Calpurnia—featuring Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard alongside Ayla Tesler-Mabe, Jack Anderson, and Malcolm Craig—sat down to talk about their single Cell, their influences, and whether rock music is finally making a comeback.
The band built Cell out of their favorite sounds, drawing inspiration from White Reaper, Iggy Pop, The Velvet Underground, T. Rex, and The White Stripes. But rather than crafting a song in direct homage, they treated those inspirations like pieces of a puzzle, mixing and matching tones and production ideas. “We wanted the vocals to have that overdriven quality like White Reaper,” Wolfhard explained, while the band also nodded to the guitar harmonies on Iggy Pop’s Success and the raw energy of ‘70s rock.
Finn, for his part, sees the glam rock influence growing stronger, calling David Bowie his all-time favorite artist. But Calpurnia isn’t sticking to one lane. “Every song we’re working on has a different feel, but the general tone is moving toward that kind of 70s rock, but with a modern indie twist,” they said, name-dropping The Rolling Stones, R.E.M., and ‘90s rock bands as additional touchpoints.
As for a full-length album? It’s happening, but they’re not rushing it. “We’re still writing,” they said. “We don’t want to put it out before it’s ready, but there’s going to be new music one way or another.” Part of the delay comes from real life getting in the way—two band members are graduating high school soon. “It’s been a lot, trying to juggle everything,” Anderson admitted, while Tesler-Mabe praised their school for being supportive of their musical ambitions.
One of Calpurnia’s biggest moments so far came when they were featured in Weezer’s video for Take On Me, which raised the question: Are they friends with the band? Not yet. “We haven’t met them, but we’re seeing them in Vancouver soon, so maybe that changes,” Wolfhard said. The band had also covered Say It Ain’t So for Spotify, so there’s clearly some mutual appreciation at play.
If there’s one thing they’re sure about, it’s that rock music is due for a resurgence. “There have been a lot of people who are maybe frustrated with the way music has been heading,” they said. “Not to say there isn’t some amazing music coming out, but I think people are ready to go back to the roots of what rock used to be—and then take that in a new direction.”
And while some bands might shy away from being part of a movement, Calpurnia is embracing it. They listed off a dream lineup of tourmates that included White Reaper, Pup, Swmrs, and Grape Tooth, and joked that they’d love to bring back a traveling festival like the original Lollapalooza. “The concept is great,” Wolfhard said, “as long as we don’t have to wake up at 4 a.m. and build our own stage.”
They also broke down the now-infamous hand gesture at the beginning and end of their Cell music video, calling it “The Cinnamon Roll” and crediting their sound guy, Donnie, for introducing them to it. “It’s just a way to get everyone hyped before a show,” they laughed.
For now, the focus is on finishing school and finding time to record. Whether or not rock’s full-scale revival is happening, they’re here to push it forward—one glam-infused, indie-rock banger at a time.
Listen to the interview above and check out the video below!
