Introducing Baggage Claim

Baggage Claim brings a raw and honest approach to their songwriting. A band born out of COVID boredom turned into a tight-knit unit composed of brothers Cale (vocals and guitar), Payton (guitar), and Brock Ochitwa (keys) along with bassist Kaspar Ip and drummer Yue Shi. They’ve spent the last few years refining their skills, and have now released two singles (Nothing New, American Made) to streaming services as of this article’s posting date.

From left to right: Yue Shi (drums), Cale Ochitwa (vocals and guitar), Payton Ochitwa (guitar), Kaspar Ip (bass).

The Sound

The stand-out track from the Gigpit live session was Poetry Slam, which immediately perked up the folks in the control room at Green Auto Studio, tired from the previous night’s Vancouver launch party. The song starts off mellow, and the band sits back which lets the vocals take the listener’s focus. Leading into the chorus, Yue’s drums lurch forward and the band follows. The energy in the control room instantly elevated. The previously laid back and restrained drumbeat now drives the second verse with power. The song’s outro delivers the emotional peak of the song with wailing guitar bends that hit like a glass of lemonade in a heat wave.

Baggage Claim performing at Green Auto Studios. Left: Yue Shi, Right: Cale Ochitwa.

The Interview

After the live session, the band was interviewed by Gigpit’s Evan Dungate. While discussing the songwriting process, drummer Sherri Shi playfully quipped how hard she pushes lead vocalist Cale Ochitwa while developing new songs. These sorts of working relationships help a band push into new territory and form their own unique sound. Baggage Claim’s sound starts with distorted and straight ahead guitars, but the space they provide serves as a canvas for drummer Yue Shi to paint as she pleases.

Make sure to keep your eyes and ears to the ground, Baggage Claim is in the works on their first album.