Interviews: Catching up with Raylin, Adam, and Clarence of The Calamatix

We are just one day away from the release of the debut self-titled album from California’s The Calamatix. The 12 tracks highlight the sonic dexterity of the band as they seamlessly blend elements of traditional ska, reggae, rocksteady, and punk together to create an undeniably groovy sound that will have you dancing in seconds. Lead singer Raylin Joy’s powerful voice is on full display as she delivers lyrics exploring heartbreak, love, staying true to oneself, the power of music, and friendship with heartfelt emotion. The Calamatix will be out everywhere on September 20 via Hellcat Records. The Calamatix start their US tour tomorrow.
Punknews editor Em Moore caught up with lead vocalist Raylin Joy, guitarist Adam Porris, and drummer Clarence “Pocket” Kidd III to talk about the new album, the origin story of the band, the cathartic power of music, working with Tim Armstrong, and so much more. Read the interview below!

This interview between Em Moore, Raylin Joy, Adam Porris, and Clarence “Pocket” Kidd III took place over Zoom on September 12, 2024. This is a transcription of their conversation and has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

The Calamatix is your debut album but you’ve been playing together for a couple years now. How did you come together?

Raylin: Me and Adam have been friends for a really long time. We met through mutual friends but we’d never done anything musical together. When I was doing my solo stuff, Adam came into the studio one day. I was singing and he was playing at the same time and we just had this really cool moment where we were like, “This is really, really awesome!” We really enjoyed playing with each other right away so we started doing showcases together and open mics and stuff like that. Then Adam introduced me to Clarence and we did some open mics and stuff all together. When Tim and I were thinking of putting a band together we were like, “Ok, we need a guitarist” and I immediately thought of Adam because we work so well together and we’re great friends so it just made sense. Then Adam asked Clarence and that’s how it all came about.
Adam: The first time I played with Raylin it was an immediate musical connection where it felt so natural and it fit so nicely. As a guitarist, I love to work with the singer and it was effortless for me to just be able to play with the connection that we had. Clarence and I have been playing together for 20 years. We met in college in 2003 and we started playing in Boston doing some neo-soul and R&B stuff. He and I have the same connection. His nickname is “Pocket” for a reason! He’s one of the greatest drummers I’ve ever played with, so I was like, “I have to link this together!” As soon as I was able to make that connection, it just fit and felt natural.

What’s the story behind the name?

Raylin: That was actually Tim’s idea. When we were starting to think about putting a band together he was like, “The Calamatix!” I was like, “I don’t know what that is!” [laughs] But it had a great ring to it and we were like, “Yeah, that’s a really awesome name”.

Tim Armstrong produced the album and has a lot of songwriting credits on it. Raylin, you and Tim have been songwriting partners on and off since 2017. What is working with him like?

Raylin: Oh, he’s great. He’s such an immensely talented producer. He’s really great because he always says there’s no bad ideas and there really aren’t. We collaborate. Sometimes he’ll bring an idea to the table, sometimes I’ll bring an idea to the table, and sometimes Clarence or Adam will, and we’ll build it together. Sometimes we’ll all be in the studio and make something from scratch. The process is always a little different. He’s fantastic to work with. He’s such an easy-going cool person to work with and he’s always down to hear our ideas. He’s a great songwriter and I definitely see him as a mentor in terms of songwriting.
Adam: Tim is such an incredible person to work with. Every time I think I might have hit a ceiling with my playing, he’s been able to find something in it that has really elevated how I approach things and how I hear things differently. As a producer, he’s been able to bring out certain things in my playing that I didn’t even know were there. Every day that we’d be in the studio working was a learning experience and a collaboration effort. It was always a fantastic environment. Tim is just the best, he’s great.

Do you have something that you feel you’ve learned the most from working with him?

Raylin: I think just to take risks. You never really know where an idea is going to go until you try it out and that’s something that I’ve really been able to hone with Tim - just letting go and trusting our instincts. He’s really great at getting stuff out of you. I’ve always loved to sing but it wasn’t until I started working with Tim that I started feeling really like, “Damn, this is it!”
Clarence: To piggyback off what Ray said, to take those risks as musicians or creatives. A lot of times we put ourselves into a certain box and with him it’s like, “Yo, tear the box down. There is no box. Explore”. A lot of times we naturally play it safe. If you think about it, safety can be dangerous at times because it boxes you into a certain sound and can make you unable or unwilling to take risks. In order to achieve certain outcomes, you have to be able to not play it safe and take those risks because you never know what magic comes out of that. That’s been the biggest takeaway for myself and I think for everybody else as well - to explore those ideas and take those risks. Sometimes we think that something is not possible or that we can’t pull it off or we can’t make it happen but once we try it, it’s like, “Oh wait, that actually does work!” There was a lot of that in these sessions.
Adam: Raylin had a great point. The thing that I learned the most from Tim is that when you trust yourself and you trust your instincts, taking risks will guide you to the place you need to get to.

What do you feel is the biggest risk you took on the album?

Clarence: I think everybody can say actually creating the album.
[laughter]
Clarence: Even just creating an album is a great risk nowadays. It’s a singles-driven market so most people are just hashing out singles that are good for TikTok and not really putting out complete bodies of work. As a collective unit to come along and actually piece together an entire project and present that, that is a great risk within itself. I think that’s the biggest risk of all. We really stepped outside of our comfort zone individually and worked together to put out this body of work.
Adam: The biggest thing that for me that was so far out of the box was in our song “Love, Lies, and Alibis”. I remember hearing some of those parts and I was like, “I hear a very specific guitar part - these heavy, distorted guitars like punk”. Then for the verses I was like, “I wanna play these funky, wah-wah rhythms and this weird stickline”. I remember being like, “This feels like it shouldn’t be here” - and this goes back to what we were saying earlier about taking risks - but as soon as I trusted my instincts and played it, the whole room just felt different in the moment and when we were listening back to it. That was the biggest risk that I took and it paid off in the biggest way.
Raylin: I think for me, just pushing the boundaries of my voice. I tend to have a more sultry kind of vibe but with Tim, he would be like, “Scream it!” [laughs] “If it’s too much, we’ll dial it back but really go for it!” I feel like I’ve grown as a singer by taking those risks. Also with “Rootstyle”, I’ve never really seen myself as a rapper but with that, he was like, “Yeah, rap it a little!” That was another risk for me because I had never tried that before. It worked out really well. I love how it turned out. If it wasn’t for those risks… [laughs]

How would you describe your songwriting process?

Raylin: I’m always writing. I’ll have a little snippet of an idea and I’ll always write it down or record it. Sometimes I’ll bring those ideas to the table and we’ll flesh it out. Other times I’ll write a whole song and we’ll flesh it out when we get into the studio. We tend to write really quickly. When we’re in the studio, we just knock them out - we’ll do two songs in a couple hours. We work really fast and we work really well together. I think it helps that we just flow into it very naturally. Because we’re taking those risks, it always ends up being really, really cool and I really, really enjoy writing with these guys.
Clarence: There’s so many different ways. As Ray said, she jots down ideas that she has or a concept of a song. From a music stance, we kind of decide what type of feeling we want. Do we want to evoke a groovy feeling, a happy feeling, or just kind of a deep pocket type of feeling? Usually, I’ll start with creating something on the drums or create a pattern and record a little bit of that and send it over. From there Adam will start playing around with guitar lines and messing around with some ideas. Ray will hear it and from there she’ll get into a flow of whatever she already has written and see if it can fit into that style or if she wants it slowed down or sped up. From there we naturally come together and Matty comes in and plays bass on it. Then Tim will start adding production ideas and things of that nature and filtering the sounds. Everybody gives their input and then it just flows.
Adam: For me, one of the funnest songs that we worked on was “Boom Bap”. Clarence sent me a drum pattern and I immediately connected with it. Hearing guitar stuff and also knowing which key Raylin sounds really good in I was like, “Oh, this would be a perfect fit for this!” When I started playing it, it was a great feeling. Then bringing it all to the table was like we’re all collaborating and using all of our strengths to help each other create something that’s bigger than us, which is the music. A line that Clarence would always say in the studio was, “The biggest ego in the room is the music” and when we focus on that, that’s when we can collaborate and make a wonderful record.

How do you put your own egos aside to focus on the ego of the music?

Adam: For me, it’s always about creating the best new piece of music and what serves the song the best.
Raylin: Yeah, that’s it - focusing on the music. You take all your bullshit and you hang it up at the door as you come in and then you just focus on the big picture of the song.
Clarence: It’s all about completing the vision naturally. Because I’ve been a session musician, my mindset has always been, “You’re there to do a job. What is the job for the day? The job is to get a song complete so that’s the goal and task for the day”. Nothing else matters. Once you’re in that space and you sit down at your respective instrument or whatever - you do your part, create your part, and leave everything else outside to get to the finish line.

Did you have a song on the album that was the most cathartic to write?

Raylin: I think it’s a toss-up between “Enjoy This Life” or “Dread”. The vibe of “Enjoy This Life” is very much, “Let go and let the music take control. Put all the worries of the world and all the bullshit that’s happening away and enjoy the music, enjoy yourself”. That song was definitely one of those songs that was like a pep talk to myself because I was going through some crazy shit and that was my way of focusing on the music. “Dread” because I was really heartbroken at the time so that one was really cathartic to write as well.

You can really hear all of the emotions on “Dread”.

Raylin: One of my favourites is “Dread”. It’s so much fun to sing too! I get to be in my feels and let that kind of take over. I can’t wait to perform it live very soon, big shows are coming up! [laughs]
Clarence: Kinda to piggyback off of that, I think was “Dread” ultimately. Ray had already had it mapped out and shared the backstory of it with us. Being the drummer, I am behind everybody so I get to see everything from a viewpoint that nobody else can see. I get to observe everybody else’s reaction or how they’re performing. I think because of the emotion, that’s the song that deviates from every other feel of the album. Seeing Ray in her raw emotion, seeing her going into her own internal space, and seeing how it transfers over into the rest of the band was amazing. Just from her vibe and feelings it kind of became contagious to where it had a domino effect on everybody else from guitar lines to bass lines to myself. We just kinda go with her because she’s guiding the ship on that particular song. It was definitely therapeutic letting out emotions and everybody really taking their time to really express themselves. Not rushing it, just kind of laying back and letting it flow - letting it all out.
Adam: For me, the two most cathartic songs are “Believe It Or Not” and “Phone Call”. With those two, it’s not just the feeling of the band and the groove and the melodies, it’s the message that Raylin’s singing as well. To me, “Phone Call” is about friendship and being there for people in your life and also being there for yourself. Then with “Believe It Or Not”, it’s about self-empowerment and realizing we’re human, we make mistakes, and moving on from that. Both of those songs have significant meaning to me when I hear them and when I play them. They’re really special. Like with the whole record, the songs feel really collaborative where we all worked and put our own spin, take, and feeling into the whole song.

All of you have talked about taking a bad situation and turning it into something positive. What helps you do that?

Raylin: I think just the act of making music itself. It’s a release at the end of the day. You’re taking that emotion and you’re making it into some really amazing art. That in itself is the thing that gets you out of it. Getting out of your head and getting together with people that you love and admire and making some amazing art out of it.
Adam: I’ve always said that I found my voice when I picked up a guitar. I was able to express myself once I found this instrument. When I'm going through something difficult or challenging with life, being able to take a look at the bigger picture using my instrument as my voice to express myself helps. Having other people respond and resonate with that takes you out of being independent and makes you feel like a collective with everybody else. For me, that’s how I’m able to be connected to the world - not just through my instrument, but through the music we’ve created together.
Raylin: Hell yeah!
Clarence: For me, it’s about expression. I’m a music educator - I run a music foundation here in Los Angeles - and I believe that music is always a safe space that allows you to express yourself. We all deal with certain issues and certain things and with music, it takes all of the emotions that we have and helps us stay positive or stay optimistic about things, which I believe is very important. For me, it’s very important to always be in a positive space and exemplify that when performing music. Whether I’m playing or teaching, if I’m invoking a happy mood or setting a tone, it’s shaping the lives of so many other people. Music sets tones for everyone else and so if we start with a positive vibe, it’s gonna give everybody else a positive vibe. If you start with a negative vibe, then it’s gonna do the same thing. That’s why I think it’s important to always maintain a positive vibe because that becomes contagious to whoever is listening.

You’ll be heading out on your first West Coast tour later this month including dates with Left Alone and Tropadelic. What are you looking forward to the most about these shows?

Raylin: Yeah!! I’m really excited to see all the people that have been listening to our music, seeing the fans, and sharing the album with them. The really cool thing about these shows is that the album release is on the same day as our first show with Left Alone so people at that show will be hearing the album for the first time - unless they’ve already got it that day! A lot of people, I imagine, are going to hear the music for the first time live. [laughs]
Clarence: For me, it’s just playing live. Nothing beats that feeling, it’s always a great feeling no matter what. [laughs] I have always gotten a certain rush from performing live. Going back to what I said earlier, just the energy of being able to do what you do as a band touches or inspires someone in the crowd to where you see someone feeling whatever you’re doing is very special. They nod their head, they air drum, they air guitar, or they sing along with the lyrics. The feeling when you see that live while you’re playing is unmatched.
Adam: Every time I play a show it always astounds me that an entire group of people are joined together for a moment in time that will not be repeated just to listen to something. That is an amazing experience to be a part of. When we’re all creating music together it feels like it’s not just about us but about everybody else and it’s one group together playing music; listening to Raylin singing, creating these lyrics, hearing Clarence’s great drum rhythm, me doing guitar fills, and all the different musicians that we work with creating a moment in time to be shared with whoever is at our show.

What song are you most excited to play live?

Raylin: I really love performing “Lady” and “Dread”. I think those are probably the two that I’m most excited about singing.
Adam: “Love, Lies, and Alibis” and “Before It Stops”. “Still Rudy” is another great song to play live.
Raylin: They’re all great! [laughs]
Adam: Every song is great to play! [laughs]
Clarence: For me, it would be “Love, Lies, and Alibis”, “Rudy”, “Boom Bap”, and “Before It Stops”.

Which part of The Calamatix are you proudest of?

Raylin: I love the whole thing as a collective, that’s why I’m so excited for people to hear the whole record. All the songs we’ve been releasing are awesome but I think that there’s so many songs on the record that are really, really awesome that didn’t make it to singles. I’m really excited about the whole thing! [laughs] It’s been a project a long time in the making.
Adam: It’s the entire record because it feels like one collective piece of history that we’ve created and it will be an entrance into the music world for us. For me, what feels the most special is that it’s our introduction into the music world.
Clarence: Same for me, it’s the entire record. It’s a complete body of work and everything has its own identity. I think that each song has its own story so us performing it and creating it is a proud moment. Each song has its own DNA and holds its own special place within everybody.

Is there anything that I didn’t ask that you’d like to add?

Raylin: Stream our album, buy our album. It’s out on September 20! Our website is thecalamatix.com and you can follow us on Instagram. All that jazz.
Clarence: If anybody is in Cali, check us out! Stay tuned for our future shows and for everything that’s coming out.
Adam: For all fans of Punknews - which is a website I’ve been reading since I was a kid - and for any fan of the Calamatix or anybody who has been touched or moved by our music, thank you for listening. We appreciate your support. We hope you come to see us live to experience a different feeling and a new elevated Calamatix experience.