John Calvin

John Calvin backing Samantha Crain at Norman Music Festival 2013 - No Depression

John Calvin backing Samantha Crain at Norman Music Festival 2013 - No Depression

Album titles can mean anything, really, be it an inside joke, a catchy turn of phrase or nothing in particular.
In the case of Norman singer-songwriter John Calvin’s latest EP, Without Wax, the title reveals everything.

“The name came from a conversation I had with a very wise acquaintance at a bar here in Norman. The word ‘sincere’ comes from ‘sin,’ or ‘without or lacking,’ and ‘ceras,’ roughly as ‘wax,’” Calvin said. “As an artist and an architect, he told me a story about Greek sculptors. When a sculpture had an obvious problem, these sculptors would cover the flaws with colorful wax. Wax was basically a quick-fix. It shrouded imperfections. It turned a special piece into a falsely perfect product. Therefore, to be sincere, you are without wax … even if it isn’t always pretty, perfect or reflects what perfectionist images you have in your head.”

And so making the perfect John Calvin disc meant being far from perfect.

“I am proud of this album because it is, for the most part, simple and sincere,” he said. “Most of my recordings before this point were lacking in depth, in my opinion. Not that Wish Alloy was a bad record — it was lacking a cohesive factor and was, in a large sense, chaotic.

Without Wax was a way for me to write songs regardless of my abilities or knowledge of songwriting, and open up a little more on tape.”

A swell of collaborations and time spent listening to locals like Camille Harp, The Damn Quails and John Fullbright shaped Without Wax musically.

“Honestly, this album is a product of dipping myself into the Red Dirt and folk scene,” Calvin said. “I found myself listening to lots of ambient and instrumental hip-hop tracks to keep myself from being too influenced, but it happened too late.”

Even as he releases Without Wax Thursday at Kamp’s and kicks off a tour in support of the record with Oklahoma City folk outfit Young Readers, he’s already got his sights set on recording his first proper full-length album, due sometime next year.

He’s sure there will be plenty of change between now and that not-yet-determined date — a feeling with which the ever-growing artist is all too familiar.

“Lyrically, Without Wax is about achieving the means to move about in the world, about the fears of living, the near-constant re-evaluation of oneself, and being honest,” Calvin said. “Like I said, this is something I wrote to be sincere. These are songs about my life, not songs I just wrote.” - Oklahoma Gazette

Album titles can mean anything, really, be it an inside joke, a catchy turn of phrase or nothing in particular.
In the case of Norman singer-songwriter John Calvin’s latest EP, Without Wax, the title reveals everything.

“The name came from a conversation I had with a very wise acquaintance at a bar here in Norman. The word ‘sincere’ comes from ‘sin,’ or ‘without or lacking,’ and ‘ceras,’ roughly as ‘wax,’” Calvin said. “As an artist and an architect, he told me a story about Greek sculptors. When a sculpture had an obvious problem, these sculptors would cover the flaws with colorful wax. Wax was basically a quick-fix. It shrouded imperfections. It turned a special piece into a falsely perfect product. Therefore, to be sincere, you are without wax … even if it isn’t always pretty, perfect or reflects what perfectionist images you have in your head.”

And so making the perfect John Calvin disc meant being far from perfect.

“I am proud of this album because it is, for the most part, simple and sincere,” he said. “Most of my recordings before this point were lacking in depth, in my opinion. Not that Wish Alloy was a bad record — it was lacking a cohesive factor and was, in a large sense, chaotic.

Without Wax was a way for me to write songs regardless of my abilities or knowledge of songwriting, and open up a little more on tape.”

A swell of collaborations and time spent listening to locals like Camille Harp, The Damn Quails and John Fullbright shaped Without Wax musically.

“Honestly, this album is a product of dipping myself into the Red Dirt and folk scene,” Calvin said. “I found myself listening to lots of ambient and instrumental hip-hop tracks to keep myself from being too influenced, but it happened too late.”

Even as he releases Without Wax Thursday at Kamp’s and kicks off a tour in support of the record with Oklahoma City folk outfit Young Readers, he’s already got his sights set on recording his first proper full-length album, due sometime next year.

He’s sure there will be plenty of change between now and that not-yet-determined date — a feeling with which the ever-growing artist is all too familiar.

“Lyrically, Without Wax is about achieving the means to move about in the world, about the fears of living, the near-constant re-evaluation of oneself, and being honest,” Calvin said. “Like I said, this is something I wrote to be sincere. These are songs about my life, not songs I just wrote.” - Oklahoma Gazette

John Calvin performs a brand of folk music that will seem familiar even if you're listening for the first time. He has been circulating the club scene in and around Tulsa and Norman for a few years, making occasional stops along the Grapes Of Wrath Beltway that includes Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California, absorbing and inspired by the music of the legends that came before him and traveled that very path.

When I listen to John Calvin, I hear all my favorites: Gene Clark, Gram Parsons, Jesse Winchester, Nashville Skyline-era Bob Dylan, even Steve Earle; and through them, those who were in turn inspired by those fine artists. When I listen to John Calvin, I hear more than those beginnings, more than just one man with a phenomenal flat-picking guitar style and an easy Oklahoman voice. When I listen to John Calvin play Before I Depart or What Do You Think, I hear heart, soul and that Folk/Americana hybrid the way it was drafted and constructed by those legends from the very beginning.

On Without Wax, John Calvin obviously draws on the inspirational genius of those that have kindled his songwriting, the tricks of phrasing, the arrangements, the deceptively simplistic quality of his music. The songs are powerful in their simplicity, heartfelt, real, blue collar, passionate -- all the right things for an Americana representation that leans heavily on country sensibilities as well as folk, blues and light country-rock. That Calvin's own inspiration comes from the likes of Townes Van Zandt and John Fullbright is certainly no surprise.

There is a quiet understatement to the performances here that contradicts the looming presence reflected in the music and lyrics. Calvin kicks it up ever-so-slightly but will lean on a dramatic decelerate via pedal steel or harmonica that keeps everything tight without forced constraint. It's a bewitching yet spiritual combination. Calvin has a knack for being effectively sparse most of the time and calculatedly full at others. There's layer and depth when needed, which is rare for a genre that generally shies away from such musical verbosity. Those breaks from the subdued and humbled textures allow Without Wax to flow seamlessly. Collectively, these songs tell a story in six somewhat vagabond acts, an emotional journey of sorts.

Having heard these dimensions in the music, you want to explore that in which Calvin resonates, a stretch of poetry that at times is as remarkable as the terrain he has traveled. Taking it all in gives an impression of someone balancing between emotional outposts: there are songs of unmediated exultation and freedom and songs of desolate sadness, a wide spectacle to cover in slightly less than 30 minutes of music and a genuine reflection on where Calvin has been, and where he is going.

Without Wax is at times beautiful and affecting, and thanks to dulcet musical performances, poetic lyrical structure and easy-on-the-ears vocals, this is a superior representation of John Calvin, and offers a fine introduction to his body of work. Make no mistake, it is almost purely Folk and Americana, stripped down music that leans on acoustic guitar, pedal steel and harmonica with limited percussion and very little crossover. That being said, if you are a fan of that genre, this makes for a great add to your music collection. - See more at: http://blog.jivewired.com/2012/11/cd-review-without-wax-by-john-calvin.html#sthash.wcptxhbU.dpuf - Jivewired

John Calvin performs a brand of folk music that will seem familiar even if you're listening for the first time. He has been circulating the club scene in and around Tulsa and Norman for a few years, making occasional stops along the Grapes Of Wrath Beltway that includes Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California, absorbing and inspired by the music of the legends that came before him and traveled that very path.

When I listen to John Calvin, I hear all my favorites: Gene Clark, Gram Parsons, Jesse Winchester, Nashville Skyline-era Bob Dylan, even Steve Earle; and through them, those who were in turn inspired by those fine artists. When I listen to John Calvin, I hear more than those beginnings, more than just one man with a phenomenal flat-picking guitar style and an easy Oklahoman voice. When I listen to John Calvin play Before I Depart or What Do You Think, I hear heart, soul and that Folk/Americana hybrid the way it was drafted and constructed by those legends from the very beginning.

On Without Wax, John Calvin obviously draws on the inspirational genius of those that have kindled his songwriting, the tricks of phrasing, the arrangements, the deceptively simplistic quality of his music. The songs are powerful in their simplicity, heartfelt, real, blue collar, passionate -- all the right things for an Americana representation that leans heavily on country sensibilities as well as folk, blues and light country-rock. That Calvin's own inspiration comes from the likes of Townes Van Zandt and John Fullbright is certainly no surprise.

There is a quiet understatement to the performances here that contradicts the looming presence reflected in the music and lyrics. Calvin kicks it up ever-so-slightly but will lean on a dramatic decelerate via pedal steel or harmonica that keeps everything tight without forced constraint. It's a bewitching yet spiritual combination. Calvin has a knack for being effectively sparse most of the time and calculatedly full at others. There's layer and depth when needed, which is rare for a genre that generally shies away from such musical verbosity. Those breaks from the subdued and humbled textures allow Without Wax to flow seamlessly. Collectively, these songs tell a story in six somewhat vagabond acts, an emotional journey of sorts.

Having heard these dimensions in the music, you want to explore that in which Calvin resonates, a stretch of poetry that at times is as remarkable as the terrain he has traveled. Taking it all in gives an impression of someone balancing between emotional outposts: there are songs of unmediated exultation and freedom and songs of desolate sadness, a wide spectacle to cover in slightly less than 30 minutes of music and a genuine reflection on where Calvin has been, and where he is going.

Without Wax is at times beautiful and affecting, and thanks to dulcet musical performances, poetic lyrical structure and easy-on-the-ears vocals, this is a superior representation of John Calvin, and offers a fine introduction to his body of work. Make no mistake, it is almost purely Folk and Americana, stripped down music that leans on acoustic guitar, pedal steel and harmonica with limited percussion and very little crossover. That being said, if you are a fan of that genre, this makes for a great add to your music collection. - See more at: http://blog.jivewired.com/2012/11/cd-review-without-wax-by-john-calvin.html#sthash.wcptxhbU.dpuf - Jivewired

Camille Harp and John Calvin bring their wealth of individual talents together for the free Summer Breeze concert on Sunday, July 22, at 7:30 pm in Norman’s Lions Park at the corner of Flood and Symmes.

Camille Harp and John Calvin are already performing veterans and musically mature beyond their years. Camille began performing as a child with her parents’ band. She started playing guitar at 13, and wrote her first song at 15. She can offer a rock and roll honky-tonk tune one moment and a heartfelt love song the next, all delivered in a gorgeous soulful voice.

John Calvin got his first guitar when he was 11 years old, and was working as a freelance guitarist at 16. His talent shines across a broad range of styles, from folk melodies with harmonica and acoustic guitar to rollicking country-rock guitar leads to jazz standards and the blues.

Together, Harp and Calvin weave their distinctive voices and songwriting styles into a rich blend of sound and spirit that speaks to everyone. They are local favorites at The Deli, both separately and together, and they rocked the stage at this year’s Norman Music Festival. They captivate audiences with their energy, expressive lyrics, and eclectic musical style. - Performing Arts Studio - Norman

Camille Harp and John Calvin bring their wealth of individual talents together for the free Summer Breeze concert on Sunday, July 22, at 7:30 pm in Norman’s Lions Park at the corner of Flood and Symmes.

Camille Harp and John Calvin are already performing veterans and musically mature beyond their years. Camille began performing as a child with her parents’ band. She started playing guitar at 13, and wrote her first song at 15. She can offer a rock and roll honky-tonk tune one moment and a heartfelt love song the next, all delivered in a gorgeous soulful voice.

John Calvin got his first guitar when he was 11 years old, and was working as a freelance guitarist at 16. His talent shines across a broad range of styles, from folk melodies with harmonica and acoustic guitar to rollicking country-rock guitar leads to jazz standards and the blues.

Together, Harp and Calvin weave their distinctive voices and songwriting styles into a rich blend of sound and spirit that speaks to everyone. They are local favorites at The Deli, both separately and together, and they rocked the stage at this year’s Norman Music Festival. They captivate audiences with their energy, expressive lyrics, and eclectic musical style. - Performing Arts Studio - Norman