Allysen Callery

Artist Information

Biography

Allysen Callery's debut studio album "Hopey" was chosen in the Top Local Cd Picks of 2007 by The Providence Phoenix who wrote "Fragile picking and a haunting delivery reverberate with the ghosts of British folk like the hybrid, conjoined spirit of Sandy Denny and Nick Drake"

Allysen was Nominated for BEST FEMALE VOCALS 2009 by the Providence Phoenix.

Allysen's music has been played on radio stations all over the world,
& has been critically acclaimed by some of the foremost authorities in Alternative Folk music.

"Pick any song and you will enjoy some sweet sadness, soft smiles, and a wonderful glimpse of sunshine.
Perfect music for a drive through the desert, or in my case a lazy afternoon in a sunlit lounge." ~Simon Lewis/Terrascope



She often performs with her band "Allysen Callery and the Land of Nod"
with Myles Baer of Black Hole Infinity on electric guitar and theremin, and Brendan Whipple on upright bass.

Instrumentation

Allysen Callery- nylon string classical guitar & voice

Myles Baer : ambient electric guitar

Brendan Whipple : upright bass

Discography

HOPEY (released 9/29/2007) First Studio Album
chosen as one of the "Top Local CDs of 2007" by the Providence Phoenix

"Hobgoblin's Hat" (2010) to be released February 13th, 2010.

Audio

• Tiny Armageddon
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• Grey Wolf
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• A Ring Around The Moon
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• Button Boots
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• Midway
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Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Allysen Callery May be the Tim Burton of Folk Music [+ Show ]
  

  ""Allysen Callery might be the Tim Burton of folk music, her dark songs often transporting us to som...""Allysen Callery might be the Tim Burton of folk music, her dark songs often transporting us to somewhere otherworldly. Allysen Callery has one of those unmistakable voices, soft and sometimes child-like, supported by fingerpicked nylon string guitar. Her songs lurk about in that airy, brooding, immaginitive space of tigers and kings, the stuff of fairytales. Reminds me of fellow New Englander Marissa Nadler's songs. Highly recommended" - Call It Folk (May 01, 2010)

• Quiet Storm-The Providence Phoenix [+ Show ]
  

  THE HAT FITS Callery. The only aspect of Allysen Callery's talents more impressive than her nimbl...THE HAT FITS Callery.
  
  The only aspect of Allysen Callery's talents more impressive than her nimble, nylon-string finger-picking is her unmistakable voice. That soft, entrancing falsetto and subtle poetic quips adorn her new album, Hobgoblin's Hat, Callery's sophomore release, which was over two years in the making since her 2007 debut Hopey. The new CD will be available beginning this weekend at her record release party at Church Street Coffeehouse in Warren.
  
  "I had been a little shy about revealing myself fully with Hopey," Callery told me while chatting up the new disc. "With Hobgoblin's Hat I was able to explore deeper and darker memories and feelings.
  
  "Hobgoblin's Hat is more of who I am."
  
  Callery spent time in Taiwan as a toddler during the Vietnam war, and said the effect has stayed with her. She was raised in Providence and now resides in Bristol. Her childhood love of fairy tales and mythology clearly have left an impression. Callery's father played a pivotal role in her musical upbringing and eventual guidance in spirit.
  
  "My dad was really into a wonderful mix of styles, particularly British Isles folk and the Incredible String Band, Joni Mitchell, and the Beatles.
  
  "I picked up guitar when I was 14, my father passed away and I wanted to feel closer to him," Callery told me. "I learned how to play on his Martin Classical."
  
  Myles Baer returns as engineer and producer; Hobgoblin's Hat was recorded at Baer's Fox Point residence. The album title is a nod to one of Callery's favorite authors, Finnish author Tove Jansson, who penned and illustrated The Moomin series and comic strip. Callery is often billed with her music mates as the Land of Nod (a Robert Louis Stevenson poem); she decided to officially form a touring band during a solo show at White Electric.
  
  "I had just been booked to play a show at the Knitting Factory in New York City, so I pretty much pulled Myles and [Nod bassist] Brendan Whipple aside and said, 'Listen, we are going to be a band and we're calling it Land of Nod,' and they just nodded in agreement," Callery said. While Whipple and Baer play on the new album, both gave their blessing to bill Hobgoblin's Hat as an official solo release.
  
  Callery's often entrancing songs are crafted behind a simple premise: "I'll just start fooling around and a little guitar phrase will come out," she said. "I can't actually 'write' music, so I'll run to my computer and just start recording immediately so I don't lose the tune.
  
  "It's important that I am completely alone while writing — not too easy with a family of three in the house." Callery said. As far as lyrics,"Words will just slip out as I'm playing, and on the playback it sounds like I am speaking in tongues."
  
  Callery also incorporates her previously-published poems, including "Vincenzo (Part 1)" and the opening track "Tiny Armageddon," one of Hobgoblin's finest, where she addresses a weary soldier: "What did you see while standing surrounded by death/Curious to step between the bodies and find your own self laid out amongst them."
  
  
  Acclaimed Nashville singer Gillian Welch is a consistent reference point, though she is more bluegrass-oriented compared to Callery's "ambient folk" this time around. And get Mazzy Star into that conversation, with similar moments found on the title track, "Jack Jumps Back," and "Mr. Moonlight." And "Ring Around the Moon" is a nice closer, with a touch of Moog and haunting reverb escorting Callery's delicate vocals.
  
  Callery is booking shows across the Northeast in support of Hobgoblin's Hat (check MySpace.com/TheAllysen Callery for updates), heading north to Maine in April and doing another swing through New York City come springtime, but Callery most enjoys playing local Rhody venues.
  
  "It's important to focus on where you are and the people around you who make you feel loved. I love Rhode Island — we live in such a unique and special place, and I feel so welcome here."
  
  By CHRIS CONTI | February 10, 2010

• Whimsy at Mickey's [+ Show ]
  

  The first time I heard Allysen Callery, I immediately conjured up visions of her singing along side ...The first time I heard Allysen Callery, I immediately conjured up visions of her singing along side Nick Drake in some English countryside pub. Her slightly psychedelic folk songs are laced with whimsical imagery and her voice lilts over the lyrics in much the same way as Drake, a hint of melancholy even in the happier, carefree songs. Left with her father's nylon string guitar, Allysen plays with a breezy, muted fingerstyle which provides the perfect backdrop for her dreamy vocals.
  
  Tomorrow night you can catch this rising star at Mickey's Pub and Grille where she will be the featured performer during the Tuesday singer/songwriter series hosted by the Reverend JJ. Show starts at 8. You can also catch Allysen on Valentine's Day opening for the incredible Antje Duvekot at the Stone Soup Coffeehouse in Pawtucket, RI and on the following Saturday opening for ethereal princess Marissa Nadler at Passim. Wow!
  

• HOPEY listed as a Top Local CD of 2007 [+ Show ]
  

  "Fragile picking and a haunting delivery reverberate with the ghosts of British folk like the hybrid..."Fragile picking and a haunting delivery reverberate with the ghosts of British folk like the hybrid, conjoined spirit of Sandy Denny and Nick Drake" ~writes Bob Gulla of The Providence Phoenix

• Terrascope UK reveiws HOPEY [+ Show ]
  

  Hailing from New England, Allysen Callery is a friend of Marissa Nadler and it was Marissa who sugge...Hailing from New England, Allysen Callery is a friend of Marissa Nadler and it was Marissa who suggested she got in touch.
  I am so glad she did, for her album "Hopey" is a sparkling collection of west coast folk gems that gets better with every listen.
  As soon as the sweet melodies of "Feathertouch" fill the air, it is apparent that here is an artist with an ear for a good tune, a delicate touch and a definite love for Joni Mitchell,
  something that manifest itself in the quality of the songwriting rather than Allysen merely copying a style.
  
  On "Another Girl At The Bar", the lyrics are a statement of intent and confidence stating "I can play guitar better than you" although the addition of "Just make me blue" suggests a sadness at the core of the song.
  
  Else where I am reminded of the bitter-sweet songs of Kristin hersh, especially on the beautiful "Midway", a song worth the price of entry on its own.
  There is plenty more to enjoy however, in fact pick any song and you will enjoy some sweet sadness, soft smiles, and a wonderful glimpse of sunshine.
  Perfect music for a drive through the desert, or in my case a lazy afternoon in a sunlit lounge.

• The Providence Phoenix [+ Show ]
  

  ALLYSEN CALLERY | HOPEY | Self-released There’s something magical about Allysen Callery’s new album...ALLYSEN CALLERY | HOPEY | Self-released
  There’s something magical about Allysen Callery’s new album. It has a dreamy quality that feels mysterious and bewitching. The opening tune, “Feathercap,” sounds somewhat like Sandy Denny, with a subtle soprano sweetness. In fact, a British folk influence permeates Hopey. Allysen’s acoustic guitar sits in a pocket well behind her vocals with muted tones, and the delicate accompaniment is haunting in the frailest way, as if Allysen is afraid that any noise might disrupt the mood.
  
  But it’s the ambient nature of this recording that distinguishes it from others in the genre and it’s the only acoustic album since I started writing this column that invokes such haunting British spirits.

• Newport Mercury reveiws HOPEY [+ Show ]
  

  ALLYSEN CALLERY "HOPEY" 2007, self-produced .. .. .. .. .. Callery claims that she plays nylon-s...ALLYSEN CALLERY
  "HOPEY"
  2007, self-produced
  .. .. .. .. ..
  Callery claims that she plays nylon-stringed gui­tars the way "your moth­er sang you to sleep." And it’s true; there’s a unique sound to her finger-picking technique. The tones are warmly muffled and calm against her sweet soprano voice. It’s a strangely entic­ing combination for a folk singer. The Bristol resi­dent’s debut studio album carries this pairing throughout as she maintains her peacefulness in "Azores," a romantic ballad that drifts in rhythm as she sings about the temporary absence of her love while on an overseas trip.
  "I miss you like crazy," she lustfully mourns. "Faith bring me peace…like a blanket falling to my ankles."
  "Hopey" is a brilliant, anomalous blend of ethereal acoustic chords and vocals inspired by both contem­porary female rock icons and the folk traditionalists of long ago. Callery’s delivers a studio debut with dig­nity, expertise and a passion for beautiful music

• Radio Show Psyche Van Het Folk , Antwerpen, Belgium [+ Show ]
  

  Radio Show Psyche Van Het Folk Reveiw of Hopey (Oct 2007) "The first song I heard from Allysen C...Radio Show Psyche Van Het Folk
  Reveiw of Hopey (Oct 2007)
  
  "The first song I heard from Allysen Callery was “Pea Green Boat”. I thought it was produced wonderfully with its subtle sound arrangements. Allysen explained me this was the splendid work of Myles Baer (of Black Hole Sound Studios), who also produced Marissa Nadler on her first album amongst other people. Allysen confirmed “he has the ability to see inside one's secret heart & do perfect production! He used Hammond organ and theremin on “Pea Green Boat”. For me it seems like he reinvented a perfect environment for the song. She explained to me there are also Peeptoads (!) tree toads on a couple tracks, in the background, as she had been recorded some of the time in a glass studio, in the woods (I assume this is on the “Feathercap” track). On “Slo Slo-Mo” I also hear some subtle slide guitar touches. Most songs are just with well played fingerpicking guitar, and are sung with a nicely sounding voice. The lyrics are conscious with gentle analyses of the environmental appearances and reactions of people, also on stage, or recalling moments to remember within a love affair, to nourish with caring remembrance under the form as songs, or more likely as things she wanted to tell, but couldn’t at the moment, and that made it to songs. "
  ~Gerald Van Waes Webmaster/Radio show producer/Critic

• Newport Mercury [+ Show ]
  

  "Poetic phrases like sophisticated slang naturally flow from Allysen Callery's mouth. The Bristol ...
  "Poetic phrases like sophisticated slang naturally flow from Allysen Callery's mouth. The Bristol resident has spent much of her adult life creating her own genre of folk music that enchants listeners with soulful lyrics that beckon the likes of Bob Dylan and sweeping melodies that echo feminine rock icons like Stevie Nicks and PJ Harvey."
  
  by Jillian Rodriguez

• Motif Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  "Allysen has a knack for highly sophisticated lyrics and a unique finger-picking guitar style. Allys..."Allysen has a knack for highly sophisticated lyrics and a unique finger-picking guitar style. Allysen makes a good case for religiously checking the acoustic scene listing."-Jim Vickers

Setlist

All original blend of fingerstyle nylon string guitar & ethereal vocals coupled with a British Isles inspired style of folk~
I can play solo for up to 3 hours.

Basic Requirements

Calendar