Kirin J. Callinan

Kirin J. Callinan
Callinan performing live in Sydney, August 2019
Background information
Birth nameKieran John Callinan
Born (1986-01-21) 21 January 1986 (age 38)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • actor
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • synthesiser
  • bass guitar
  • percussion
  • piano
Years active2005–present
Labels
Formerly of

Kieran John Callinan (born 21 January 1986), known by his stage name Kirin J. Callinan, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is also a founding member of Mercy Arms and has played with the Night Game, Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders, Mark Ronson and Genesis Owusu.[1]

Referred to as the enfant terrible of Australia's underground rock music scene,[2] Callinan is known for his flamboyant public persona, confrontational live shows, and diverse musical output in which, according to Spin, "the distinctions between talent, irony, and genuine bad taste bleed together until they're indistinguishable."[3] Callinan said that his primary motivation as a musician is to "excite and confuse, ... But you can't do that for any length of time without having sincerity."[4]

Callinan has collaborated with a wide range of musicians, including Mark Ronson,[5] Jimmy Barnes, James Chance, Alex Cameron, Connan Mockasin, Caroline Polachek, Weyes Blood, Pond, Mac Demarco, Martin Johnson, Ariel Pink, Hubert Lenoir, Julian Casablancas, Genesis Owusu, whistler Molly Lewis and brothers Neil and Tim Finn. Barnes, Cameron and Lewis feature in Callinan's 2017 single "Big Enough"; Barnes' distinctive screaming cameo became an internet meme.[6]

  1. ^ "Watch Genesis Owusu and Kirin J Callinan perform 'Don't Need You' and 'Drown' for NME Home Sessions". NME. 13 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Kirin J. Callinan Confirmed to Support TV on the Radio at the Sydney Opera House!". The AU Review. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  3. ^ Gaca, Anna (8 November 2017). "What Exactly Is Going On With Kirin J. Callinan?", Spin. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference carew was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ music, Guardian (12 January 2015). "Mark Ronson – Uptown Special: Exclusive album stream". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  6. ^ Matthews, Alice (7 November 2017). "Jimmy Barnes on becoming a meme: 'I just screamed like a banshee'", Double J. Retrieved 14 January 2018.