing with bands all over the globe, she’s opened for Nashville legends Martina McBride and Tim McGraw, renowned rock band Alice in Chains, and acclaimed songwriter JD Souther. Her playing can also be heard in many TV shows, commercials and movies, including My One and Only, “Sons of Anarchy,”“90210”, “True Blood,” “Devil’s Ride” and “Togetherness.”