Cal In Red are a new-ish indie pop duo from Michigan (made up of brothers Connor and Kendall Wright), and they’re releasing their debut album Low Low on August 30 via B3SCI Records (pre-order). The project grew out of the brothers’ previous band Mertle, and it was during that band’s run that they initially caught the attention of The Shins. Mertle won The Shins’ 2017 Van Contest with a cover of “Painting A Hole,” and now Shins leader James Mercer lent his voice to Cal In Red’s new single , “Kitchen.” It’s a breezy, sunny indie pop song that’s cut from a similar cloth as early Shins, and it’s easy to picture fans of that band getting down with this one.
“We like to call ‘Kitchen’ our ‘country song,’ kind of,” Kendall says. “Sonically, it’s a pivot from everything that the band has been up to this point. It’s a breakup song at its core, but one where you’re witnessing it from outside ruins. Having lived with two friends in love and then watching it crumble, the song came easy.”
“One of my favorite break-up songs is ‘Gone for Good’ by The Shins,” he continues. “It’s another song that sits comfortably in its country undertones. I’ve always loved James Mercer’s ability to be so specific in his voice, to make something that feels like it came from an innermost place and still have it be so relatable and obtainable. We ended up tossing a Hail Mary and asked James if he would lend his vocals on the song and to our surprise, he said yes. Everything he added was gold. His ability to give a song exactly what it needs is super special.”
James Mercer himself added, “I’ve loved watching Cal in Red develop the past few years and after hearing ‘Kitchen,’ and the record, I was happy to get to collab!”
Check out the new song below. Cal In Red have one upcoming date at the moment: The Eastern in Detroit on August 2.