Calvin Marty and The Sunken Ship

Chicago native Calvin Marty’s love affair with music began when he stole his brother’s guitar at age 13, quickly teaching himself to play, sing, and compose, regularly performing publicly throughout his high school years.

A gifted actor, Calvin was accepted to DePaul’s prestigious Theatre School, but before long he returned to his first true passion: music. In 2004 he composed and recorded the solo release Save Yourself. Hailed as “a discovery…beautiful and bittersweet” by music critic Dan Ochwat, Save Yourself is wide-ranging and evocative of everything from Bob Dylan to Death Cab for Cutie. It also provided a solid platform for Calvin to test his skills and build towards his own unique sound.

Although he continued to work as an actor after graduation - appearing onstage at The Goodman and Side Project Theaters, as well as in the independent films The Half Life of Mason Lake and Dimension - Calvin continued to write and play wherever possible, cementing the blend of hauntingly beautiful melodies and canny observations that are his musical trademark.

In 2007, Calvin went into the studio and recorded The Dead Sea Demos, an imaginative collection of downtempo acoustic tracks that highlights Calvin’s knack for storytelling and gift for musical poetry. Soaring vocals and delicate guitar accompaniment offset sophisticated lyrics, making the The Dead Sea Demos as beautiful as it is thought-provoking.

Although his solo work was rewarding, Calvin felt pulled towards creating a more aggressive sound, and later that same year, he joined forces with bass guitarist Paul Quaintance (lead singer/guitarist for The Delafields), classical violinist Kimberly Galva and gifted drummer Wil Fleming to form Calvin Marty and The Sunken Ship. The result is powerful, hook-laden, and heartbreaking indie rock that is emotional, exciting, and impossible to forget.

Playing their first show in late 2007, Calvin Marty and The Sunken Ship were an instant phenomenon, going from Northside bar band to Double Door headliners in fewer than 10 gigs. Consistently captivating audiences with an ease and energy that belied their status as new kids on the block, they have quickly attracted an ever-growing crowd of fans.

Smart and sexy, Calvin Marty and The Sunken Ship have been favorably compared to everything from Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright to Billy Joel and Ron Sexsmith, but their sound is theirs and theirs alone. Calvin’s electrifying voice, sensitive lyrics, and the gorgeous arrangements expertly performed by The Sunken Ship combine to deliver the kind of evening that music lovers live for but rarely experience.

Calvin Marty and The Sunken Ship are currently in-studio developing their debut album, slated for release in late 2008.