FEATURE: Spotlight: Cate — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Cate

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THE bewitching and beautiful music…

of Cate is that which I would recommend to everyone. Full name Cate Canning, she is a Canadian artist residing in London. Having recently released the gorgeous singles, Rocket Science and You Don’t Love Me, we are going to hear a lot more from this tremendous artist. Last year was a busy one for Cate. Releasing awesome singles like One Hit Wonder, U Want Me and Girlfriend, many fans would love to see an album this year. I am going to come to some interviews from Cate. In case you do not know about her and where she came from. I am going to come to some interviews from last year. To begin, let’s go back to 2022 and an interview with Discover Gigs and Tours. Influenced by some of the queens of Country and Pop, Cate talked about her then-new long-E.P., Tell Me Things You Won’t Take Back. Even though she had been releasing music since 2019, this E.P./short-album was her most complete and compelling work to that point:

“You’re originally from Vancouver, Canada, how have you found living in London? Has the city inspired your music in any way?

I love love London! It inspired this EP in so many ways. A lot of the songs were based on specific places in London!

Who would you say your main influences are?

Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and Shania Twain!

You recently released your song ‘The Ruler’ what inspired you to write this song?

Yes! I wrote that song with my two friends Rory and Tessa. We were joking around that this one guy is the king of the cruel world, and then we sat down and wrote the song in like an hour!

Your new EP Tell Me Things You Wont Take Back is out on the 28th October, what was your songwriting process like for this?

I wrote the EP all throughout 2020-2021. Most of the songs were written with friends or on zoom with some of my favourite collaborators. I didn’t really know it would be an EP when I first started writing it, and now here we are!

What’s the best gig you’ve played so far?

My favourite gig I’ve played so far has to be the headline show I did earlier this year at Camden Assembly. That was my first headline I’ve done having music out. I wrote/released my whole project in lockdown so it was so special to see everyone in a room together”.

I am moving onto an interview from Thomas Bleach from October. Cate was in Australia supporting Gretta Ray. She was also discussing the new single, One Hit Wonder. If you have not discovered this incredible artist who is clearly going to have a big future, then make sure that you get involved and follow Cate:

“THOMAS BLEACH: Your new single “One Hit Wonder” is out now, and I love the playful analogy that he disappears after a short but amazing moment, just like a one hit wonder. What inspired this parallel idea for you?

CATE: It actually started as a joke. I was in a session with my friends Elle and Corey for another artist, and we were all really tired. I started singing something, and it took me a few times, but then Elle just started singing “she’s a one take wonder”. So I started mimicking that and kept going with it, and then decided we should write a song about that. So we started writing it and I was like, “well, this is obviously gonna be a thing about a man”. So it came really quickly, which was fun. We then went back in the studio two days later with Andreas who produced it, and finished the idea.

TB: Was there a one hit wonder that you tried making work in the song but it just didn’t?

C: I didn’t want to offend anyone, so I googled “the biggest one hit wonders”. But here’s the thing… I still offended people. The dads are after me at the moment. But I tried so hard to not go niche, and just do the biggest one hit wonders that everyone can agree on. So there I was on a Buzzfeed article thinking I was safe. But I honestly wrote it in the order of the article I ready *laughs*. I knew I wanted “Somebody That I Used To Know” in there.

TB: From releasing “Tell Me Things You Won’t Take Back”, what is something you learnt about yourself as an artist, as it felt like such a big growth from “Love, The Madness”?

C: That EP was crazy as it was just me and my friends in lockdown. I hadn’t played a show yet, and I didn’t quite know what the reaction for my music was going to be. So creating music now is such a different experience to then, as it was so insular in that period as I was just writing songs for me, and then putting them out. But then once I played a show I was like “oh, people will hear these”, so now I feel like I’m also thinking about the live show when I’m writing songs. I feel like I’ve grown as a writer in the way of those things now. I think I’m also a bit more bold now as a writer, which is good.

TB: “Funny Story” to me still feels like an essential Cate track. So what is a recent classic Cate funny story that you can share with us?

C: I feel like I said a lot of things at the Sydney and Brisbane shows that I wouldn’t have said if I was so delirious, so that was rogue but funny. When we got to the Brisbane show, I had landed that morning and I fell asleep on the sofa at the venue with a tiny towel on me. Gretta came up to me and was like “wakey wakey! It’s time to do your show!”. So that’s not a crazy story, but it is funny and random *laughs*.

There are a few more interviews that I want to include before ending this feature. Spindle Magazine chatted with Cate back in August. However you define her music, Spindle argued that Cate was breathing new life into Disco-Pop. Clearly someone gaining a lot of kudos from the press and fans alike, this year is going to be a huge one for Cate. I have always loved what she puts out into the world:

“Congratulations on releasing your latest single, ‘U Want Me,’ it’s absolutely fantastic! Can you take us through the creative process for the record? We hear that you wrote the track with two of your friends.

Thank you so much! I wrote the single with my friends Navvy and Josh Wilkinson exactly one year before it was released. I was listening to a lot of disco music at the time, and I wanted something that felt like that. I really wrote the song for one of my friends who was going through an awful break-up and I realised I didn’t really have any songs to send her – so I wrote this one!

What themes or messages did you want fans to take away from ‘U Want Me’ after listening?

I just wanted a really confident” I Don’t Miss You” type song, so I hope it helps some of them get over their exes ahaha

We need to talk about the track’s high-energy music video! When brainstorming for the visual, which elements of the song were you most excited to bring to life?

I loove the video, it was SO fun to film. My creative director Abi Ford was the real mastermind behind this video. She’s amazing, and made the whole day so comfortable and fun. We really just wanted it to feel like one of those nights dancing in your room with your friends listening to break-up songs.

Your last few releases have had such a retro 80s/disco sound. Is there an artist or album from that era you looked toward when creating ‘U Want Me,’ ‘Girlfriend,’ and ‘Get Better?’

It’s funny because the disco influence really came from Karl Frederik (who produced all 3 songs). I was listening to a lot of Kacey Musgraves and Shania Twain at the time so not exactly disco.

Let’s go back to your music beginnings. When did you first realise that you wanted to be an artist? What was your “ah ha” moment?

Honestly probably watching Hannah Montana. I was obsessed. Also when I started Idolising artists like Taylor Swift and Dolly Parton, that’s when I really fell in love with songwriting.

It’s been over four years since you released your debut single, ‘Sad Song.’ How have you evolved as an artist since then?

Oh my god, so much! I really didn’t know what I was doing back then. I was just making music with my friends and then releasing it through CD Baby. I feel like I have a clear direction of the type of music I want to make now. It’s so crazy that the song came out 4 years ago; it’s like my first child.

Looking back on your journey, what advice would you give your younger self?

Just to relax and make as many mistakes as you can – they make great songs.

With ‘U Want Me’ currently making the rounds, what else can fans expect from this music era? How will it differ from your album ‘Tell Me Things You Won’t Take Back?’

They should expect a lot more music this year. It will be different from that EP in many ways but also that EP represents so much of the way I tell stories in my songs – so I think it’ll definitely stay true to that.

You’re set to have a busy fall season with headline shows in Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin, Birmingham, Bristol and London. Can you spill some details on what fans can expect from your upcoming shows?

A whole new show!! New everything. I’m so excited for these shows. We have so many surprises planned. I can’t wait!”.

In October, Dead Good Music spoke with the tremendous Cate. This was back in October. In the midst of a second U.K. headline tour, she was asked about the difference between her home in Canada and London. Also, what her future held in terms of new music and a possible album. It is always fascinating reading interviews from Cate. You learn something new and get a better impression of a phenomenal young artist with a sound all of her own:

“Cate Canning grew up in Abbotsford just outside Vancouver in Canada. In high school she fronted a country band and when she left frequently drove down the West Coast highway to songwriting sessions in LA. During these sessions she met fellow artist Cian Ducrot who, along with another singer, debunked to London with in 2019. Ducrot produced her debut EP Love, The Madness the following year and her debut album Tell Me Things You Won’t Take Back followed a month later. Citing fellow Canadians Kacey Musgraves and Shania Twain as influences and with a love for Dolly Parton, her mix of sugar rush pop and emotive country style storytelling sees her out on a current second headlining tour. We put a few questions to her after the show in Birmingham.

You are currently on a second headlining UK tour. How’s it going so far?
So great, I love touring the UK!

What have been the tour highlights?
I’ve loved every single show for different reasons. Birmingham was a gig i’ll never forget – I lost my voice the day before the show and everyone basically sang for me. I’ll never forget it.

What do you do in your downtime? Any hobbies?

I always take up hobbies then forget them a few months later ha ha, but one that has stuck is reading. I’ve been reading ”Notes on Heartbreak” by Annie Lord on this tour!

You played British Summer Time in Hyde Park last year and Down on the Farm. Do you prefer playing festivals or smaller venues?

I looove both, but the smaller venues are extra special because they are usually headline shows.

Who were your musical inspirations growing up in Abbotsford, Canada?

I have loved Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves for sooo many years now. They inspire everything I make.

Vancouver always gets voted in the top 5 best cities in the world. In your experience what makes it achieve such an accolade?

It’s just the best city in the world in my opinion. I grew up outside of Vancouver and then moved after highschool and would love to go back one day. It’s the most beautiful city surrounded by mountains and the ocean.

How does living in London compare?

I love London so much, but it’s very different. I love England for different reasons. I love writing music in London – it’s so so inspiring.

What do you miss most about your hometown?

My brother and Lepp’s farmers market ha ha

How do you think your song writing process has changed since your debut release ‘Sad Song’ in 2019 to your latest single ‘One Hit Wonder’? Do you think it has changed at all?

I think it has stayed the same in many ways but it’s more storytelling now.

Which one of your tracks are you the proudest of?

Probably ‘Cant Wait To Be Pretty’ just because of how honest it is.

Which track would you direct people to who haven’t heard your music before, that sums you up as an artist?

I think ‘Cant Wait To Be Pretty’ or ‘Ruin’.

What are your future plans? New releases, a new album, another tour?

Ive been writing in Nashville for another project…

What would be your advice for any aspiring pop stars?

To write as much as you can and with friends!

What’s the best thing about being a pop star?
The shows and meeting the fans after the shows”.

I am going to end with an interview from Ticketmaster Discover. Also going back to August, they spoke to Cate ahead of her British tour. Having enjoyed so much momentum off the back of some incredible singles, there was this intrigue and interest. A lot of people wanting to know how the people and music of her native Canada stacks up against the U.K. There is no doubt that Cate is a modern music treasure that everyone should know about:

“Have you found British pop to be a friendly space in general?

Yeah, in my experience. When I first moved here it was COVID, so it was really hard to make friends. But I feel like once I met a few people it was really welcoming. I feel like every girly musician I meet at shows is always so nice.

And it’s less competitive that it used to be, I guess maybe because with Spotify and TikTok there’s more room for everyone. Especially in the UK. Obviously, there’s little ounces of it, but I feel like I’ve been lucky with all the people I’ve met.

How have you found the British pop scene in general compared to your experience in Canada?

It’s interesting, because Canada has so many talented musicians, but there’re not a lot of sessions going on unless you’re in Toronto. I grew up right outside of Vancouver, and those sessions… you couldn’t really fill a week, whereas in London there’s just a lot more things happening. And Vancouver’s live scene too… it’s a shame, because there’re so many good musicians there and so many amazing people who go to Vancouver, but it’s a very tame city for live music. London has a lot more going on, which is why I moved. If you grow up making music in Canada, you kind of assume you have to move to America or the UK. But I love Vancouver. Home of Carly Rae Jepsen!

In songs like ‘Can’t Wait To Be Pretty’ and ‘Groupie’, you talk a lot about these feelings of inadequacy and coming in second to someone else. Have you found that writing these songs and seeing the response to them has healed those feelings at all?

It’s so healing. Singing ‘Can’t Wait To Be Pretty’ used to be really scary, but now it’s one of my favourite moments of the set. I feel like once I release a song, the feeling is, it was mine and now it’s not. I’m very lucky that the people who come to my shows are really open. It’s all girls holding each other, and it’s so cute.

It’s a real sisterhood feeling. Which I feel is so indicative of where female pop is at the moment – that willingness to confront ugly and uncomfortable emotions head on.

That’s what I look for in the music that I love. I listen to a lot of sad songs to make myself happier. In ‘Can’t Wait To Be Pretty’, I’m capturing this really obscene feeling, and it doesn’t mean that’s how I feel all the time, but it’s there, and it’s put into something. And it’s cool to see at the shows, too. I feel like live music is so exciting right now. I was saying this about Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. People dressing up and getting so excited for concerts just feels so nice after COVID when we couldn’t go to anything.

And at my shows too, it’s a lot of glitter and a lot of pink and a lot of girls holding each other and it feels like… somebody said it feels like a drunk girls’ bathroom. Which is really cute. There’s a lot of very unapologetic girliness.

Looking a little bit further into the future, is a debut album something you’re starting to think about?

I’m definitely starting to think about an album, which is really exciting. Like, how I’d want that to sound and where I want to make it. I’m going to Nashville in August, and I think I’m gonna put a whole bunch of songs together and start thinking about an album. I’m gonna deep it. I’ve never done it before. It’s why I put out an eight song EP but I didn’t call it an album. I think the first album I make has to be so, like, entirely me. Right now, I’m really lucky. I get to just experiment with a whole bunch of sounds. I feel like the stuff I was doing on the last EP was more like singer songwriter pop. I love it, and I think I’ll eventually go back to that kind of acoustic pop. I think if I put out an album, it’ll kind of be like that.

And even further ahead, what are your main goals for the next few years of your career?

I want to tour in Canada and America. That’s one of my biggest goals, whether it’s opening up for someone or doing my own tour. I want to have at least an album or two out in five years and tour self-sufficiently”.

If you have not heard Cate or know much about her, then go and check out her social media. Rocket Science and You Don’t Love Me are her latest offerings. Yet more terrific single, you feel that 2024 is going to be Cate’s biggest year so far! She is an artist that all eyes should be on. I hope to see her play live if she has a London date soon. For those hunting a new artist who will continue to exceed expectations with their music, then look no further than…