Change is good. The Calamities have been released to cause their curative mayhem elsewhere! Read more about the story here.
The Calamities have always been a collective, and so they continue. The name contains the idea that the best things in life happen by accident sometimes, art, music, love. It takes practice but in the moment you let go, let loose, and that’s where it’s at! You will now find all future projects under Amy Mayson Music.
Amy Mayson (née Wawn) hails from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Her music is inspired by the sounds of her home, by the Celtic songs her mother would play when she was young and by a strong dose of the blues, finding influences in artists like Howlin’ Wolf , Nina Simone, and the White Stripes. Her style is marked by lively foot-stomping folk rhythms, the dirty-delicious sounds of delta blues on the slide guitar and by a dark, brooding vocal range, lilting melodies and thoughtful lyrics.
The Calamities have consisted of various band members over the years, the most permanent of which is Georgina Leach, extraordinary violinist and nominee of ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ by the Americana Music Association in 2018.
Amy released her debut EP The Suspects in February of 2018 in collaboration with Georgina Leach. The album features six signature tracks and has been described as an EP that ‘perfectly showcases a musician who has a lot to offer. With an impressive range of sound, a lyrical depth and sublime vocals, all the right boxes are ticked.’ (Indie Band Guru).
Keep an eye peeled for her second album The Names That I Call God which will be released later in 2021!
Amy’s first ever performance was at an open mic night at The Obviously Armchair, a student bar in the quirky suburb of Observatory (‘Obs’) in Cape Town, South Africa. She began to perform in her home town soon after, and played at several festivals around Zimbabwe both as a solo act and in a trio with percussionist Nigel Mzingaye (Mzie) and electric guitarist Jonathan Wise. In 2017, Amy arrived in London and was invited to play on The Den Stage at The Cambridge Folk Festival with Mandolinist James Le Huray the following year. Amy is now based in Camden Town, where you can catch her performing at one of North London’s intimate live music venues, the much loved and eclectic little gem that is Spiritual Bar.
“that one might become.. quite unwittingly… a source of marvellous accidents.”
