Meet Caleb Henry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caleb Henry.

Caleb, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Music was a huge part of my upbringing. My mom was the worship leader at our home church, and I was homeschooled, so naturally I heard a lot of worship music. But aside from that, my pops was constantly playing traditional Country, Americana, and Irish Folk music when he was working in the garage or around the house. I remember memorizing lyrics from artists like John Denver, Johnny Cash, and Kenny Loggins. Later on, I would start discovering genres like Punk Rock from video games such as Tony Hawk Pro-Skater, and 80’s Rock from my uncle Mike.

He started me on my journey of guitar playing and I went hard for it. As I progressed in playing guitar I started becoming fascinated with songwriting. The next step to me was clear, start a band. Me and some friends formed our first band called D.K.A. It was a fusion of Punk Rock and Ska. We played at venues from House of Blues to The Viper Room, and Molly Malone’s. But I noticed my writing was split between two things. One was writing songs to fit in the genre of Punk and Ska, and the other was writing songs for myself that were more along the lines of what I heard my pops playing around the house when I was younger.

I desired to grow as a musician, and as much as I love Punk Rock, so much in fact that I have “Punk Rock Till I Die” tattooed around my knee, the writing and musicianship that I felt was honest to me wasn’t there. Backed by the same friends that were in D.K.A. I decided to start my journey of my solo music career. Since then, I have had the opportunity to record three singles, an EP, and three songs for a documentary called “Honor Project.” The blessings that have come my way have been incredible, and it seems like each week something new happens that pushes me further.

However, I could not have done that without the help of my friends, and fellow musicians that play alongside me at almost every show. With Kolten Knaub on the drums, Micah Herman on bass, Ryan Moline on guitar, Mason Haynie on violin and back up vocals, and Jake Strommen on keys, the group known as “The Customs” has supported me through all of this.

2019 has been a big year for me and the guys, from opening up for Sons of Anarchy actress Katey Sagal, to beginning the work on a new full-length album, it has truly been a satisfying, and progress filled year. I am incredibly excited for what the future holds for these songs that I put every fiber of my heart and soul into and for the new album “California Mistake.”

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think any road is smooth in life, especially in California. In an area that is so saturated with art and entertainment, it’s difficult to stand out. I think the key to standing out is really digging deep to find out who you are as an individual, and stay true to that. People in the entertainment industry are constantly trying to get you to change to something that’s more marketable, be it the songs you sing, the way you look, or even changing the name you were born with, to something that will “reach the masses.”

However, I think they’re missing the mark, because what everyone is looking for is authenticity, and that can’t be created by a team of PR or marketing consultants. It has to be discovered and consciously lived out daily. That’s definitely a road bump that comes into play often.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment for me has definitely been being able to record a song I wrote for my pops called “Like My Father.” It appears on the soundtrack for the documentary “Honor Project” and I was so happy to be able to record it because of how much my dad means to me. He’s guided me in so many different areas of my life and has constantly maintained an image of a man, father, and husband that I hope to be someday.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chenrymusic/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cjhenrymusic/

Image Credit:
GraceDay Photography and Halle Keeth

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