Kalntyne
Old State House Food Court
Hartford
July 14, 2026
I love learning about new performers and new songs. I got to do both Tuesday afternoon at the Audio Feed concert held at the Old State House Food Court.
The performer stood before the crowd when I arrived with blazing red hair and a United States Marine Corp jacket on. She’d launched into her set immediately, and the applause had to die down before she introduced herself.
Kalntyne pronounces her name “Kal-In-Tyne,” like Valentine. As she explained, only the coolest people spell things incorrectly. She was a fount of bubbly energy, sharing stories about her experiences performing between songs. I’d heard the phrase “blinded by youth” before, and I think I understand it now. It’s that feeling you get when you realize that, while age and experience are definitely good things, nothing quite compares to the brazen self-confidence and unflappability of being 20.
Kalntyne has plenty to be confident about already. She’s been playing for five years and has several live performances under her belt. She writes her own music, blending influences from pop, indie rock and r&b.
“Lead” demonstrates her skills as a songwriter. Kalntyne has a wide vocal range that she employs expertly in her music. Her soulful, smooth singing in the lower octaves was punctuated by quick runs into the upper register, hanging there just long enough to tease the listeners with the possibility of her going even higher.
The hour-long performance consisted of almost all original songs, demonstrating Kalntyne’s versatility and prolific creativity. She did step outside her own music to share one of her favorite songs with the audience, “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” by the Arctic Monkeys.
Many people consider covers to be easier, but I’ve found that the cover is the real test of a singer-songwriter: It’s easier to write music to make oneself sound good than it is to play other’s music well. Kalntyne bent the song just enough to fit into her style, changing a catchy, poppy sound into a more meditative take on the ups and downs of breakups.
Speaking afterwards, Kalntyne told me that her biggest musical influences are My Chemical Romance, the Beatles and of course the Arctic Monkeys. I was impressed by the depths of her music knowledge, and started to ask her some of her favorite songs.
Then I caught myself; did she say the Arctic Monkeys? I had to Google the band, which formed in 2002. I was preparing to ask questions about The Monkees, the 1960s band. I’d never heard of the former, save for her earlier cover, a testament to my own lack of music knowledge. (I listened to them for the first time to write this article. Thanks for the suggestion, Kalntyne!)
These concerts are a constant reminder of how much music there is to experience, both from rising stars like Kalntyne and the older musicians who inspired her. It’s what keeps me coming back to Audio Feed week after week.
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Jamil goes to Trinity College to hear a different kind of soul music.