Kalandra have long since settled into their own versatile musical identity, embracing effective contrasts between shimmering joy and aching melancholy, sounding atavistically ancient but stylishly contemporary, otherworldly but firmly rooted in woodland soil. Kalandra’s open-minded, open-hearted signature sound may take in several reference points, but it remains impervious to easy categorisation. Freely cited inspirations on The Other Side’s heavy guitar quotient include Alice In Chains and Bring Me The Horizon, while neoclassical legends Dead Can Dance, Norwegian electro-alt-rockers Pyke and Oslo ‚doomgaze‘ unit Leonov also made their mark on Kalandra’s creative psyche. Even so, this is a band that will always obey their own singular muse: „To me it’s about trying to write something I haven’t heard before,“ says Florian. „That’s not to say it hasn’t been done! But if I haven’t heard it before, then it piques my interest.“ 

He’s not alone. Examine any comments section beneath any Kalandra song, review or social media post and you’ll find an uncommonly passionate fanbase testifying to the unique healing power of their extraordinary music. For Katrine, who oversees the band’s social media presence, this can be a double-edged sword. „Writing songs about mental health and introspection, while trying to fight in the attention economy, doesn’t sit so well with me,“ she ponders. „You’re supposed to share, but if a song is quite personal, how do I keep it where I’m not just exposing my vulnerabilities to the world? That’s not very professional or healthy, but at the same time, maybe it’s useful for someone. People demand that you put your entire self onto these platforms so they can connect with you. I’m still finding that balance, of what distance you need to keep, what to share and what not to share.“

The band have no problem sharing their hopes and ambitions for the future, and it’s much the same as any blossoming band in the prime of their lives with a beautifully wrought new album in the can: bigger tours, bigger crowds, bigger budgets, bigger stages – the bigger the better for Florian. „I’ll only be happy once we’ve done a Rammstein-sized show,“ he grins, „with a nuclear power plant on wheels travelling beside the bus! That’s peak ambition!“