Nisha Catron

It's rare for an artist to find success in their field, let alone across several, but then Nisha Catron is a rare artist. Actress, musician, composer, producer,Nisha is a multifaceted talent whose gifts combine into projects that inspire. She is driven to create. Born on June 2, 1958 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Nisha's vision of music and film started early. "My mother was a singer, my great-grandmother was an opera singer. When asked as a child what I wanted to be, I always said "a movie star," she remarked. Music provided an outlet for Nisha's creativity. "My mother bought a guitar and I went into my bedroom with it at eleven and never came out. I started writing songs to Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, and Shakespeare." Having decided on California as the place to pursue music, Catron joined the Navy to do so, ending up stationed in Coronado, CA, in San Diego County. Gifted at guitar, harmonica, piano and tin whistle, post Navy, she enrolled at San Diego State University, studying drama and musical theatre. A veteran of the live music scene since the 1980's, Nisha's focus has been on San Diego, but a short stint in Los Angeles would go on to have a lifelong impact on her career. After graduating from the Musicians Institute, she was part of an all-girl band alongside Tane McClure then eventually formed Hollywood based band, Out of Nowhere, with drummer Irene Liberatore of legendary punk band, The Dinettes. Returning to San Diego, Nisha joined up with several musical combos, including Patrons of the Moon, which saw her work with a second member of The Dinettes, keyboardist Sue Delguidice. She also worked with Darlin and Rose with husband Sylvester Bowen , and most recently, Americana influenced group, Calamity. Nisha Catron has released numerous albums, including a pair with Darlin and Rose, s/t (2001) and Tomorrow Yesterday (2002), an album in collaboration with Brooke Mackintosh and Sven Eric Seaholm, STLA (2014) and a pair of solo releases; Step Into My World (2002) and Further South (2012). Meanwhile, following on a nomination for "Best Pop Band" in 2015, Calamity scored a 2020 San Diego Music Award nomination for their album, Pleasure Plug. Adding to her stagecraft skills, Nisha is also part of acclaimed comedy troupe, Pretty Funny Women. Alongside her music, Nisha has led a parallel life in film. "I love being in the recording studio, but my passion is film making," she said. She's released more than a dozen music videos, for both solo projects and with Calamity, while also appearing in films such as Witchcraft IV: The Virgin Heart (1992), Cat a Dog's Tale (2018) and most recently, The Voyager 2150 (2021), which finds her working once again with, now producer, Tane McClure and Sandra Stenzel. It's a collaboration that has yielded multiple short films to impressive results. Accepted at numerous film festivals, The Voyager 2150 has scored several wins, including The New York Movie Awards (2022 / Best Sci-Fi), The Global Shorts Festival (2021 / Best Music) and the LA Independent Women Film Awards (2022 / Best Sci-Fi) It's all a build up to Nisha's Catron's forthcoming EP with producer / musician Josquin Des Pres (Bernie Taupin etc), Same Star. There are no current plans to tour, but a new Calamity album is in the works and more solo recordings and videos are on the way soon, giving Nisha's fans a virtual way to keep up with this gifted artist and her music. Bart Mendoza / Editor Music Scene SD