Los Angeles-based Calamity Magnet melds the world of indie-pop with girl group harmonies of the sixties, adding a hint of country flavor and the occasional peek at a Beatles influence. The brainchild of Texas-born songwriter/musician Sara Radle, Calamity Magnet picks up where her critically acclaimed solo records left off.
Sara Radle currently lends her writing and music skills to The Rentals - indie New Wave pioneers led by Matt Sharp (formerly of Weezer). However, her music career began in San Antonio, Texas, fronting the punk/pop band Lucy Loves Schroeder. She later moved to Dallas, released a string of solo records, and started her own label before relocating to Los Angeles to join The Rentals.
With Calamity Magnet, Sara returns once again to her own distinctive song-writing, armed with an amazing group of musicans in tow.
Lead guitarist Joe Bourdet was raised in the California foothills near Nevada City where the Sierra Nevada mountains and the Sacramento delta informed his rootsy musical sensibilities. A stint in college and other travels saw him move from Santa Cruz to Glasgow Scotland where he cut his teeth playing with any band that could play 'the good music.' Upon relocating to Los Angeles, Joe joined up with a group of Laurel Canyon styled folk-rock mavericks that became Jonathan Wilson and the Whispering Pines. Following that, he joined The Shore - a combo with a vision of American rock filtered through the best anglo-centric interpretations. Joe then moved on to working as a side-man and occasional session player in and around the southland. His latest project, Bolero, is a country-psych powerhouse led by Josh Schwartz, an early band member, songwriter and architect of the late Beachwood Sparks.
Growing up in Honolulu, Valerie Ngai has classical bass training and performed in chamber ensembles, symphonies, and musical theatres around the west coast. Currently, she is also playing bass and drums with Loverlee, an indie pop band from Burbank. Loverlee has been recognized as a Featured Band at liveatthegig.com, and has had their song, When We're Alone, be named as one of the L.A. Times Top Ten Songs by Unsigned Artists to Download.
A Los Angeles native, keyboardist/vocalist Genevieve Kwong meandered musically through a milieu of bands, perfecting her pleasantly unique style along the way. Currently, in addition to Calamity Magnet, she is also playing with Loverlee, mixing it up with keys, flute, bass and percussion, while singing back-ups and sometimes lead vocals.
Joe Zabielski came up in the vital Western MA indie scene of the late 80's and 90's drumming in Amherst and Northampton based bands, most notably in the University of Massachusetts's psych-rockers, The Eyes. Once that scene had run its course, Joe moved on to Silverlake, CA where he currently plays with Moving To France and Calamity Magnet.
Calamity Magnet have just released their first EP together - a self-titled collection of six songs, available now. The group will head out on their first U.S. tour this Summer, and plan to begin work on their first full-length record this Fall.
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