Cali Rd

Cali Rd were destined to make music together. Brothers Sam and Jack Hunt, two of five siblings, grew up in Adelaide watching their Dad perform in country bands around town and blasting classic rock around the house. They were in music lessons from as young as six years old, and even had a dedicated drum room in their house where they could be as loud as possible without causing too much of a nuisance. Music is embedded into every early memory they have.

Never content with staying one place too long, the pair moved with their family to a remote cattle station 90 minutes out of Alice Springs. Vast plains of ochre replaced suburban Adelaide streets, but music stayed with them. On an acreage with the nearest neighbour being well beyond the horizon, they kept themselves entertained by playing guitar with no outside distractions. Little did they know they were very slowly but sharply honing their craft.

They closed out their adolescence and entered into adulthood in Darwin, immersing themselves in yet again a completely different community. By this point, they’d tried their hand at writing their own music separately, immersing themselves in artists like Arctic Monkeys and early Harry Styles. Some of it was so good, in fact, Jack submitted a song he’d written while he was just messing around as his major music assignment in high school. But, after they’d both ditched the wide outback for the Northern Territory coastline, they were faced with making major adult decisions: focusing on their trades (Jack as a carpenter and Sam as an electrician), meaning music had to take a back seat.

But, fate had other plans. Both Sam and Jack had made social media accounts where they’d share covers and original work, recording whenever they’d finish up after a hard day onsite. They were gaining traction online separately, but noticed things really kicked into gear whenever they’d appear together. So, they made it official. Originally performing as The Hunt Brothers, their covers have racked up millions and millions of views online, with almost half a million followers on TikTok alone. This was the universe’s way of letting them know that music is what these two brothers were always meant to do.

Undergoing yet another relocation to Cronulla, Sam and Jack — now known as Cali Rd — are once again using their surroundings to inspire their music. Drawing inspiration from the coast + ocean, the duo channel those influences into their folk-pop sound, first heard on their debut single, “Falling Fast.” But their work also has bite and grit — not unlike the harsh outback reds and deep, tropical Top End storm greys — with a country and rock edge. “Boxes” is defiant and self-assured, and packs a mighty punch, proving the duo aren’t afraid of surprising their audience.

Cali Rd paints pictures with their music, and they do it all, with Sam playing guitar and banjo and Jack on the drums and keys. Listening to their songwriting, you're taken back to a time, a place, a feeling. No matter who you are or where you come from, their music is universally relatable but evokes different memories from person to person. It’s vivid and it’s honest. And now, after building an audience by sharing their interpretation of other artists’ stories, Cali Rd are finally ready to tell their own.