Standish Arms began as Brad Caliman, a young songwriter from Long Island, New York. His thoughtful, homespun pop, full of yearning melodies and subtle wordplay, first surfaced on 2005's "Once Outlined In Blueprints" EP, inviting comparisons to Elliott Smith, Ben Folds, the Promise Ring, Sun Kil Moon, American Football, and Owen.

Standish Arms began in 2002 as a minimalist recording project. Primarily based around piano, vocals, and found sounds, these songs were captured on an analog four-track recorder. While these early recordings never found their way to the public ear, a batch of ten songs was independently released in late 2004 under the moniker "Wilted" on a CD-R entitled "They're So Convincing". This 'album' was based primarily around acoustic guitar and hushed vocals. Despite its limited release, tape hiss-drenched quality, and songs that it would be an understatement to describe as depressing, it was the cornerstone for an infatuation with songwriting and recording.

The following spring, recording for "Once Outlined In Blueprints" took place in Baltimore, Maryland. This EP possessed a more indie-pop-oriented sound, filled with catchy hooks and delicate vocals. It was released under the new moniker "Standish Arms" in August of 2005, by the independent and Baltimore-based label OTPRecords. Private Eleanor front-man Austin Stahl pitched in on the recording and mixing duties, with Michael Nestor of the Seldon Plan and Pupa's Window mastering the disc. Scattered acoustic performances in support of once outlined in blueprints took place along the east coast throughout 2005. The EP received positive reviews from both domestic and oversea critics.

On November 28, 2006, OTPRecords released Standish Arms' first full-length album, "The Reasoning Engine". It's a record brimming with hummable melodies, infectious rhythms, and fantastically clever lyrics -- mostly about the joys and pitfalls of coming of age. The songs range from harmonies-and-handclaps pop to moody indie-rock to bedroom folk, but they never fail to be inventive, evocative, and engagingly personal.

The album was recorded in a series of living rooms and spare rooms in New York and Maryland, with friends often dropping by the sessions to add backing vocals, guitar solos, bass lines, trumpet parts, or whatever else was deemed necessary. The result is a more diverse-sounding record that shifts into louder territory more convincingly than some might expect from a so-called "singer/songwriter."

Accordingly, Standish Arms has become a fully fleshed-out band, including Josh Goldberg on lead guitar/backup vocals, Steve Kaler on drums, and Joe Khan on bass. Live shows are in the pipeline to support "The Reasoning Engine".

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