Q&A: Calico talks about new album A Midnight Moon

Calico‘s Midnight Moon arrives on a swift drum roll before falling into a loose, loping groove on the opening song Rolling Hills.

His musical journey began in 2015 when he started playing guitar again looking for a vehicle for his poetry. Topics range from the natural world to the family oriented Don’t You Stray.

After some songwriting workshops with mentor Michael Averill in Vancouver, Cecchetti started playing music to accompany yoga classes at a friend’s studio in Squamish. Honing his chops in this easygoing environment proved the right fit to developing them. Calico formed just as COVID-19 began as a showcase for Cecchetti’s material.

Featuring a number of Juno-nominated members of such roots and folk acts as Mazacote, The Paperboys, Kutapira and others, the group of Cecchetti, drummer Chris Couto, electric guitarist Will Lloyd and bassist JeanSe Le Doujet, the group’s debut Under a Sudden Sun logged in over 100,000 Spotify streams. A fan base for the band’s alt-folk music clearly existed.

Midnight Moon aims to expand that buzz. With its decidedly laid-back style and intensely personal lyrics, the sound is strictly West Coast.