Isaac spent the majority of his childhood in Cheltenham. After a brief period living in Oxfordshire, he moved back to the town and began pursuing a career in the performing arts. After performing in several stage shows and taking on a number of voice roles for kids TV, he picked up a guitar during the lockdown of 2020. Given he had no more GCSEs to study for, he progressed quickly on the instrument and soon became engaged in the local music scene. He took up the bass initially for a one-off gig, but soon developed a passion for four strings.
Having played in a few bands and many solo shows, he ended up forming The Callbirds alongside Armin and Will.
A Sussex country boy with a keen ear for blues-rock growing up in a musical family, Will first got his hands on a guitar at 13. He started jamming with his Dad at home and then his friends at school. He soon discovered a passion for self-expression through songwriting, singing and playing the guitar. Will’s approach to the instrument has been inspired by listening to so many of the greats of the last century.
After getting a handle on a few chords and riffs, he put in the hours playing pubs, clubs and festivals in the areas of East Sussex, Berkshire and Gloucestershire. From rock to pop, his playing has developed into an unmistakable, unique voice that stands out from the rest. And all in good time, Will became acquainted with his fellow Callbirds, and thus the story began…
Armin is originally from Germany but spent his formative years in Vermont (USA), where he started playing guitar in high school, and where he was privileged to be part of that state’s fantastic music scene. Over time he became increasingly obsessed with drums and percussion, his passion and main areas of study. His drum heroes are numerous and his influences many. There aren’t many genres he hasn’t turned his hand to!
After many travels and living in various places including Montreal, Brussels and Paris, Armin has since made his home in the UK and loves the incredibly rich musical history that thankfully continues to thrive on these isles. He lives in Cheltenham with his lovely wife and 8 year old son, who is turning out to be a gifted singer and performer.
The Callbirds' Story
It was mid-2021 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Isaac (lead vocalist and bass player) and Armin (drummer and charmer) met whilst playing at a birthday party. Isaac was playing bass live for the first time and got on well with Armin from the off. They played in a few groups with a couple of different guitarists both separately and together before ending up without a full time guitarist.
By a stroke of luck, it was around this time Isaac met Will (guitarist and vocalist) at a popular local open mic night. He subsequently asked Will to play guitar in a band he was putting together for an appearance at Lakefest in the summer of 2022. Later, Isaac introduced Will to Armin with the hope of forming a new group to play locally. They played a mixture of classic rock and roll covers from the likes of Eddie Cochran, Little Richard and Chuck Berry as well as several of Isaac’s own compositions.
Having played together for just over a year, the trio decided they might like to make some recordings to sell at the odd gig or put on streaming platforms. So they sent some demo tracks to Yellow Shark Recording Studio with a view to recording a simple selection of live tracks they did well on stage. There was a change in direction, however, when Yellow Shark’s engineer (Laurence Nelson) sent the demo tracks to producer Tom Nichols, who suggested the group made an album entirely of original songs based on the strength of the songwriting.
Having played together for just over a year, the trio decided they might like to make some recordings to sell at the odd gig or put on streaming platforms. So they sent some demo tracks to Yellow Shark Recording Studio with a view to recording a simple selection of live tracks they did well on stage. There was a change in direction, however, when Yellow Shark’s engineer (Laurence Nelson) sent the demo tracks to producer Tom Nichols, who suggested the group made an album entirely of original songs based on the strength of the songwriting.
