Kat Capone On New Music, Her Artistry & What's Next From Her in 2022
Bronx based Kat Capone discusses her latest single "now u got a song about u" & opens up about so much more on this personal interview.
Tell me a little bit about your background & where you come from.
I am from New York City. A Bronx girl. No matter where I go I take NY with me.
What are the most important things you envision, a newfound listener of your songs, would take from them, both musically & lyrically?
Lyrically I would hope a new listener would be able to relate to my songs in some way. Whether it's a breakup song, a party song or something in between, my music is very honest and I hope that comes across to any new listener. Musically I'm always trying to stay current while also giving a nod to artists that went before me. There's a little bit of nostalgia in my records because of how influential music was to me growing up.
Does the recurrent process of cultivating & developing your overall sound, ever reach a maturation point for you, or is it truly never ending & continuous?
Oh it’s never ending. I’ll always grow and change and like new things & have new perspectives on life. Who we are today is not who we were yesterday or who we’ll be tomorrow so I think art, both mine & in general, is reflective of that.
Who is your all time dream collaborator? Why?
It would be hard to narrow down an all time or just one because there are so many artists I truly admire and think we could create magic together. If I had it my way, I’d work with Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, SZA, lil Nas X, Lizzo, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, Teyana Taylor, Jojo & Doja Cat. I think the names Cat & Kat would make for cute lyrics too haha.
What factors initially drew you into the style(s) of music, you're now most comfortable recording & releasing music in?
I’m a dancer, so I’m heavily influenced by dance pop music. I do try to incorporate mellow & alternative r&b, as well as some reggae influences to pay homage to my Jamaican heritage. I listened to every genre growing up, so because I was influenced by so many, it’s difficult to compartmentalize my own music.
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Tell me about your newest song, “now u got a song about u".
I wrote “Now you got a song about you” so it can apply to any break up. But it’s actually about a friendship breakup. Which I think can be more heartbreaking than a romantic one. I think in the back of our minds we don’t always expect romantic relationships to last, but we also don’t expect our friendships to end and when they do it can be devastating. It’s never one situation, it’s a build up, but there’s always a final moment that makes you replay your suppressed memories and you’re like ok, this chapter needs to close. And what better way to close than with a song. It is definitely in the top 5 of my favorite songs I’ve ever made. I had amazing people help me to create it. My producer KQuick, he’s so great at sonically articulating whatever chaos is in my head. Pop rock is actually my favorite genre so this was the first time I got to play with those sounds. I don’t get to co-write a lot but I love when I do and I got to co-write with the very talented Lonely Boy on this. I had Tom McNamara, who is an incredible guitarist, play live guitar for me. And other talented artists and singers I know came to sing & help bring the chorus to life. I’m really proud of this song and proud of everyone who participated, & grateful for everyone's collaborative efforts.
Do you ever take the time to actually listen through your own songs, just to see and get a feel for what they sound like for your listeners?
I have tried. But I am super biased and critical of myself. It's so difficult to listen objectively.
Who are your major influences? Why?
This is extremely difficult to answer because so many amazing artists influenced me and inspired me to become an artist as well. A lot of Britney and Janet! Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliot, Lady Gaga & Katy Perry. I could be here all day naming people
How do you take all that's contained within your work, and bring it to life, when performing live for an audience.
Oh, performing is so important to me. I'm a show pony so I love the stage! I believe that the audience who is paying to see me likely already heard my song so I don’t want to just repeat what they already heard on the record. I always want to bring something new to it. I want to bring the song to life. Whether that’s me flying around on a Pegasus during a song or just me creating a remix to the song and singing in a new arrangement, I never want it to be exactly like the original record. I want the audience to experience the song when I’m live. I want to create a circus.
What is a song you wished you’d written/recorded? What is it you find special about this particular song?
Funny that this is the follow up question, I’ll say ‘Circus’ by Britney Spears! (Haha) I think it’s one of Claude Kelly’s best songs he’s written. The song is so unique, it’s so bad ass, & I’ve actually performed it at a concert of mine before. It should’ve been a much bigger hit.
What are your thoughts in regards to the songwriting side of the creation process?
It’s very therapeutic. It has its moments where it gets technical, because you’re trying to rhyme your thoughts, your emotions and your pain but it also feels good to do.
What subjects do you find the most difficult to write about, when initially conceptualizing & planning a new song from scratch?
Love. I have a lot of love in my life and I’ve experienced great loves and I’m fully able to express to all my loved ones what they mean to me, but writing about it tends to create a blockage. Which is why I only have 1 or 2 songs about being in love. I have a difficult time intellectualizing my love whereas I find it very easy to express my hurt lol. On a song that is. But in dealing with actual ppl, conversationally, it’s easy for me to express my love, singing about it is different.
What are your thoughts on digital interactions (Social Media), between yourself as an artist & your fans?
I get more DMs than I do comments. lol. I don’t know if ppl are shy or embarrassed to express they like my music out loud but social media is a weird place. I think people support you publicly when it’s trendy and cool as opposed to supporting you because they think you’re cool. Everyone’s just trying to fit in. But privately they’ll express in great detail why they enjoyed a song. And I’m appreciative of the love, however it comes.
What struggles have you faced early on as an upcoming artist?
Being an upcoming artist is a tough path but so rewarding. I would say some of the toughest hills to climb have been figuring out ways to make a smaller budget stretch, and how to get creative financially to achieve impressive results.
What role does fashion play for you, in connection with your music & who you are as an artist?
It’s interesting because only very recently did I start coming into my own as a person and start loving myself physically, which certainly affects my art. Growing up in NY with fashion being part of the culture, I’ve always had an eye and a love for fashion but I also wore so much black. I didn’t do it to be chic or cool or mysterious, I did it so I wouldn’t stand out. Because I know people are offended when you feel free to be yourself and so I would try to blend in. It never worked by the way. So don’t ever try to blend in is the lesson here. I find that fashion is less about daring to be different and more about daring to be yourself. Which is really what being an artist is about. And in learning to fully love & accept myself, I’ve been experimenting wearing colorful clothes, fun nails, fun makeup, and things that I think outwardly express my personality more. I hope to experiment with fun wigs in the future as well. There’s a freedom that comes with wearing exactly what you want to wear and not what you think is socially acceptable. And how you do anything is how you do everything so I’m excited to take this new me & new found freedom into my new music.
If you were not a musician, what do you envision you’d be doing instead?
I don’t want to imagine that lol. But if I had to …. I’d likely be a jockey, an architect or a Sociologist.
How do you conceptualize the music videos for your songs? What form does your creative process take when making the videos?
I am usually thinking about a music video as well as a live performance as I’m writing the song, so it helps the process of writing treatments. I love to tell a story and music videos are some of the best ways to bring my songs to life. I'm often inspired by films I enjoy, so it's pretty often that I start by watching tons of movies that fit the vibe of my original video concept. From there I gain inspiration and start to narrow in on specific shots and looks that I want the video to have. Afterwards I connect with my team and start to gameplan how to execute. Videos are a ton of work but so much fun to make!
How has the world of music changed for you as an artist, over the last 2 years? How have you had to rethink your approaches to being a musician during these times?
Well I released my very first album in 2020 and only a few weeks after, covid hit, so my baby never had the chance to live it’s best life and that was sad to experience. I’ve been sick the last few years (nothing covid related) so I spent the time actually focusing on my health and I’m finally feeling better. Through everything that has happened in the last 2 years both internationally and personally, I realized I don’t want to waste my time on things that don’t make me happy. I feel free to be me and as an artist, I want to have fun. And I want my audience to have fun experiencing my music and shows.
What are you most looking forward to, for the latter half of this year & into 2023?
I'm excited to continue making more music. I just can’t wait to be on stage again! It’s my happy place. I love everyone I get to perform with and I’m so grateful to people who show up to support me. I hope to give them a great experience in return.
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