The Callas

The Callas is an art rock group from Athens, active since 2004, built around the brothers Lakis and Aris Ionas. The project extends beyond music into films, artworks, magazines, events and art shows, and it functions as part of a wider artistic activity based in Athens.

Line-up and formation

The band consists of Aris Ionas on guitar and vocals, Lakis Ionas on bass and vocals, Chrysanthi on guitar and vocals, and Marilena Petridou on drums. The brothers also run the wider creative project that surrounds the group.

Recordings and collaborators

The Callas release the album Half Kiss Half Pain on Inner Ear, with production by Jim Sclavunos. They also release Am I Vertical? in 2013. The group works with Lee Ranaldo on the soundtrack for its feature film The Great Eastern, and also plans a live performance and installation with Ranaldo and Leah Singer.

Live activity

The Callas perform widely across Europe, including appearances at Liverpool Psyche Festival, The Great Escape in Brighton, Indigenes Festival in France, Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, and Indietracks Festival in Derbyshire. They also play at venues and spaces such as The Windmill, The Fly, Old Blue Last and Barfly in London, as well as Sala Apolo in Barcelona, Espacio menos uno in Madrid, Taktfrei Fest in Berlin, De Roode Bioscoop in Amsterdam, and Fieldgate Gallery and Alma Enterprises in London. Their live performances include churches, flats, boats, mountains and toilets.

Other projects

Lakis and Aris Ionas publish the magazines Velvet and Lust, which serve the Athens underground music, art and film scene. Through Velvet Room, they organise art shows, music gigs and DJ sets, and their studio is described as one of the most active cultural spaces in Athens.

Film and visual art

In 2013, the group completes its first feature film, LUSTLANDS, made through HAOS Film, and it premieres at the 7th Athens Avant-Garde Film Festival. Their artworks have been shown internationally, including at Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Family Business gallery in New York, Dakis Joannou DESTE Foundation in Athens, Faggionato Fine Art in London, Athens Biennial, Andreas Melas gallery in Athens, and with Yinka Shonibare.

Collaborations and associated acts

The Callas have performed with or alongside Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Ty Segall, Grinderman, Au Revoir Simone, You Say Party! We Say Die!, The Wedding Present and Television Personalities.

Critical notes

The group receives descriptions of its music as dense and idiosyncratic, with boy-girl vocal contrasts, propulsive guitars, a motorik backbone and a garage rock drive. Half Kiss Half Pain is identified as album of the week by Artrocker.