As soon as Annie and the Caldwells took to the stage at Zebulon, I felt a sense of levity. It was early June and the mood in Los Angeles was heavy. ICE raids had triggered protests, which led to an overreaction that landed downtown, where I live, under an 8 p.m. curfew. Meanwhile, in nearby neighborhoods, like Frogtown, where Zebulon is located, it was business as usual. At least, that’s how it looked inside the club. The room was full and completely alive. As Deborah Caldwell Moore belted out the heartfelt lyrics of “Wrong,” we caught the groove and kept it going throughout the set. The tempo ebbed and flowed as they played, but the energy remained high. Hands were thrown in the air during “I Made It.” It wasn’t just a good show, but an uplifting one.
Annie and the Caldwells are a family band from West Point, Mississippi who sing gospel music that blends funk, disco and soul, emphasis on the latter. Can’t Lose My (Soul)is the name of their album, which was released earlier this year on Luaka Bop, the label founded by David Byrne. Annie Caldwell, who grew up singing with her own siblings as the Staples Jr. Singers, formed the band with her husband, guitarist Willie Joe Caldwell Sr., and their kids some 40 years ago. “My mother and daddy brought us up singing and my daddy told us to do the same thing with our family, bring them up in the church, like he brought us up,” Annie says when we connect for a video call the day after the show. “It’s just going from generation to generation.”
Alongside daughters Deborah and Anjessica and goddaughter Toni, Annie sings of faith, struggle and gratitude. Their songs are deeply spiritual and intensely personal. In “Dear Lord,” she recalls escaping a home fire with small children. “Don’t You Hear Me Calling” is about praying through her brother’s heart transplant surgery. As Annie and the Caldwells share their life experiences, it might prompt you to consider your own as well. “Somebody else might be going through the same thing,” Annie says of the audience. “You’ve been there.”
With Willie Joe Sr. on guitar, Willie Jr. on bass and youngest son Abel Aquirius on drums, Annie ad the Caldwells’ testimonies are set to a fiercely funky groove that occasionally veers into a psychedelic one. It’s virtually impossible to stand still when they play. Their impassioned songs and exhilarating performances have earned Annie and the Caldwells a growing fanbase as they’ve begun to tour more extensively. A slot at the festival Le Guess Who? in the Netherlands last year won the band a rave review in Mojo. Since then, they’ve toured Europe and played in Australia. They’re back in Europe this month for shows in Sweden, the Netherlands and the U.K. This fall, they’ll head to Japan. “We’ve seen so much love and so much support,” says Annie, noting that audiences are getting the message in their music. “That’s the most important thing to know that we’re singing about the Lord and that people are understanding and we accept him for whatever he gives us.”
Along the way, they’ve gained some well-known fans. Elton John has shouted out Annie and the Caldwells. Money Mark played with the band in Los Angeles. “Together you stand and divided you fall, so I thank God that we are all into each other’s music,” says Annie. “Everybody’s got their own music, but we’re into their music and they’re into ours. So, I’ve been really enjoying it.”
Meanwhile, DJ legends like Nicky Siano and Justin Strauss contributed to the first Annie and the Caldwells remix EP, I Was Living in a World of Sin, released in the spring, while Ryan Hope of Gabriels and Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor each offer a remix of “Wrong” for the Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right EP set for release later this month.
It’s been an eventful year for the Caldwells, who all continue to work day jobs in between live performances. Annie has long been the owner of a dress shop in her hometown, Caldwell Fashions. Although her granddaughter was running the store while the band was in L.A., she looked forward to going back to work upon her return. Says Annie, “I kind of miss it.”
Can’t Lose My (Soul) and I Was Living in a World of Sin by Annie and the Caldwells are out now. Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right is out on August 20.
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs or listen to the latest Beatique Mix. Follow on Instagram or Bluesky for more updates.
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