Lengthy writing sessions, recording new material and creating social media content as an independent artist brings exciting opportunities, but there’s another layer that most people will never see. Keep reading to learn more about Caliber Bullet's journey.....
Caliber Bullet, a Connemara-based independent musician, describes it as “a constant battle”. “One of the hardest parts is that people sometimes see you’re an independent artist and not some big, famous, well-known name, so right off the bat, they don’t always take you seriously. You feel like you have to work twice as hard to prove yourself”, Caliber admits.
To make things even more challenging, picture this along with working a full-time job: “Balancing music with work is so tough because a job takes up so much of your time and energy. I try to post content as much as I can, and when I can’t, I rely on word of mouth or keep submitting tracks to playlists and radio stations. A lot of the time, you just hear silence back and I won’t lie, there have been moments where I’ve wanted to drop the mic and give up.”
“It gets exhausting when you’re constantly busy, and I’ve even had to turn down live shows because of work or distance. But at the end of the day, the love for the music always wins out. You just take a breath, dust yourself off, and keep pushing because you know the music is worth being heard”, Caliber reflects.
Hearing your music on national radio and bringing albums to life undoubtedly makes it easier to persevere through the difficult moments. A personal highlight that sticks out to Caliber has been “the process of making [his] debut album. Believe it or not, I’ve been planning this album since early 2024, so seeing it finally come together was huge.”
He adds, “Another crazy highlight has just been getting noticed by people I’ve looked up to for years. I’ve had famous musicians, producers, and even actors and models sliding into my DMs or reacting to my [social media] stories names like Dermot Kennedy, Scott Storch, The Game, Token, D12, DJ Scheme, Ice Cube, and LL Cool J. I have the chance to work with two and possibly three of them right now, though I can’t say too much about that just yet!”
There is nothing quite like hearing the magic of your music being played on the radio! Caliber remembers this moment and tells us about how it felt: “I was shocked and so excited, but honestly, a part of me was also terrified. It’s a funny, surreal feeling knowing something you recorded in your room is suddenly playing out to thousands of people, and you’re just sitting there thinking, ‘Do they love it, or do they hate it?’ But it’s an amazing rush.”
13 years ago, Caliber packed up his bags from the Big Smoke and travelled West, swapping the busy city life for peaceful surroundings of Connemara: “The views are unreal, and everyone’s so sweet and kind. Everything I love and want is right in front of me. It’s not a big city, but it’s my home now, and I adore it. I honestly can’t see myself ever moving back to a city or leaving here”.
If you’re a fan of Caliber’s music style, you’re in luck because he does his best “to drop new music every single month”. “I want people to hear it and know I’m not going anywhere. My next track is dropping next month, and it’s heavily inspired by the late Juice WRLD. It’s got that emotional, melodic style that means a lot to me. Looking ahead, around the start of next year, I’m planning to drop my very first big-name collaboration, with plans to work with even more famous musicians down the line. We’re just getting started!” Caliber explains.
Do you remember the first album you bought or listened to? Caliber says, “the first album [he] ever owned was Eminem’s The Eminem Show when [he]was about six or seven, and it completely blew [his] mind. From that age on, [Caliber] was always studying the music, the lyrics, the flow, the beats, how the tracks were produced—just listening in awe and wondering, ‘Can I do that?’”.
Well, it’s safe to say Caliber is doing just that because last June was a monumental month for him as he released his debut album. He tells us about this journey: “Every single beat and lyric came straight from my room and my life. The whole project is about late-night thoughts, the ‘what ifs,’ relationships, heartbreak, and that constant drive to keep pushing forward when people don’t always take you seriously.”
“If I had to pick a favourite track, ‘Fallen’ is one of them. It’s a really raw, personal song about that push-and-pull when you’re going through a tough time—where part of you wants love and connection, but another part builds a wall to protect yourself”.
“It has this line about trying to fall into sand, but finding out its stone, which really sums up expecting warmth or comfort from a relationship only to be met with something cold. It’s about taking those dark, confusing feelings and pouring them straight into the music to process them. Between tracks like ‘Fallen’ and ‘Man of the Year,’ it really captures both sides of the journey: the low, introspective moments and the drive to keep building something special”.
The Studio is where Caliber “learned how to truly speak and trust [his] own voice”. “Living with dyslexia means traditional reading and writing were never a straight line. Words would shift, letters would swap, and standard paperwork or school settings often felt like a locked door. Traditional systems don't leave much room for how a dyslexic brain naturally processes information, but hip-hop doesn’t care about spelling tests. It cares about cadence, rhythm, and raw truth,” he adds.
“Dyslexia makes your brain wire things differently, forcing you to find alternative routes to the same destination. In music, those alternate routes are where the magic happens. Being open about the daily challenges is part of it, but the real story is that rhythm unlocked my confidence and proved my voice always mattered.”
There is something very exciting and new on the way and Caliber shares this with us: he has a “new project … with [his] brother, CSB, and [his] best mate, Yxng Bcoy.”
He continues, “We’ve been close for years and pushing each other in the scene, but this is actually the first time all three of us have jumped on a song together. Bringing that natural, real-life connection into the studio took the music to another level, and having them on this journey with me makes the whole project mean that much more”.
If you’re wondering where you can find Caliber Bullet’s work, you can follow his journey on my social media under Caliber Bullet / Officalcaliberbullet.
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