Artist Spotlight is a segment that we started to introduce our listeners to some deserving up and coming artists/ bands. They have made an impact on us for all of the right reasons. We think they kick ass and we hope you do too! Today, we’d like to introduce you to the premier darkedelic duo Batfarm. 

Alexx Calise and Dennis Morehouse were exposed to music from a very young age. They’ve been feeling the effects ever since.

Comprised of Calise, an introspective lyricist and “harmony machine”, and Morehouse, a masterful arranger and sound manipulator, Batfarm is a two-piece alternative rock band whose sound can be best described as “darkedelic”. The multi-instrumentalists keep it small not only for efficiency’s sake, but also to keep creating the music they want without added personalities.

Though the two were from complete opposite ends of the country, they met in LA through a mutual friend. Realizing immediately that there was chemistry between them, the two began seeing each other. They initially tried to keep their romantic relationship separate, but collaborating on music was inevitable.

A few years into dating, Dennis was asked to write some music for an indie movie. He approached Alexx to help with the song, and they immediately found that they had amazing musical chemistry as well. Shortly after, they started working on music for licensing together. What they found was that they weren’t just developing songs; they were developing a sound that could really be something. 

However, a myriad of things began to happen over the course of the next few years, which forced the project to be put on an indefinite hold. Alexx’s song “Cry” took off thanks to a placement in a major TV show, forcing her to really concentrate on her solo career, and her brother also passed away suddenly. Dennis started touring heavily and pursuing other musical ventures in the interim as well. The pair inevitably started to grow apart, and decided to end their romantic relationship.

The story does not have a tragic ending however, as the pair decided to reconnect and record some covers just for fun about a year later, after the emotional dust had settled. Realizing that there was something still there musically, they decided to finally take those songs they wrote all those years ago, and perform them live…And so, Batfarm began.

Ultimately, Calise and Morehouse thought they were just chapters in each other’s books, but they actually found that they were still part of each other’s stories. They were merely playing the wrong characters. Music has always been the constant and the bond for this powerful duo, and you can see their love for each other and their undeniable chemistry on stage and in person. The two even share joint custody of their cat, Bingo, who is often the subject of their promotional posters and videos.

Batfarm just released their first EP, In the Belfry with the help of longtime friend and producer, Charlie Waymire, who actually gets the band’s quirky humor, genre defying sound, perfectionism, and demand for greatness.

Combining Alexx’s grunge and blues influences with rich, choral soundscapes and Dennis’s love of industrial, funk, and psychedelic music, Batfarm creates a sound that is like everything and nothing at once.

While the music itself is serious, they don’t take themselves too seriously, and it is their hope that the darkness of some of their own personal experiences will help others to find their own light.

We recently sat down with Alexx and Dennis from Batfarm for a short, but fun Q&A session! 

Every super hero and villain has an origin and a band is not different. Well, minus the radioactive spiders and secret government experiment. What’s the origin of Batfarm?

Alexx Calise/Batfarm: Well, we don’t have spiders, but we do have bats, haha. It was never our intention to start a band actually. Dennis approached me 11 or so years ago about writing a song for a horror movie with him. During that time, we found we really had great musical chemistry, so we continued writing some songs for licensing. Eventually, we ended up developing a “sound” together, so we decided to officially form a band. It was more of a studio project for a while, but we finally started to perform live about 2 years ago. 

What’s in a name? Sometimes a band’s name has a story behind & sometimes it’s something that sounded cool. What about Batfarm?

Alexx: We went through a few band names, and they just weren’t gelling. People didn’t get it, and we wanted something a bit more memorable. Our good buddy who works for Line 6, Eric Klein had come up with the name, Batfarm years ago and never did anything with it. I always thought that was such a badass name, so we asked if we could use it, and he graciously obliged. 

You’re booking a tour that you’re on & you can bring along any 4 bands. Who would you choose?

Alexx: silverchair, AWOLNATION, The Cure, and Nine Inch Nails

Dennis Morehouse/Batfarm: Foo Fighters, Incubus, Marilyn Manson and KISS from 1974

Strangest thing that you’ve ever been asked to autograph?

Alexx: Someone asked us to sign their fish.

What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?

Dennis: I definitely loved the Super Friends, Underdog and Spider-Man.

Alexx: I liked a lot. Ren & Stimpy, Doug, Rocko’s Modern Life, Ahh! Real Monsters, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

(Above photo by Anabel Dflux)