Kalben

Born in İskenderun, in the Hatay province of Turkey, Kalben Sağdıç developed an early practice of writing and guitar before moving to Istanbul, where her musical project took shape at the intersection of indie rock, alternative rock and an acoustic songcraft with spare arrangements. Kalben began to reach a wider audience in 2014 after a solo Sofar Sounds session in Galata with her guitar around the song “Sadece”, and released her first eponymous album, Kalben, in 2016. Her discography expanded with Sonsuza Kadar in 2017, the EP Aşk Çeşmesi in 2019, and the albums Kalp Hanım (2020), Eski Yeniler (2021) and Eski Dünyanın Yangını (2022). In her tracks Kalben combines a often restrained vocal, direct melodies and lyrics focused on the intimate, the everyday and emotional fragilities, in a form that remains close to the song tradition while keeping a subtle rock texture. Initially active on the stages of Ankara and Istanbul before widening her audience, Kalben has also contributed occasional collaborations with Cem Adrian and Teoman, while pursuing parallel work as an author and actress.