Callers

Sara Lucas's commanding voice pairs with Ryan Seaton's detailed guitar textures to define Callers, whose sound pulls equally from folk, jazz, and the more experimental edges of indie rock. Lucas spent her childhood in St. Louis, Missouri, immersed in the region's deep traditions of jazz, blues, and gospel before she started singing at an early age, while Seaton grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, nourished by frequent attendance at underground punk performances. The two first crossed paths in 2004 during shifts at a New Orleans café; after discovering shared musical interests, they decided to collaborate. They cut an EP in the city before relocating to Providence, Rhode Island, where a second EP was tracked, after which they settled in Brooklyn. Their debut full-length, the close-knit Fortune, appeared on Western Vinyl in 2008 and invited comparisons to Joni Mitchell, Linda Perhacs, and Loren MazzaCane Connors. When the group reconvened for the broader 2010 release Life of Love, drummer Don Godwin had joined the lineup. Godwin remained through the sessions for the band's third album, 2012's Reviver, before leaving on good terms, unable to sustain the required touring schedule. Recording engineers Keith Souza and Seth Manchester, who had worked with the band on both Life of Love and Reviver at Machines with Magnets, then stepped in as permanent members. That same year Callers joined Delicate Steve for the single Further Out/Perfect Pairs and toured in support of Wye Oak and Dirty Projectors.