Taleen Kali is an indie band that sounds like goth Blondie and Ride had a lovechild. Hailing from her native Los Angeles, frontwoman and songwriter Taleen Kali composes romantic punk songs wrapped in layers of shoegaze, psychedelia, and grunge, creating a cosmic sound that’s dark, dreamy, and defiant.
With fiery live sets and swirling sonics, Taleen and her band quickly became a fixture of the L.A. underground, touring with Ringo Deathstarr and sharing bills with bands such as TR/ST, A Place To Bury Strangers, Ex Hex, Seth Bogart, Alice Bag, Patriarchy, Sacred Skin, Male Tears, Geneva Jacuzzi, and more.
When Taleen’s band TÜLIPS went out with a bang at their final headline show at The Regent Theater in 2016, Taleen went solo, sharing bills and touring the country with indie luminaries such as Ex Hex, Alice Bag, and Seth Bogart. Her 2018 debut EP Soul Songs, produced by Kristin Kontrol (Dum Dum Girls), mixed by Brad Laner (Medicine), and recorded at Hollywood’s legendary Sunset Sound Studios, found Taleen’s riot grrrl ethos maturing into a polished, multifaceted punk sound with noise pop and new wave influences. Upon its release, Kali received praise from outlets like BUST Magazine and Stereogum, who likened her sound to a contemporary Blondie, and Soul Songs was included in Pitchfork’s Guide to Summer Albums and LA Weekly’s Best Indie Punk Albums.
A multi-hyphenate to the core, Kali is also the founder of experimental label Dum Dum Records and what The L.A. Times calls “cult favorite” DUM DUM Zine. A sound healer who often leads group meditations, she pivoted from punk psychedelia in late 2021 for the release of her soundbath album Songs For Meditation. Her poetry, essays, and visual art have appeared in digital and international publications including The Onion, SPIN, Razorcake, Los Angeleno, and The Bushwick Review.
Taleen Kali’s first full-length album, Flower Of Life, came out March 3, 2023 on Dum Dum Records. It was produced by The Smashing Pumpkins’ Jeff Schroeder and Josiah Mazzaschi (Child Seat, Bizou, Light FM), and recorded at The Cave Studio, home to records by The Jesus and Mary Chain, IDLES, and members of Slowdive, The Smiths, Lush, The Kills, Warpaint, and Happy Mondays.
The title track debuted as the album’s first single on KEXP April 2022, and the final single, “Crusher,” premiered on KEXP and KCRW in 2023, with heavy airplay on Henry Rollins’ “Fanatic” radio show. The band played 2 full U.S. tours to support the album including festivals such as Freakout, Psyched Fest, Treefort, SXSW, and Dum Dum Fest.
Her follow up to LP1 was the remix album “Flower of Death” in 2024 and the “Covered” EP of alternative love song covers in 2025, which landed Taleen Kali a feature on Alternative Press for 6 rising artists to watch. In 2025 the band embarked on their 3rd U.S. tour playing their first SXSW official showcase, supporting dates for Ringo Deathstarr, and culminating in Substance Festival.
Look out for the new Taleen Kali singles in 2026 ahead of their 4th U.S. tour this summer which includes performances at Dum Dum Fest with Past Self and Drag Talk and Schellraiser’s Humboldt Hideaway micro-festival opening for Swervedriver.
