Introducing The Calamatix: the reggae-rooted, punk-flavored quartet led by the alluring vocals of songstress Raylin Joy, and made complete by guitarist Adam Porris, bassist William “Matty” Taylor and drummer Clarence “Pocket” Kidd III. In the path of ska and reggae legends like Hepcat and The Interrupters, today they announce their signing to Hellcat Records and release their dynamic new single “Rootstyle.”
At the helm of producer and co-writer Tim Armstrong (Rancid, Op Ivy), the band’s chops are on full display with the bittersweet rocksteady song. Boasting co-writes from Grammy nominated Albert Hype (Bad Bunny, Kali Uchis) and Scott Abels (Hepcat, The Aggrolites), The Calamatix share the accompanying music video co-directed by Armstrong and Kevin Kerslake (Green Day, Nirvana, The Interrupters) below!
” “Rootstyle” was one of the first songs we ever wrote and was a huge influence sparking our project before The Calamatix even existed,” Raylin explains. “We wanted to capture that feeling of when you just wanna chill and listen to music in the sun! An anthem just in time for the summer months coming up.”
Born in Ventura, California, Joy grew up in Scotland and moved back to the US when she was 23. Her songwriting, and the life experiences that inform it, are the base of The Calamatix’s triumphant songs about love and life. Pulling influences from Jamaican rocksteady and old-school ska, the group started out as a fun writing project between herself Tim Armstrong, who fondly describes those early days and their dynamic as collaborators:
“When Ray and I started writing together we weren’t sure what it would be for,” Armstrong recalls. “I quickly recognized how easy it was for us to construct songs together so it was a super fun process. She’s an incredibly talented storyteller and the way she connects and communicates is amazing.”
Soon, their songs were begging for a bigger sound and Raylin set out to recruit an eclectic group of talented musicians to make The Calamatix really feel like a band. The addition of Adam, Matty & Clarence was “organic and just natural” according to the accomplished drummer. Even Tim himself couldn’t hold back his appreciation, lauding their “deep knowledge of music, drawing from a lot of different styles from soul, reggae, rock and jazz.”
Paying homage to classic Jamaican sounds informed by a contemporary and comprehensive perspective, The Calamatix are here to write their chapter of the ska-punk playbook.
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