Liz Achanta
Caleb Nichols (he/they) is a singer-songwriter, prizewinning poet, teacher, and librarian. They recently released the Clarion EP, their first release for the legendary indie label Kill Rock Stars—and a full-length album is slated for release in 2022.
Caleb’s website, CalebNicholsIs.gay, is an online hub for his many creative projects, from poetry to music to the “Book Bike” — a pedal-powered pop-up bookstore specializing in LGBTQIA+ literature!
Caleb shot a quick video to tell you all about their website, their reasons for being out and proud, and what they’re looking forward to in 2022. Check it out:
Read on for our deep-dive interview with Caleb to learn more about his queer musical inspirations, his PhD research on queer creativity, and the process of recording Clarion.
How has your gay/queer identity influenced your music and your experience in the music industry?
Being queer is essential to who I am! It's part of who I've always been, and my queerness and concept of my own gender are evolving. I think and hope my music reflects that, and I hope that I'm able to keep making space for myself in the music industry.
I don't want to talk negatively about the music industry, so I won't, but I will say that as a queer artist, I find that there are a lot more spaces for expression in the poetry community than in the world of, like, indie rock. I honestly wish the music industry was more like the poetry community in that sense, because the music industry—even some of the gays in the industry—are just a bit too happy with the status quo.
I signed with Kill Rock Stars recently and they are an exception: they are very queer-positive, and have been since their beginning. And it shows in the types of artists and sounds they curate and develop.
Who are some of your queer or trans heroes or musical influences?
The first out musician I encountered was Rufus Wainwright, and I think for that reason he's always been really close to my heart. I remember reading an interview with him in Spin Magazine in high school, where he just said "I love being gay!" and I was shocked! It was 1997 or 1998 maybe, and I had never seen a famous person so comfortable announcing that not only were they gay but that they loved it. Also, his eponymous debut was just made for the unrequited gay, wasn't it? That opening track, oh my god.
Postscript: I found the original article archived on Google Books! OMG it's too much.
Why is support for the arts, culture, and nightlife so important for the well-being of LGBTQIA+ people?
I don't think culture exists outside of queerness, by which I mean that queer people are the culture and always have been.
I'm working on a PhD dissertation that thinks quite a lot about this, at least in terms of queer ecology and what I call queer ecopoetics. My work considers the ecosystems that queerness flourishes in, how those cultural biomes are delicate and yet resilient, and how they sustain and are connected to all other forms of life. It's in-progress but fascinating work.
Tell us about your new Clarion EP on Kill Rock Stars!
Clarion is a short EP of four songs that is my first official release on Kill Rock Stars. I am still sort of in disbelief that I'm able to say that: that I'm putting out music on such a legendary label. I've been listening to KRS bands since I was a teenager, particularly Elliott Smith, Deerhoof, and the Decemberists, and it's just really the fulfillment of a life-long dream to be working with them on putting out music.
The songs "Clarion" and "He'll Love You Better" I wrote during lockdown, and I'm particularly proud of both of them compositionally, and I love how these arrangements turned out. We were able to record them in a proper studio, and it was amazing to be in a room working with some of my best friends: Joshua Barnahart from Strange Pilgrim, Adam Nash from Goodnight Texas, Jameson Swanagon, and of course our engineering/mixing team Ian and Jay Pellicci. It was euphoric actually, because it was one of the first musical things any of us had done in-person. A real coming together of things. Just lovely, and hopefully that warm feeling is there in the recordings.
Why do LGBTQIA+ people deserve a safer internet?
The internet is a great connector of people, but it's also a dark place, and queer people as a group are exposed to so much hate and vitriol on the web, especially on social media. We need an internet that works for queers and keeps them safe.
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