Whimsy-rock singer-songwriter Calista Garcia delivers flairs of folk, Latin, blues, roots and chamber pop, all tied together with her signature blend of both introspective and "philosophizing" lyricism. Her distinctive, expressive style, dubbed “new classic”, musical ingenuity and "vaudevillian" live shows have made her a critical darling. and a must-see New York act.

Her second full-length album, Animal Magnifique! (2025), is a kaleidoscopic, cinematic concept album that fuses glam rock, chamber pop, and raw confessional songwriting. From the rage-fueled catharsis of “Carnival” to the disco-inflected confrontation of “Big Mouth,” the record paints a lush, volatile world where sequins and scars coexist. “I wrote ‘Carnival’ when I was so angry I couldn’t bury it,” Calista explains. “But I wondered — could I make the feeling satisfying? Even fun?” Meanwhile, “Big Mouth” critiques internalized self-hate with glittering audacity: “That voice whispering you’re too much or not enough? That’s not your voice — that’s the Big Mouth. And it’s time we stop listening.”

Critics are already responding. Old Grey Cat calls the album “a masterwork that merges the raw honesty of 21st-century confessionals with the grandeur of '70s rock theater,” praising Calista’s “emotional bravado” and her ability to “go from delicate to devastating without blinking.” Prism Reviews adds to the acclaim, writing: “Listening to her, for me, is like discovering a Sheryl Crow or a Joni Mitchell, with her signature voice and super compelling songwriting, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she breaks onto the scene as a national treasure, someday soon.”

Themes of transformation and truth-telling dominate the record. “I realized that inauthenticity is expensive — and I can’t afford it anymore,” Calista says of the turning points that inspired the album: a move to Brooklyn, falling in love, navigating chronic illness, and facing the moral failings of society. “This is the first release I’ve made where every line and note feels truly representative of who I am, artistically and personally.”

The result is a record meant not just to be heard, but felt — in the gut, the heart, and the hips. “I want listeners to feel free and released after listening to this album. I want them to feel strong enough to speak up about what’s wrong, and to lean into what’s right,” Calista affirms.

Her debut full-length album “Confession” was released May 2023. Recorded at Plyrz Studios and produced by GRAMMY Award-winning producer Jim Scott (the Chicks, Tom Petty) in collaboration with Calista and GRAMMY Award-winning producer, Davíd Garza (Fiona Apple) showcases a “new classic” style — with a fresh, modern twist that hearkens back to the ‘70s era — drawing inspiration from legends such as Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell.

Previous LP singles released include lead track, “The Coals,” that gained immediate support from Spotify’s official “Fresh Finds Folk” Best of 2022 playlist, “The Way I Love You,” “Kalamazoo” which Under The Radar remarked as “a delightfully vintage piano rocker, recalling Elton John’s glam-laden tributes to rock and roll,” and “Flowers in My Hair” that Wonderland Magazine commented: “Calista Garcia is amongst the upper echelons… as she concocts a diverse, expressive and innovative sound that lays the foundation for striking, thoughtful songwriting. Atop the groove-laden, sentimental instrumental backdrop, Garcia delivers a delicate but endearing performance…”

Confession follows Calista’s previously released EP’s, A Beautiful World (released October 2021) and Wild Woman (released April 2019), which garnered a nomination for “Best Roots/Country EP” in the 2020 Independent Music Awards. The project also won multiple nominations and awards from International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA), the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) and the Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest (MASC).

As seen on Season 16 of NBC’s The Voice, Calista is a prolific songwriter who plays guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and harmonica. She is a 2022 Kerrville New Folk Winner, the 2022 Songwriter’s Association of Washington Young Artist of the Year, 2022 winner of 2 DC Area “Wammies” music awards (Best Folk song & artist), a 2021 Chris Austin Songwriting Finalist at Merlefest, a 2021 “She is the Music Foundation” Connect TogetHER Songwriting Fellow, the 2020 National YoungArts Gold Winner in Voice/Singer-Songwriter (top prize), a 2020 Johnny Mercer Songwriting Project Fellow, a 2019 Strathmore Artist in Residence, a 2017 & 2018 Berklee Performance Showcase Winner, the 2017 Bernard Ebbs Young Songwriter of the Year and a two-time Grammy Foundation Young Songwriter Program Artist.

A member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild, Calista also writes for the stage, having completed her second folk-rock inspired musical, Crystal Skies, which premiered in April 2018. Crystal Skies was a 2020 semifinalist for the Eugene O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference. Calista is based in Brooklyn. She is on Takamine’s worldwide roster of Takamine guitar artists.