Calida grew up in Boorloo (Perth) — Whadjuk Noongar Country (Western Australia), singing along to her parent’s folk, pop and country records. She began playing guitar at 12 years old and started writing and composing songs at 13. She also gained some classical and contemporary singing training during high school and in her mid-20s.
She started performing live at 16 yrs old as well as being included on a local compilation album “Safe Sex”, with her song, “I Need More” the same year. That song was played on Triple J, along with an interview. Her song “Envious Eyes” was included in a compilation album called “Alternative Energies Arts Collective”, as well as, “Sugar and Honey” and “Waste of Time” on “The Beige Album” compilation the following year.
At 20 yrs old, Calida moved to Melbourne to pursue music and acting, where she won the Grace Darling Hotel song competition in 2001. She briefly sang and co-wrote with Melbourne band, Pout, but they broke up before any live gigs were performed. Autistic burnout struck 2 years later from pursuing acting and music; a full-time job; acting school in the evenings; and band rehearsals. Calida reluctantly decided to quit acting and moved to London for a year.
She returned to Perth in 2005 to finish her arts degree and continue pursuing music. She won the Step-Up song competition that same year. In 2006, Calida’s song “Lamental” was included in a local compilation album called “Rocky Blues, Vol. 3”. That same year, Autistic burn out struck again from balancing full-time university, a part time job, and the management of a music career, forcing Calida to reluctantly decide to take a temporary break from music. With the plan to get back to performing music live once her post-graduate studies were completed, she focussed on her back-up career.
Finding full-time work increasingly too demanding for her undiagnosed disabilities, to continue with performing her music at the same time, she only started writing and composing music again in 2023. Being diagnosed with fibromyalgia, autism and ADHD, and finally being given some of the correct supports, gave Calida the capacity to begin creating music again. Even though her chronic pain conditions and autism make performing live reliably very difficult, Calida focuses on her songwriting and recording as a form of activism.
Calida’s music is informed by her struggles with disability, chronic pain, mental illness, Autism, ADHD, trauma and motherhood. She seeks to bring a sense of connection and understanding to the disabled and chronic illness community through her own experiences. Calida attempts to bridge the isolation, through music, that comes as a result of having multiple disabilities.