Interview with Kate Stewart

Hello. It is Adam. Welcome back to bring it backwards. A podcast where both legendary and rising artists tell their own personal stories of how they achieve stardom. On this episode, we had a chance to hang out with Kate Stewart over zoom video. Kate was born and raised in west London, and she talks about how she got into music. She comes from a very, very music driven entertainment household. Her mom is a dancer. Her dad is an actor, comedian musician, and her brother is also a song writer producer as well. He actually just wrote dynamite for BTS, oh, he's got a lot going on, but sodas, Kate, we hear all about how she got into music, working actually with her brother from a very early age, attending an art school, going to college for musical theater. 2 (1m 42s): From there, she transferred out and went to a different music academy. And when she left there, she actually landed a role as a singer for a massive DJ doula. So she'd go out on stage to 10,000 people every night. And she was touring for a couple of years, just singing these guys songs. And she wanted to kind of break through as her own artists. She talks about getting signed to a record label early on that kind of not working out for her, but she put out an EAP that we talk about called in the beginning, we hear about where she was when COVID happened, being quarantined with her family, they got a dog during quarantine. So we talked about that a little bit, but we also talk all about our new record coming out and the most recent single the first song off the album called hate you and the story behind the song and the incredible music video that accompanies it. 2 (2m 31s): You can watch our interview with Kate Stewart on our Facebook page and YouTube channel at bringing it backwards. We would love it. If you follow our podcasts, subscribe on YouTube like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Tik TOK at bringing back pod. And if you're listening to this on Spotify or apple music, it would be amazing if you follow us there and hook us up with a five star review, that would actually mean the world to us. We'd 0 (2m 57s): Appreciate your support. If you follow and 2 (2m 59s): Subscribe our podcasts, wherever you listen to podcasts, we're bringing it backwards with Kate Stewart. This is about you and your journey and music. And of course, talking about the new EAP coming out and the new video and song. So, yeah. Sweet. First off, we always start born and raised. Where were you born and raised? 3 (3m 19s): I was born and raised in west London, west London forever. 2 (3m 25s): It's still in west London. 3 (3m 27s): I'm still in west London. I've never moved. I'm never gonna move. I literally always just stay here, like bubble that I'm in. But yeah, that's where I, 2 (3m 43s): Well, tell me a little bit about that. I don't know much about London, especially west London. At what part is, is that more of the city? Are you more on the outskirts? Like a suburb? Tell me about where 3 (3m 54s): Like it's very central. So like say Central's hair west is like the closest to kind of like Soho and ultimate circus. And, but a place I live in a place called Notting hill, which is, yeah, it's just like the pinnacle of, of what west London, I guess 2 (4m 14s): I've heard them not in Notting hill. So again, yes, I'm not very well-traveled as most of us Americans, I'm originally from San Diego, California, just south of LA. And then I moved my family and I just moved to Nashville, Tennessee. 3 (4m 31s): So nice. I spoke to someone yesterday that was also in Nashville. 2 (4m 35s): It's beautiful with like, I'm a California kid born and raised there. I lived there pretty, I mean my whole life up until about a year ago. So it was definitely a change coming out to the south. Oh yeah. It's different. But I love it. The pace of living here and just the weather having actual seasons and it's, it's really cool. And my kids love it here. So 3 (4m 57s): Not just sun all the time. Like 2 (4m 59s): LA yeah. Sun or just overcast, like cloudy constantly. But, but we, we do have colder weather. It's awesome. 3 (5m 11s): The nice things about it 2 (5m 13s): Is it is so cool here. We, we do love it, but I S I read that you come from a very, very artistic musical household. Talk to me about that a little bit. 3 (5m 25s): Yeah, I do. So my, my parents they're both in the industry, but kind of like different sides of it. I guess my dad is very musical. He does a lot of shows on stage. He's a comedian, he's an impressionist. Yeah, very cool. My mom, my mom used to be a dancer and the singer as well. And she now works in corporate hospital fatality. So she lived, does, like, she goes on tour with artists and kind of does like that VIP kind of backstage thing. So she she's always in that like, you know, thing, but she's, she knows everything there is to know about music and the industry and everything. 3 (6m 11s): She's just kind of learn about it as she's gone along. And then my brother, he is a producer and a songwriter. Who's yeah, he's killing it. He's doing really well. He just wrote dynamite for BTS. So, 2 (6m 25s): Yeah, 3 (6m 26s): So he's doing his thing and yeah, I just grew up with, with a really musical family and everybody supportive and I went to a stage school. So I've just been kind of, I just, that's what I grew up knowing really. 2 (6m 39s): It's cool that you actually pursued the entertainment industry because I've talked to people or I've heard people, you know, that'll grow up in that type of environment and they just want nothing to do with it. Right. It's like, oh, my parents do that. Like, I don't want anything to do with that must not be cool or whatever. 3 (6m 54s): I mean, thankfully they've had really good experiences with the careers. So it was never like, oh, I don't want her to do that because it's such a hard, you know, I mean, obviously it is really hard, but they, they have a very, like, I guess, yeah. They've just had like, they both had good careers and they're passionate about it. And I don't think me and David, my brother really like anything else. So it was always just going to be that it was always destined for, for us. 2 (7m 26s): That's super cool. I don't want to say too long on, on your family. Cause I'm going to talk about you, but I'm really curious with your dad being a comedian and impressionist, like, what was he always just like the life of the party and the family gatherings or 3 (7m 41s): Yeah, he is. I'm not even being biased. He is really genuinely one of the funniest people I've ever met, he's just like full of life. And he really is hilarious. Yeah. He's not just like a comedian. He really has got like funny bones, you know? 2 (7m 55s): Yeah. Cause you'll, I've, you know, some comedians are very like introverted and then they go out on the stage and they kind of do their thing. And then it's like, bam, 3 (8m 3s): Oh no, he's not at all. He's a complete extrovert. He's like the life of every room. 2 (8m 10s): That's so cool that must've been cool growing up and kind of seeing that. 3 (8m 15s): Yeah, it was, yeah, it is. It's amazing. And my dad, my dad, you didn't have this in, in the states, but we have a thing called pantomime. Do you know what that is? It's like a, like a musical, but it's like a Christmas musical, I guess, as like Cinderella, snow, white fairytales. My dad does that every year and dresses up as, as the Dame, which is a woman. So since I was a baby, I've been seeing my dad at dresses as a woman. So it's like very, very interesting, but I love that. I'm used to it. I'm used to say my dad's in a bra. 2 (8m 52s): One more quick question on your brother. Is he older or younger than you? 3 (8m 56s): He's older and he's five years older 2 (8m 58s): Than me. Okay. Did you look up to him as far as wanting to kind of fall on his foot footsteps a little bit? 3 (9m 5s): He, he, everything I say about my family, it always sounds like it's biased, but it really isn't because they are genuinely. So like they're all really talent, like really talented people. But my brother is like my, my idol. Like he works harder than anyone I've ever known ever. It's just mad to watch. He's been doing his thing for like 15 years. You know, he started playing drums and then he went on tour and played guitar for a big wrapper. And then he, and then he started producing and songwriting and he was making, I mean, we, me and him used to live together. We don't anymore. But when we were living at our parents' house, he would be making music way before I woke up and way after I went to bed, I could just hear it from upstairs. 3 (9m 54s): Like he did not stop. He did not stop. And he's been through so much stuff and so many different managers and, and labels and everything, and he's just never quit. And then finally got his, his big song with the Jonas brothers. He did, what am I going to do? And then it just started to kind of domino effect from there. And then he did dynamite with BTS and now he's on to everyone. I mean, everyone's working with 2 (10m 21s): Right now. It's like, he gets probably the call from everyone, 3 (10m 25s): But it's very well for me having a brother that's such an amazing producer and amazing song writes about, he really is there. He's my idol 2 (10m 34s): For sure. That's awesome. Do you, have you ever worked with them? 3 (10m 37s): Yeah, we work a lot. We work quite a bit on, on this project that I have coming out. We've worked together. Loads, loads, and loads. Yeah, that is so cool. I like working with ever So high. 2 (10m 57s): I don't like, 3 (10m 58s): Yeah, he does. He does hit massively. Yeah. Every, every time I worked with David, my, my vocals are pushed and my, somehow my voice just always sounds better when I'm being recorded and locking the David. Yeah. 2 (11m 10s): So cool. That is so cool. It's cool to have that you have that relationship with them as well, you know? 3 (11m 15s): Yeah. Yeah. He's my best friend. So it's, it's really good that we can get on and work and work well together as well, because we might, you know, even though we're really close and we're both saying we might not have worked well together. Thank God we mesh well. 2 (11m 30s): Sure. And you can probably be more brutally honest with each other. Right. Instead of dancing around 3 (11m 37s): Very brutally, honest with me and likewise with me and Hannah's right. 2 (11m 41s): That's cool. That is cool. When did you start getting into music? 3 (11m 47s): God, I mean properly when I was about 18. Okay. I came out of college and went on tour with these DJs could bond acts. They were like an electronic duo kind of like R and B kind of thing. I went on tour with them on and off for like two years. Yeah. We did like Australia and everywhere. We went everywhere. I went everywhere with them just singing their songs. And then after that, I kind of came out and did my own thing and started writing on my own. And then I featured on this song called this song called koala last night by this DJ called Oliver Heldens. 3 (12m 31s): And then I kind of started getting into that kind of thing. I was like featuring on a lot of songs and they were doing really well. They were killing it in the charts. One of them went to number three in the, in the UK charts, which was amazing for me. Cause I was so young and I hadn't done anything yet. And then, and then I just started writing on my own and I signed to my first label who I was with for a bit, didn't work out. But I've just all yeah, about 18. I started going on tour with, with that, those DJs. 2 (13m 1s): But even before even got those gigs as a touring with the DJs, were you going to school for music? I know I saw you went to an art school. 3 (13m 10s): Yeah. I went to a state school. I was kind of more drama. You could either do like a drama course or a dance course. And I did a drama course, so yeah. I mean, it was the most amazing school. Like half the day was maths and English and then we had lunch and half the day was dancing and singing, so it was amazing. And then I came out of there and went to college and I studied musical theater. And then I just kind of realized that my voice doesn't suit musical theater. I love it. I'm really passionate about it, but my voice, you have to have a certain type of voice to be a musical theater in mind just doesn't doesn't fit. I was constantly being told by my teachers to sing less like a pop star. 3 (13m 55s): And I was like, Hmm, I think I want to sing. 2 (14m 0s): Yeah. 3 (14m 2s): Then I went and I, yeah, I left early because I didn't feel comfortable singing how they were trying to make me sing. So I went to a, a music college and just went there for a year. It was kind of not, you know, they didn't teach me much, but it was like really fun and very insightful. And you got to be with them. Unbelievable musicians. And you just got to do some really exciting things like at that crowd at school. So yeah, I've had a, I've had a really good like journey and that kind of getting to where I'm now, 2 (14m 36s): How did you land the touring Gehrig had 18. 3 (14m 41s): So I, we have a venue here in London called Shepherd's Bush empire, which is quite iconic. I don't really know what it would, what I would compare it to in the state. So, but it's just like a really iconic, amazing music venue. And my, my music college at the end, we had a graduation where we would sing with our band that we kind of made ourselves. And I sung at the graduation I saw. And I'm telling you from dream girls, Jennifer Hudson. And I put my band together and I kind of went all out. Like everyone else was just doing like some keys and someone came on and some with a guitar, I went all out. 3 (15m 23s): I got someone to say horns for me. I wow. A whole shebang. And I like wore this amaze. Me and my mom went shopping for this amazing outfit with this like white leather moment. I went all out. I was like, you know, was my time. And the college kind of brought some people to watch and like industry people. And one of them was my first manager, Nick Worthington, who is also a publisher. And he published the DJs that I went on tour with and he said, they're looking for a singer. So I kind of literally went straight out of college and straight on tour with these boys. And they were performing to like 10, 10,000 people. So it was, yeah, man. 3 (16m 4s): Wow. 2 (16m 5s): Wow. To walk out to 10,000 people from probably not close to that. 3 (16m 11s): No, nothing, nothing. Yeah. It was not. And there wasn't pressure cause I wasn't singing my own songs, so I didn't care if you know, it was their song. So I didn't care if people didn't like the songs, it wasn't my songs. So I just, I just had the best time, hands down to this point in my life, best time of my life. It was so fun. Wow. 2 (16m 32s): And you weren't still, weren't even nervous even going out there to that many people 3 (16m 37s): Just cause I felt like I grew up performing all the time. So I was always performing, not, not to 10,000 people, but, but I was performing always, it just comes like, it's my favorite thing to do. So it was more exciting rather than nerves sometimes now as festivals and stuff. Cause you know, you don't know what's going to go on and festivals A lot can happen at festivals, but 2 (17m 4s): Yeah, that's really cool. That is really cool. And then you said you get back and you start kind of working on your own project. 3 (17m 11s): Yeah. So I worked on my own pressure. I was with them for so long and it just felt like the right time to leave them, singing someone else's songs for that amount of time is quite tedious when you want to be a singer yourself. So I came out and just started writing. I hadn't really written that much before. I mean, my brother used to help me. And in fact, my brother used to submit my stuff for me. I, I didn't, I didn't even do it myself when I was at school. I just kind of said, David, can you write me a song? And I'll sing it and say that I wrote it. I used to do that. But then I started writing and, and, and then I just kind of came up with some cool stuff and I met some really cool people whilst I was on tour and started writing with them. 3 (17m 54s): And then we kind of became a little writing crew and I just wrote loads of songs and then I got signed and then, and then I started releasing. 2 (18m 4s): Okay, so you got you guys signed before you put out that first DP. 3 (18m 7s): I did. I got signed before that first DP. Yeah. I was signed for about two years before that, but it wasn't, it wasn't very, it wasn't right. It was not right. It was, it was classic label, artist clash, not really getting along in terms of music, but we left, I left them amicably and I still talk to my first day and all that signed me all the time, actually spoke to me yesterday. And it's really nice because I learnt loads. It wasn't, I'm not really salty about it anymore. I was for a bit stopped, but you know, what can you do? 3 (18m 50s): It's a stepping stone. 2 (18m 52s): Well, what that first CP was it? How how'd you feel about putting songs out as your own artists project? I mean, you had eyes on you, you were on a song that made it number three in the country in having all these people looking at you and now you've got to present your own material was an emotion like there. 3 (19m 12s): Yeah. So I put out that first DP after I had left my first deal. So I kind of just, I went to LA and I just wrote that because I felt like I write my best music when I'm there just, it's more inspiring to me. And I felt like the producers and the writers just get my vibe a lot more than they do here. So I just started writing and came up with my son. He's good. Which I think was like the first song I put out, like the first song I wrote off that project and yeah, putting it out. It felt very liberating because I wasn't able to release R and B when I was with my label, which is what I initially wanted to do and was very expressive about doing, but wasn't able to, so it felt very liberating. 3 (19m 57s): Being able to put out music independently and whatever I wanted. I didn't have anyone. The contrast from being with a label and being independent is so different because with the label, you're not really allowed to have a say and then with, while you are, but not in my case. And then 2 (20m 13s): Depending on 3 (20m 13s): The, yeah, when you're independent, you can just do whatever you want. So it was just liberating, put out a bunch of like super singing R and B like slow jam songs that felt like more like me than my previous stuff with them. So yeah, 2 (20m 31s): Honestly it was, it was well received. I mean, just looking at the numbers, Spotify alone, I mean, millions of streams on, on almost every single song 3 (20m 39s): And it's good actually, because I had nothing with that AP I had absolutely no budget. I had no press. I had no promo. I literally, I kind of just saw it as like a thing for me. I didn't really have any expectations for that project, but people loved it and it opened a lot of doors like of people to work with. And a lot of people like found me that hadn't found my music before, so yeah, no, it's amazing that it's done. It's done numbers like that with nothing. Right. 2 (21m 14s): Where people just finding it off of just, you know, stumbling upon it. Like, do you know what kind of, 3 (21m 21s): Pretty much like I had from being from releasing stuff previously, I had a lot of like people that knew me as a person, like, you know, like relationships that I'd built. So I had a lot of people, you know, like a lot of favors, like people would post it. And thankfully I've got a lot of friends that are influencers on Instagram and stuff. So it was being put out to a lot of people, but essentially I just completely did it on my end. Yeah. 2 (21m 49s): That's amazing. Did you support the album or the support the AP with a tour of your own had done? 3 (21m 55s): Okay. I didn't, I've never done a tour myself. I did a few shows here and there. I actually did one in LA, which was like my favorite show I've ever done. It was ah, Ooh. Oh my God. I've called, I can't remember the name. It was in west Hollywood and it was an amazing venue. And I can't, I can't remember the name if I remember. Oh yeah. It was really fun. And I did a few gigs here in that, but I just, I didn't have any budget and to go on tour with no budget is, is like virtually impossible. You have to pay you'll band and rehearsals and dah, dah, dah. 3 (22m 36s): So I never put together a tool, but I really wanted to, but I'm actually quite happy that I didn't, because I don't think I would have liked to tour with those songs. I love those songs, but I just said they're not, it didn't feel like me. So I don't know if I would have wanted to tour with those songs, but I'm happy that the outlet just not, maybe not. 2 (22m 57s): Right. Okay. And once that record was out there and you doing some shows like w R w what happens after that? Do you go back and just continue to write more songs? Or how does, how do you bridge the gap between now? And 3 (23m 10s): Yeah, I just started writing more. I just went and I was just writing loads and then I can't even remember that, that whole thing feels like a blur to me that like time of my life, I think I just started writing more and just kind of coming up with like the next chapter, I guess. Okay. 2 (23m 30s): And did you, where you, where were you in the cause that that record came out in 2018? From my 3 (23m 36s): Knowledge, I think so. Yeah. 2 (23m 37s): Okay. So that would put you like a, what a couple a year and a half into when the world kind of closes down, where are we in that all happen? I 3 (23m 46s): Was actually, I was in New York. I actually, funnily enough was talking about this with my friend last night. I had COVID, but didn't realize that I had it. I just thought I had flu. So I flew to London to LA with COVID. It's not funny. It's not funny. I'm like, It was one of the, I mean, I thought it was flu. Like I literally was on my, on my Instagram archive. Like, you know, when you can kind of look up from where you were this time, last year on your stories or tears. And I was posting on my story being like, I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Like, I feel so ill. And I remember I got to LA and everyone was wearing the masks and I was like, what the hell is going on? 3 (24m 30s): Like, I don't know what's going on. But then I got there and my boyfriend at the time was there and I gave it to him. I gave it to everyone I was with basically. And then I was fine for the whole trip. So I felt a bit bad about that, but what can I do? I thought it was flu. And then, yeah. And then I went New York and then came home and then the world shut down. 2 (24m 50s): You were sick and traveling. It hadn't really been fully. 3 (24m 55s): No, it was like, it was just a thing. I think it was just heard about in China. I think that was literally like, no one really knew what it was. It was just kind of like being spoken about like word of mouth. Like, have you heard about COVID? And I was like, yeah. And it's like, not a thing, but I guess I had it had all the senses I called my mom. I was like, I can't taste anything. She was like, probably have a cold. I was like, I don't have a cold. I, I, I'm not, I have a cold, I couldn't taste it. Couldn't smell it. I just didn't know what it was. But now, now 2 (25m 27s): Obviously that looking back. Oh, wait a minute. Yeah. Wow. 3 (25m 31s): Yeah. Well, I was in New York and then I literally got home and, and then the world pretty much just locked down. Maybe like a week after I got back. 2 (25m 41s): That's yeah. Wow. To 3 (25m 45s): Do you manage to fit in a good writing trip just before. So that was good. 2 (25m 50s): Okay. Did you, did you work on like this new record that's coming out? Where were you able to work on those songs? Then you start putting this record together. 3 (25m 57s): I wrote two of them while I was there or I recorded one of them and wrote one at one of them when I was there. So I managed to fit in yeah, like two songs from the EPA just before, just before I got back. So yeah, I think I'd started it. One of the songs actually I wrote in 20 19, 1 of the songs on the 20 night. Yeah. I've been working with rages for years. 2 (26m 25s): When, when you get back to London, are you staying at your own place or are you back with your, like at your parents' house? Are you with your brother at this point? Or is he 3 (26m 35s): That's my mum's me and my brother were living at my mom's still in the first lockdown. We would just, as a family asked for in the house and we did not leave. I, it was, yeah, it was horrible. Like we literally did not leave the house. If we went to get food, my mom made me wear gloves and moms we'd bring everything back and wipe it all down with the, with the wives and everything. So yeah, that was, that was not a good, 2 (27m 1s): Yeah. I was working I've I've come from radio. I did radio for a long time, traditional radio. And I remember I was still having to go in because we were considered like a essential business. So we had this like CDC car, like, it was bizarre. I had to keep this thing in my car, in case I got pulled over, but like I would go into work and we had these schedules where like, basically there was only one or two people in the whole building at a time, but I'd have to come home. And my wife would make me like change in the garage and then run upstairs and jump in the shower as fast as I could. 3 (27m 34s): Well, one time, but I kind of broke the rules with, you know, like I didn't leave the house, but the one time I broke the rules, I went to the black lives matter March in, in central London on it was heaving with people. And I was like, what have I done? But I just really felt strongly about going. So I went and then came home and yeah, my mum made me strip in hope way and was gone. She was like washing. I was like, yeah, I'm doing it too. 2 (28m 10s): Yeah. I'd have to throw everything in the, in the washing machine. And then just sprint into the shadow 3 (28m 15s): Gary time. Now, now in hindsight, looking back, I don't think we need it to be that crazy, but at the time it was, it was scary. 2 (28m 25s): Yeah. We know what he knew and they're like, he can live on plastic for nine years. 3 (28m 31s): I thought it was a fake thing for the longest time. I was like, everyone needs to just shut up and grow up and then it became real. And then people I know started getting it and getting really sick. And then unfortunately someone up two people I know passed away, but, and then I'd started taking it seriously. I'll stop. 2 (28m 50s): Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Wow. Well, when on a lighter note, when you were home with your family and your brother, were you working on the record? Like, did you get a chance to work with them at all? No. Okay. 3 (29m 0s): I was on believably, not inspired at all. Like I was just completely like, and then neither was my brother for a while. So I thought David's not, then there must be something far wrong if David's not making music, but then kind of like, yeah, going maybe like a month or two into it. Me and David started making music and then, and then I started to get a little bit more inspired when I guess I just started to, I don't know, get so bored. I'd had to do something, but yeah, I didn't, I didn't really write at all for about maybe like five. 3 (29m 41s): I've 2 (29m 42s): Heard this before from different artists saying like, you know, I couldn't even stay inspired. I was either like glued to what's going on on the television. Or I was looking at the same, you know, walls for the, 3 (29m 54s): We had unbelievable weather here. I don't know why it may be, God was like, you're being punished enough. So 2 (30m 4s): We had amazing. I cleared up everything. Right. 3 (30m 7s): Yeah. So I, I didn't even watch TV. I just kind of like, I worked out loads. I was like, I became like an absolute workout freak and like started like cooking and then just, we, we bought a puppy. So did you, what did you get? 2 (30m 24s): Well, it's we adopted a, he's like a mutt. He's a terrier mix of some sort. Some people think he's like part Chihuahua and Wiener dog. He's really small. I mean, he's, he's about, you know, 10, 12 pounds, but we, we adopted him in the very, very beginning to like, it was like maybe April. And what was interesting about it is wait, when we did it, like the lady, we went through an agency and the lady shows up in a van, like takes the dog out and she's kinda standing like 15 feet away from us. And you know, my kids are playing with the dog and we realized it'd be a good fit. And usually in those situations, it's like, they have to come to your house a bunch of times and they want to make sure you're not like crazy. 2 (31m 5s): And this lady was just my wife's like, yeah, like, okay, can we like, you know, what did we just pay you now? And she's like, oh, you want him? We're like, yeah. And she's like, yeah. Okay. Let's go. And it was like, no questions. It was, it was interesting, but we love him to death and he he's, he's the best thing that's happened to the family. 3 (31m 24s): Yeah. We got to do that. Same thing we drove for, like, I don't know where we went. I dunno where we went, like maybe like an hour and a half of London. And then we had to, it was just nice getting out of the house on a C so like drive, but yeah, having the puppy was like that made everything so much better. 2 (31m 42s): What type of dog did you get? 3 (31m 44s): He's a cockapoo, a little Teddy bear. Oh, 2 (31m 48s): I know you're talking about, 3 (31m 52s): Harry said he made the lockdown actually very, quite easy. Cause he's so cute. And we were running off 10 and taking him on walks and whatever I said. Yeah. That was great. 2 (32m 2s): Amazing. Well, back to your AP, the first song, the first single is hate you. Tell me about the single and why did you choose that one to go first? 3 (32m 15s): I don't know why I chose it to go for, I mean, it's my favorite. It's my favorite song. So I guess to do my favorite song first, but I just, every one that I played that song too, was just really like, I would play the EPS people and that was everyone's favorite. So I thought, let me just put everyone's favorite at the beginning, but I, yeah, that's one of the ones that I recorded just before lockdown when I was in New York with swag. 2 (32m 46s): Yeah, 3 (32m 48s): Yeah. With sweat. I was swag Jeff giddy and Flint. They had produced it and wrote it. Maybe like, I dunno, maybe like six months before. And I, I write all of my songs, all of them every single time, this one. So I played it to me and it had hers vocals on it on the demo. Yeah. And I was like, wow, like, this is so amazing. I'm obsessed. Like I wish this was my song type thing. And he was like, well, she, she, she's not using it. And if you want to try it, you want to record it. And I was like hundred percent. So I learned, recorded it and then was just my manager then came in and was like, we need the song. 3 (33m 32s): And swipe was, or you can have the songs, you can have it. So I was like, Yeah. So I recorded that one. And then, and then that was, that was the story with that. I just kind of, I just loved it that much, but I wanted it for myself, which I never do. I never take people's songs, but this one just resonated with me. And it just felt really, it felt like a Beyonce, like kind of moment, that song feels like I can just imagine Beyonce singing that song. And so I took it. 2 (34m 2s): Okay. Very cool. And you put it or you're putting it out on, on Valentine's day. Is there any, any reason behind that, just having to hand all that way or 3 (34m 11s): No, I just kind of, obviously the songs could hate you and Valentine's day is the day of love. I'm not soppy like that. I don't really, I just think it's a stupid day. So I just thought, why don't we celebrate hates on the day of love and call it a day. 2 (34m 30s): There you go. There you go. And then you did a video for it as well. I got a chance to save it as amazing. Tell me about the video. 3 (34m 36s): Thanks. Yeah. So the video came about last year. That's when I thought of the idea and then obviously COVID and all that stupid stuff where you couldn't film and it just became very tricky. So I put it on hold for a really long time, but my initial idea was like, I wanted it to be like Jessica rabbit, kind of in that movie, what was it called? Like, she's singing. Why don't you do right. And she's in that cabaret club and all the guys are like drooling over her and she's like, it doesn't want, it doesn't want to hear any of it. So that was my initial idea. 3 (35m 17s): I kind of saw it like that. I kind of wanted it to be in a cut, like a dark cabaret club with lots of like, you know, gross men. And then I brought who, my creative director, Betsy Johnson, and she she's amazing. And she had her style is very much her, like, you know, and it's a Betsy Johnson shoot. And I went to her for that reason. Cause I wanted her dark kind of twisted vibes that she brings. And she kind of came up with the idea of having like the men with like the demonic faces, like the, the having looking really gross and sweaty and horrible. 3 (36m 1s): And then she, she did the styling and this amazing design and called Louis to save it, did my dress costume. And we just kind of wanted that kind of like matrix, see dark thrillery kind of vibe. Cause I guess the song is quite dark, you know, it's quite a dark song and it doesn't feel like it would want it like an upbeat vibe to the video. So that's what we came up with together. 2 (36m 28s): That's amazing. It's an awesome video. I had a chance to see it and I really, really like it. It's cool. I didn't, I didn't put together the Roger rabbit thing until you said it and I'm like, oh yeah, now, now it all makes sense now. 3 (36m 41s): Yeah. That was just my initial, like, you know, if you could see my mood boards, it was like, it was like, yeah, it was like red velvet and Jessica rabbit and men in suits. And it was just, that was like the initial thing. And then Betsy came and just kind of like elaborated it to be a bit more spooky. 2 (37m 1s): Sure, sure. Would you say that that song kind of sets a tone for the EAP or not so much because all the other ones that are, are all you 3 (37m 13s): Yes and no. Like that one sets a tone kind of, because it was kind of the first song that I recorded that, that made me change up the not change up my vibe, but kind of like got me on a roll too, like writing some really cool stuff. I never usually sing so low down like that. I'm always really like showing off with my range and my vocals and I don't think that's necessary. I felt like you don't need to do that all the time. So it definitely opened doors to make my voice and my songs a little bit more cool and a little bit more chill rather than like always having to go Mariah Carey on it. 3 (37m 53s): But all of the songs are really different on the EAP. They're all very cohesive. It's a really cohesive project and they all sound very much like me, but every song is Def is really different. Like there's like a big pop one and then there's like a ballad with a guitar and some strings, like they're just really, there's like a song for every mood on that. And I feel like hate you as kind of like the most like low, low V like not low tempo, like the most chilled, I guess the others are a little bit more in your face. 2 (38m 30s): Cool. 3 (38m 32s): Sorry, go ahead. No, no, I'm just saying they're all kind of like in the same, but yeah, 2 (38m 37s): It all flows. It all makes sense together as a package, but they're all different. And in itself I love that. 3 (38m 43s): I would like to urge people to listen to it in order because I felt like it's like a nice like story to go down. It's not meant to be a story, but it does flow nicely if you listen to it in older. 2 (38m 56s): I like that because there's something to be said about records and listening to them in full I've had this conversation before, because it's kind of a singles game right now. Right. You put out a single, let it breathe, then put out another single and then maybe a little bit down the line, everything kind of comes together onto a record. Now a lot of people are putting out full albums unless you're like Adele or Beyonce or her or something. So I feel like that, that it's getting kind of lost that whole listening to something all the way through. And I think that's so awesome that you've set up the record that way. 3 (39m 29s): Yeah. I mean, I would, I personally would never listen to an album on shuffle. I couldn't think of anything worse than listening to the album on shuffle. That to me is just rude. You know, it takes a lot of, a lot of time to put what songs you want in order 2 (39m 48s): For a reason. Right. 3 (39m 50s): I'm not just doing, I'll put that song there. That's and then it takes like a lot of I've changed it so many times. So yeah, I think it's nice to have a project just because why not? I know, you know, like, right. So much, I mean, I write so much and I have so much music, so why would I not just put out seven songs? I've got so many, I may as well just otherwise I just, I'm just the only one listening to them, so 2 (40m 17s): Right. I think that's so awesome. And like you just said, you spend time trying to curate this, this record a certain way. Like you, like you said, I put hate you first for this reason. And I'm sure if song is there for whatever reason, you know, that worked and listening to it in different orders and trying to figure out, okay, this is the best way. 3 (40m 38s): Yeah, exactly. I feel like, yeah, it's, it's important that you listened to it. They listened to it in order. I like that. 2 (40m 46s): Well, I can't wait to hear the record and full and the song on Valentine's day. That's amazing. The EAP is you had to be there, which is a cool title. Does that kind of describe the whole thing? 3 (41m 1s): I just love that saying like often I, I did. I just, often I tell whenever I tell a story, I tell it in like so much detail and like I do impressions like my dad and I'll do like the impression of the person that said it I'll do the voices in it. And then sometimes if it, mostly, most of the time, my stories or other people's stories do land and they always have, you know, if they don't, so it's like, oh, well you wouldn't get it yet to be that. And I felt like that, you know, like every song has like a proper story stuff that I have either lived or something that I've seen or a friend or something, but you wouldn't get it or you might get it, but you had to be there to truly get it. 3 (41m 49s): So you had to be, 2 (41m 52s): Well, thank you so much, Kay. For doing this. I really, really appreciate it. 3 (41m 55s): Thank you for having 2 (41m 56s): Me. I do have one more question for you. I want to know if you have any advice for aspiring artists. 3 (42m 4s): Honestly, I would say stay independent as long as humanly possible. Don't don't get enticed by major labels. You know, sticking their claws in, always stay, just stay independent until you have your solid solid sound, because you can, you have to work on your craft to get to a point where you would want a label to come in and help, you know, because they're just, they're just going to change it. So just don't even bother with that shit. And always just, you know, stay to stay true to who you are. 3 (42m 46s): If someone says, I don't really think that sounds like you, but you feel like, it sounds like you fuck them. Keep doing it. Then if I can swear on this, but 2 (42m 56s): Of course you can say whatever you want. 3 (42m 59s): Yeah. K you know, just always, always do. You don't listen to anyone else unless it's, you know, critiques and someone helping you to do better, but just stay in your lane. Does anyone tell you different