If you were following the indie rock scene sometime around 2018-19, chances are you’ve heard of the short-lived Vancouver band, Calpurnia. Thanks to the already massive fanbase of their frontman, Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things, Andy Muschietti’s It) the band was successful right out of the gate. 

The quartet consisted of Finn Wolfhard (lead vocals, rhythm guitar,) Ayla Tesler-Mabe (lead guitar, vocals,) Jack Anderson (bass guitar,) and Malcolm Craig (drums.) Despite all four of them only being between the ages of 15-17, there was no doubt they were rockstars. 

Their debut single, City Boy, was released in March of 2018, and by July of the same year, they released their first and only EP, Scout. A month later, Calpurnia performed on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote the project, and in January of 2019, they starred in the music video for Weezer’s cover of Take On Me. They were even set to play Lollapalooza that year, though their performance was canceled due to “scheduling issues,” according to the band.

Within their first year, they already had a successful EP, TV appearances, a tour, and a large, loyal fanbase under their belts. It looked like Calpurnia was headed for long-term success, and the world couldn’t wait to see what they would do next.

March of 2019 brought the release of their new single, Cell. In my opinion, Cell is one of their best songs. It sounds a lot more mature than the tracks on Scout (though I love those songs too, I promise!) and it showed some really promising growth for the band since their debut. Not to mention, it’s just plain catchy! Many fans, myself included, were super excited by this new release and waited eagerly for this new era of Calpurnia to begin.

We waited…

And waited some more…

Until November of that year, when Calpurnia’s disbandment was suddenly announced on their Instagram. The post was vaguely captioned, citing no real reason for the band’s abrupt end other than each member starting their own “fresh chapters” in life.

(@calpurniaofficial / Instagram)

Over 5 years later, we still don’t have a clear explanation as to why the band chose to split. Naturally, fans have a wide variety of theories, but with nothing ever confirmed, it looks like we may just have to keep guessing.

As for the “fresh chapters” for each bandmate, they all seem to be doing well in their own careers as musicians. Finn and Malcolm went on to start The Aubreys, a duo project, and released their first album, Karaoke Alone, in 2021. Finn is also set to release his first solo project next month. Jack has released a bunch of ambient tracks on Spotify and Bandcamp, and Ayla has released an EP, as well as collaborated with artists like Willow Smith. Her most recent single, Endless Summer, came out just last month.

The Aubreys live at Red Gate

(@millenniumkids__ / Instagram)

While the band remains inactive, their fan base is still alive and kicking. To this day, fans regularly leave comments on Calpurnia’s socials expressing their love for the band, how much they miss it, and begging for a reunion. If you ask me, I seriously doubt the band will be reuniting any time soon, and maybe that’s ok. Maybe it’s for the best that Calpurnia remains what it was, a nostalgic ode to its time. That being said, if they were to drop a record tomorrow, you know I’d be the first to pick it up.