Caleb L’Etoile makes music like ghost stories — vivid and impossible to shake. The Virginia-based singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist blends art pop with DIY punk energy, wrapping melody around lyrics that are equal parts grief and humor, strange and deeply personal. Influenced by Arthur Russell, mewithoutYou, Modest Mouse, and The Armed, his sound shifts shape from jagged post-punk to glitchy synth-pop to tender acoustic balladry — yet always feels unmistakably his.
Although L’Etoile has been carving out a lane for himself with the imaginative worlds he creates with his music, his latest single deals with problems that are far too real. “Gun” explores the socio-political turmoil that the powers-that-be have conducted, and this is the artist’s call to do something about it. The powerful protest song delivers an impactful performance, the type of tune that wakes you up, rewires your brain, and reminds you of the harsh realities around us. Although this is far from the moment L’Etoile allows these truths to simply exist. “Gun” is not an exploration of modern times; it’s a call to change them. With an explosive arrangement brimming with palpable distortion and neck-breaking percussion, L’Etoile delivers an emotional performance that urges everyone to stand up to the elites and bring peace and justice to those who need it. “Gun” is an intense, vulnerable look into the person behind L’Etoile, the artist. You can watch the moving live performance here.
“This song is a collective call for us to work together to stop the spread of fascism in the United States (and the world at large, really). It explores the concept of using the language of violence to speak for peace at times when peace is no longer heard,” explains L’Etoile. “We’ve already experienced more than enough revisions of rights, unlawful murders of civilians, and efforts to further white supremacy, so why should we give them any further chances to make things worse? Now is the time to organize, unite, and demand accountability before we lose the ability to do so. Let’s all work together to make the fascists feel unwelcome!”
