The latest single from LA singer-songwriter Gary Calamar, set for inclusion on his debut album this Autumn.
GARY CALAMAR (Los Angeles, CA)
“Gary’s songs are idiosyncratic gems. They’re reverent to great pop and classic rock but they have a spark of originality that is all Gary. They’re witty, catchy & fun and are a breath of fresh air.” - Michael Shelley (WFMU New Jersey)
GARY CALAMAR was born in the shadows of Yankee Stadium. He was vaccinated with a phonograph needle as Rock and Roll started to take over the world. Gary has been obsessed with music for as long as he can remember. He has been a presence on the Los Angeles music scene since the late ‘70s. not only as a gifted singer-songwriter, but also as Grammy nominated music supervisor for television (Six Feet Under, True Blood etc.), popular radio DJ (KCRW, KCSN), band manager (The Balancing Act, Eggplant), author (Record Store Days) and record store manager (Licorice Pizza, Moby Disc, Rhino)
Like the rest of America, his mind was blown when The Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. Pretty soon, he was tuning in to TV shows like Shindig and Hullabaloo, hoping to catch new acts like The Who, The Kinks, The Beach Boys and The Lovin’ Spoonful. His ear was glued to his transistor radio, pivoting between New York AM stations like WABC and WMCA and later the progressive WNEW-FM. Gary started making up songs as a wise ass kid about his older brother and his elementary school teachers. He loved twisting words and their meanings to amuse himself and anybody who would listen. When he picked up the guitar in junior high he managed to figure out a few chords, and worked out his clever wordplay to go along with his nascent melodies. (He recently noted “These days, I play guitar about as well as I did at 15, but I rock those chords”).
He played some of his songs for the Vice President at Atlantic Records and Gary was all in when they offered him a deal to release an EP. YOU ARE WHAT YOU LISTEN TO was released in 2014 to great reviews. More recently, he has released a a bunch of critically acclaimed singles that highlight his laser sharp rhymes, memorable melodies, and twisted sense of humor housed in classic pop rock architecture. His songs are witty and catchy, uplifting and thoughtful, with styles that range from Garage Rock to Therapy Pop all tied together by Grammy winning producer John Would (Warren Zevon, Fiona Apple). He also had the honor of co-writing a song “Let’s Boot and Rally” for The Godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop (with Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast) which was named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of Iggy’s all-time best collaborations.
In 2026, Gary signed with the independent label Big Stir Records for his first full length album. ODD NUMB3RS AND SLANTED RHYMES is a compilation of his previously released singles with three new ones including “Who Are We Gonna Be Today” featuring Robyn Hitchcock, the heartbreaking but beautiful “A Place To Hang” and a reworking of one one his earliest songs “I Got An Idea” Devo’s Mark Morthersbaugh. As he says in his key tune “Back Door Man”: “You say that things will never change. That the door will never be ajar. But things have happened that are even stranger. That’s what I say I’m GARY CALAMAR. Come on and follow me!”