Kirin J Callinan
Provocative Aussie singer/songwriter Kirin J. Callinan is impressing audiences as a boundry-breaking solo artist after first coming to prominence as the enigmatic guitarist for Sydney-based indie rockers Mercy Arms. Equal parts Scott Walker, Trent Reznor, Birthday Party-era Nick Cave, Bryan Ferry, and Patrick Wolf, Callinan cuts a mercurial, often primal and androgynous figure, as he dabbles in everything from arty, experimental rock (such as 2013's Embracism) to evocative electro-pop (on 2017's Bravado and 2024's If I Could Sing).
Kieran John Callinan was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on January 21, 1986. His father, Brendan Callinan, had a career in music, playing keyboards with the Radiators, stalwarts of the nation's pub rock scene in the '70s and '80s. In 2005, Kieran was briefly a member of a noisy post-punk band called Lost Valentinos, but he had a longer run and greater success with Mercy Arms, who issued a self-titled LP in 2008 before creative conflicts between co-founders Callinan and Thom Moore led to an indefinite hiatus in 2009. Shortly before parting ways with Mercy Arms, Callinan self-released his first solo project, Am I a Woman, Yet? It received little notice, and it wasn't until 2013 that he released his next LP, the dense, difficult, and ultimately rewarding Embracism, which was released by Terrible Records. Callinan moved to Caroline for his third long-player, Bravado, which featured guest appearances from Mac DeMarco, Weyes Blood, James Chance, Alex Cameron, Connan Mockasin, Owen Pallet, Sean Nicholas Savage, and the Finn Family. The outing saw Callinan flexing his EDM muscles while maintaining the nervy post-punk foundation that made his 2013 debut such a prickly affair. That same year saw Callinan make his acting debut, appearing in the second season of director Jane Campion's award-winning television drama Top of the Lake.
In 2019, he released his fourth studio effort, the all-covers LP Return to Center, which featured reworked versions of songs by the Waterboys, Ultravox, Momus, and Robert Wyatt, among others, as well as one new original. Callinan launched his own label, Worse Records, to release 2024's If I Could Sing, an album steeped in electronic pop and indie noisemaking. In addition to its standard release, it also appeared in a limited vinyl edition of 110 copies featuring hand-painted artwork from Callinan himself.
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Discography
11 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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If I Could Sing
Alternative & Indie - Released by Worse Records on Jan 19, 2024
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Embracism
Alternative & Indie - Released by Terrible Records on Jun 28, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Eternally Hateful
Alternative & Indie - Released by Inertia Music on Oct 13, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Crazier Idea
Alternative & Indie - Released by Worse Records on Nov 7, 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
...in ABSOLUTES
Pop - Released by Terrible - Worse Records 2022 on Feb 13, 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Anæmic Adonis
Alternative & Indie - Released by Worse Records on Apr 27, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Can't F*ck The F*cker
Alternative & Indie - To be released on May 31, 2024 by Worse Records
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Young Drunk Driver
Alternative & Indie - Released by Worse Records on Feb 23, 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
...In Absolutes
Alternative & Indie - Released by Worse Records on Feb 13, 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Teacher
Alternative & Indie - Released by Siberia Records on Oct 16, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Can't F*uck The F*cker
Alternative & Indie - Released by Worse Records on May 3, 2024
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo