INTERVIEW: Alessandro DeCaro
PRESS PHOTO: Rick Perez
Welcome to Artist Spotlight & Style Guide, our new series where we introduce you to fresh and exciting artists you need to hear now! This week we are elated to feature Los Angeles-based punk singer-songwriter and shoegaze revivalist, Taleen Kali.
Taleen Kali has been making a name in the scene through their high energy yet ethereal and dreamy music, paired with a fiercely DIY and community-driven ethos that demands your attention. Fresh off the release of their new single “Crossed,” Taleen Kali has their eyes set on a massive 2026, including plans for a full US tour, music festival appearances and will begin working on their forthcoming sophomore album due for release in the near future.
In an exclusive interview with Haus Of Cult/The Pretty Cult, Taleen Kali discusses their musical origin story, the current shoegaze revival, their latest single “Crossed,” — as well as fashion, dream collaborations and so much more.
Can you walk us through your origin story with music, from your earliest influences to the moment you realized this was something you wanted to pursue seriously and ultimately form your own band?
Taleen Kali: I started playing the piano when I was 6 and guitar at age 15. After I learned the guitar, all I wanted to do was start a band someday, so it was just a matter of figuring out how to do it or finding the right people at the right time in my life, and I feel so lucky every day that it happened. I was obsessed with grunge, punk rock, goth, shoegaze, and Middle Eastern music, and when I moved back home to L.A. after art school, I found my first bandmates to jam with, and the rest is history.
For someone hearing your music for the first time, how would you describe your sound and overall vibe in a quick elevator pitch?
Taleen Kali: We're like a goth Blondie infused with dreamy shoegaze and L.A. punk!
Your music obviously incorporates a lot of shoegaze elements, which in recent years has really begun to take hold of mainstream music and culture. What do you make of the genre becoming more popular, and for those who are new to shoegaze, who are some of the must-hear artists of the genre, both new and old?
Taleen Kali: I think it's amazing that the genre is becoming more and more popular and having 2nd and 3rd and 4th waves. My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Chapterhouse, Cocteau Twins, Medicine, The Veldt, Astrobrite, Airiel, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Curve are some of my favorite old-school shoegaze bands. In terms of newer gazey bands, I love The Horrors, A Place to Bury Strangers, Tamaryn, and Ringo Deathstarr, the latter of which we got to tour with recently.
Taleen Kali wearing the Sabbath Fever Bralette
You have already collaborated with notable musicians including Jeff Schroeder (formerly of The Smashing Pumpkins), which is monumental in and of itself, but are there any artists, bands, or producers you dream of collaborating with next?
Taleen Kali: I'd love to collaborate with Iggy Pop and Miki Berenyi someday!
Your latest single “Crossed” dropped late last year. What is the backstory behind this track, and what message were you hoping to communicate?
Taleen Kali: The opening lines of the song are "Rose is a rose," which is from my favorite Gertrude Stein poem, "Sacred Emily." It’s meant to convey "it is what it is" or "things are what they are." I wanted to write about how matter-of-fact things are in life when the only choice you have is to ride the waves of grief. I lost my grandmother in 2023, the year we released our debut album, and the song "Crossed" is a personal exploration where I’m just trying to make sense of the loss—missing my favorite person on earth and wishing I could find a way to commune with the dead. The artwork features an Ethiopian cross that my grandmother always used to wear from her hometown of Addis Ababa, which she passed on to me.
You are born, raised, and based in LA. How has being in the LA music scene, in particular the more DIY communities, shaped you as an artist?
Taleen Kali: I got to constantly go to shows, which was an amazing way to grow up, and it was really cool to share my own zines and book my own DIY shows to build community from really early on as a band. Everything we do as a band comes from that sense of community.
Who or what is your biggest style icon or inspiration?
Taleen Kali: Grace Jones, Siouxsie Sioux, and Vivienne Westwood are my north stars.
Taleen Kali wearing the Sabbath Fever Bralette
What is your process like when putting together outfits for your live shows?
Taleen Kali: For Taleen Kali shows, it's all about health goth that also looks really glam, cause I gotta wear stretchy, moisture-wicking stuff that's comfortable to move and contort in. So I have a lot of fun layering. I usually start with the top: I love picking glam bikinis/tanks that have metallics, studs, sequins, or patterns, and I layer them with a pinafore, A-line skirt, or dress. I like to keep the pantyhose basic and layer on garters or harnesses. Then either a post-punk blazer, leather jacket, or bolero on top, depending on the weather on tour that time of year...
Outside of music, what does a typical day in your life look like, and do you have any hobbies or routines that help keep you grounded?
Taleen Kali: Sometimes I throw myself into creative rituals in the morning before writing music, and other times I'm running what I like to call the email factory. I'm a photo editor and soundbath facilitator by day while I also run my DIY label Dum Dum Zine & Records. All of these things keep me grounded between touring. Regardless of what I have going on at home or on the road, I meditate every day and do yoga, which saves my life, I think. When all else fails, I sit in the sun.
If your music could score any film, new or old, what would it be and why?
Taleen Kali: It would definitely be a vampire movie! Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the show or movie, probably. I wish my band could play the venue from the show, The Bronze, back in the day.
Looking ahead, what is next in the world of Taleen Kali in terms of new music, touring, or anything else people should be excited about?
Taleen Kali: We're currently in the studio making our 2nd LP and also planning our 4th U.S. tour for 2026, which includes year 4 of DUM DUM FEST, the annual DIY festival my band and I put on!
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