Finn Wolfhard has blown up quite a bit since the premier of Stranger Things in 2016, and the release of IT 2017 just a year later. He’s continued to land bigger and better roles, just recently joining both the cast of The Goldfinch and Netflix’s reboot of the classic animated series Carmen Sandiego.
His most ambitious project yet is a 4-piece indie rock band called Calpurnia. Formed in Vancouver in 2017, it credits Wolfhard as lead singer, guitar player and frontman, Jack Anderson on bass, Malcom Craig on drums, and the uber-talented Ayla Tesler-Mabe playing lead guitar. Their covers of Wanted You and Where Is My Mind both garnered millions of views (though the second has since been taken down due to copyright issues), and they quickly began to gain traction in the indie music scene. They were signed to Royal Mountain Records in November 2017, a label that can boast representing groups like Alvvays and Mac Demarco. They released their first EP, Scout, in June 2018, consisting of six tracks and running about 25 minutes.
Though it’s probably not what you would expect of a typical child star’s debut EP, Scout and Wolfhard both continue to surprise. With help in production from Twin Peaks’ Cadien Lake James, they deliver a smooth sound with gravelly but compelling vocals. Arguably the best performance, not to downplay Wolfhard’s distinguishing growl, comes from Tesler-Mabe, who churns out some truly impressive solos with consistent effortlessness (A/N: She’s also gained a bit of a following on social media for the guitar covers she posts on YouTube, songs like Since I’ve Been Loving You and Isn’t She Lovely, among others. I am definitely not the first to notice her prodigy-level performance).
After going to their concert at the House of Blues in Houston, I feel like I can say I’ve seen their success firsthand. And looking to the future, I anticipate nothing but more of the same. Calpurnia’s fans are a strange but profitable mix of young girls, presumably introduced to the band through Wolfhard’s acting career, and older enthusiasts of the indie-rock scene that are drawn to Calpurnia’s unexpectedly raw sound. But hey, that seems to be working out in their favor. And with new music coming soon, according to Anderson at their Houston performance, it doesn’t seem like they have any plans of slowing down.