Biography
Provocative Aussie singer/songwriter Kirin J. Callinan first drew notice as the enigmatic guitarist in Sydney-based indie rock outfit Mercy Arms before establishing himself as a boundary-pushing solo performer. Blending the dramatic flair of Scott Walker, the industrial intensity of Trent Reznor, the feral theatricality of Birthday Party-era Nick Cave, the suave elegance of Bryan Ferry, and the flamboyant art-pop of Patrick Wolf, he projects a shape-shifting, frequently visceral and androgynous presence while moving between arty experimental rock on the 2013 album Embracism and atmospheric electro-pop on the 2017 release Bravado as well as the 2024 set If I Could Sing.
Kieran John Callinan entered the world in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on January 21, 1986. His father, Brendan Callinan, had previously worked in music as a keyboardist with the Radiators, longtime fixtures of the Australian pub rock circuit during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2005 Kieran spent a short period in the noisy post-punk group Lost Valentinos, though his more extended and successful association came with Mercy Arms, who issued their self-titled album in 2008 before internal creative tensions between co-founders Callinan and Thom Moore prompted an indefinite hiatus in 2009. Just prior to the split, Callinan issued his debut solo effort, the self-released Am I a Woman, Yet?, which attracted scant attention.
His next full-length, the dense, challenging yet ultimately satisfying Embracism, arrived in 2013 via Terrible Records. For his third album, Bravado, Callinan shifted to Caroline and assembled contributions from Mac DeMarco, Weyes Blood, James Chance, Alex Cameron, Connan Mockasin, Owen Pallett, Sean Nicholas Savage, and the Finn Family. The record allowed him to explore EDM textures while preserving the edgy post-punk core that had defined his earlier work. That same year he made his acting debut in the second season of director Jane Campion’s award-winning drama Top of the Lake.
Return to Center, his fourth studio album, appeared in 2019 as an all-covers collection reinterpreting material by the Waterboys, Ultravox, Momus, and Robert Wyatt among others, alongside a single new original track. Callinan launched his own imprint, Worse Records, to issue the 2024 album If I Could Sing, which fuses electronic pop with indie noisemaking. Beyond the standard edition, the release also came in a limited run of 110 vinyl copies whose artwork was hand-painted by Callinan himself.
Kieran John Callinan entered the world in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on January 21, 1986. His father, Brendan Callinan, had previously worked in music as a keyboardist with the Radiators, longtime fixtures of the Australian pub rock circuit during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2005 Kieran spent a short period in the noisy post-punk group Lost Valentinos, though his more extended and successful association came with Mercy Arms, who issued their self-titled album in 2008 before internal creative tensions between co-founders Callinan and Thom Moore prompted an indefinite hiatus in 2009. Just prior to the split, Callinan issued his debut solo effort, the self-released Am I a Woman, Yet?, which attracted scant attention.
His next full-length, the dense, challenging yet ultimately satisfying Embracism, arrived in 2013 via Terrible Records. For his third album, Bravado, Callinan shifted to Caroline and assembled contributions from Mac DeMarco, Weyes Blood, James Chance, Alex Cameron, Connan Mockasin, Owen Pallett, Sean Nicholas Savage, and the Finn Family. The record allowed him to explore EDM textures while preserving the edgy post-punk core that had defined his earlier work. That same year he made his acting debut in the second season of director Jane Campion’s award-winning drama Top of the Lake.
Return to Center, his fourth studio album, appeared in 2019 as an all-covers collection reinterpreting material by the Waterboys, Ultravox, Momus, and Robert Wyatt among others, alongside a single new original track. Callinan launched his own imprint, Worse Records, to issue the 2024 album If I Could Sing, which fuses electronic pop with indie noisemaking. Beyond the standard edition, the release also came in a limited run of 110 vinyl copies whose artwork was hand-painted by Callinan himself.
Albums
Singles
Can't F*ck The F*cker
2024
Crazier Idea
2023
Eternally Hateful
2023
Anæmic Adonis
2023
...in ABSOLUTES
2022
...In Absolutes
2022
New Music Friday
2021
You Are Going To Miss Me (When I Am Dumb)
2021
Dumb Enough
2021
You Are Going To Miss Me (When I Am Gone)
2020
Big Enough (feat. Alex Cameron, Jimmy Barnes)
2017
The Teacher
2015
WIIW / Thighs
2012