FEATURE:
Spotlight: Revisited
Caity Baser
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THIS is an artist…
that I spotlighted back in 2023. Caity Baser is a terrific Pop artist who is going to command some big stages. For this catch-up, I am bringing in some recent interviews. I want to start off by going back to 2024. Baser’s 2024 mixtape, Still Learning, was acclaimed by critics. It is a phenomenal release. DIY spoke with an artist who was helping to bring back sassiness and self-worth into Pop:
“Drawing comparison to the likes of Lily Allen and Kate Nash, Caity’s frank, observational lyricism and knack for sassy put-downs (recent track ‘I Love Making Bad Boys Cry’ packs the zinger: “You’re so fucking dumb for thinking I’m the one / Last night was just some fun”) has won her legions of fans - and gotten her into trouble all at the same time. But despite some of her tracks ruffling a few feathers with exes early on, she’s now firmly in her IDGAF era. “I make silly songs, and then people are like, ‘What the fuck?!’” she giggles, before fluttering her eyelashes innocently. “I’m just speaking about what happened! Sorr-eeee!
“I’m at this point in my life right now…” she continues, pondering. “I don’t know if it’s my age or anything, but I just really don’t care. If things go wrong - relationships, for example - I genuinely am like, ‘If it’s meant to happen, it’s gonna happen in that way and I don’t care’.” It’s a sentiment that’s embodied best in that aforementioned new track ‘I’m A Problem’, a larger-than-life song that pulls no punches in its unapologetic message of embracing fun and loudness.
“I’ve grown up with all of that shit: ‘You’re too loud’, ‘Caity, you’re so annoying’, ‘You’re so in people’s faces’,” she explains, “and now I’m like, ‘Yeah! I’m too loud but you’re too quiet, babe! You are for-get-ta-ble!’ That’s what I was trying to channel in the song; two of these to the world,” she raises her middle fingers, nodding to the song’s infectiously catchy bridge (“Put your middle fingers up / Say that we don’t give a fuck”). “When I sing it, I honestly see the whole crowd go literally feral. That’s what I went for when I was making it: I just wanted to empower people.”
It’s with this same defiant spirit that Caity is marching forward into her next chapter. Aptly-titled ‘Still Learning’, her new mixtape sees the singer simultaneously harnessing her brazenness and offering up a vulnerable look inside her world. She explains that the release came as a response to a year where she felt like she was on autopilot; “I’d go into sessions and make songs and think, ‘Cool, it’s a song’,” she says, with an unspoken ‘that’ll do’ hanging in the air.
There are a couple of interviews from this year that I am finishing up on. Erazer spoke with Caity Baser around the release of her single, Running from Myself. The first half of this year has been a successful and great one for Baser. Some of her strongest material has come out:
“To begin with, can you give us a bit of an overview of your journey in music since you began?
Caity: “Oh god, I started in 2020, in lockdown, I posted a video about being broke and having no idea about how I’m going to pursue my dreams, and then it went viral, and I got discovered by a management company, and then I went to London, started making music, and then it’s been honestly non-stop for like 4/5 years now. So yeah, I’ve done tours, BRIT Awards, and loads of cool stuff, and it’s very cool.”
How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard you before?
“Well, the stuff that’s out now I would describe as like loud, bratty, funny pop.”
Last year you released your second album, Still Learning, how was the overall response to that record?
“Crazy, it was mental, like I don’t know how it even happened. It was just nuts, but then I went on the tour, and everyone loved it there, then I performed it all summer, and it was honestly a great time. [On performing those songs onstage] Amazing, performing in general is amazing its just the best feeling in this whole entire universe, but then also having songs that I’ve written and I’m proud of, and then singing them to people and people singing them back to me, like what, it’s crazy.”
What’s been your favourite performance so far?
“Really rogue but I played Lattitude [Festival], and I loved it, I had so much fun. I performed there a couple of times now and every time it is just like packed, and also Reading & Leeds was really good, but I think Lattitude’s my favourite, it’s just a really nice vibe, and it’s just kids that are like up for it, it’s really fun.”
Moving onto more current projects, at the time of recording, you are about to release a new single called Running From Myself on Friday. Tell us a little bit about the track.
“That song, wow I love her. It’s basically about how I’ve been running from myself and about how I’ve been really struggling with balancing who people think I am, which is who I am, with also like my deep dark feelings; do you know what I mean? Because, I am this loud, in-your-face kinda person, very bubbly, but also at the same time, I have my down days where I just want to sit and cry. I think when you do so many shows and I can’t go out and be like ‘Hi guys..’ because that’s not what I wanna put on, and I feel like I just got a bit tired of battling with that, and now that I’m in a much better place and have explored that deeper, darker version of myself, I feel much happier! I’m excited to let people in on that different side to me because she’s never had any light in the music industry, so it’s very cool.”
Do you think fans will resonate with the lyrics to this song in particular?
“Yeah I think so because I think we live in a time now where showing emotion or being too emotional is a bad thing, or embarrassing or not cool, but if anything it’s actually really important to talk about your feelings and get them out there, because I’ve now done that and I feel great. So yeah, I think people will resonate with that because they might not feel like it’s okay to not be okay.”
You have a string of shows coming up, starting with a hometown show in Southampton, how are the preparations going for the tour?
“Really good, I had my first rehearsal yesterday, which sounds insane, because rehearsals should be happening… I think I don’t need to rehearse because I know the songs, do you know what I mean? But yeah, it was amazing, and I’ve never actually just sung with me and a piano unless it’s like me in the studio or me in my room making songs, so it’s really cool to bring that to life on the road in front of real-life people. I can’t wait! I’ve been training really hard and working on my voice and technique, and I think these songs really showcase that, so I’m really excited to just impress people and have a good time with it.”
You have a discography stacked with hits, but do you have a personal favourite song?
“Mine’s probably Oh Well because it was at a time where I literally said Everything’s F*cked, but it’s okay, and it just makes me feel good because how easy does that make you feel? Sometimes you just have to say oh well, and that’s it. That one makes me feel really good.
What is your biggest motivation to keep producing in such a competitive music industry?
“The fact that if I don’t, I won’t be an artist, that’s what keeps me going. Because that would be bad. I just keep going because it makes me very happy and it’s something I need in my life to be an artist.”
What sort of direction will you be taking your music this year?
“Definitely a more emotional, vulnerable vibe, and more focused on the lyrics than the outfits and the dancing.”
Do you have anything you can hint at, as to what’s to come this year?
“Yeah, maybe a big huge project! Who knows… There I said it, who knows…”.
Looking back at what she has achieved so far, Caity Baser can be very proud! There is going to be a lot of exciting stuff coming up in terms of dates and music. I am going to end with an April interview from The Boar. I know there will be a lot of eyes on this incredible Southampton-born artist. She will be in the industry for many years to come:
“Popstar, and renowned it-girl, Caity Baser, has done it all. From taking Glastonbury by storm, to securing a BRIT nomination as a Rising Star in 2023, Baser has achieved what any girl would dream of, all at the age of 22. Now, after a short hiatus, she is back with a new look, touring the UK with a run of exclusive, intimate piano shows this April. Whilst the Adidas wearing, slicked-back bun, relationship advice giving Caity proudly remains, I was excited to know what provoked this change of tone for Baser as an artist, and what is in store for fans for 2025.
Humble beginnings are what helped Baser find her distinct, girly and chatty singing voice. “I always loved to sing, and before I started doing music, I always sang with an American accent”, she states, “I don’t know why we do it, what is the point”. Perhaps a victim of the age of Disney Channel American accents, the firmly British Baser found her true voice during lockdown, allowing herself “to just sing like how I would actually talk”. Lockdown gave Baser her big break in the music world, starting her career like many others today on TikTok. “I posted a video and everyone loved it, so I guess it just stuck”, she reminisces, with her wide spanning discography – such as her critically acclaimed album Still Learning – showing off all her uniqueness and personal stories through her rebellious, yet endearing voice.
‘Running From Myself’ acts like a Coming Soon trailer to Baser’s upcoming musical endeavours. “It’s like the opening scene for the next chapter of me”, reveals Baser, “touching on points I’m going to be speaking about in the future”
When I told Baser we were actually a very similar age, in the true fashion of a trendy girl she replied with “slay”. In fact, being so young and yet so prominent in the female pop scene is something so intriguing about Baser, especially her being so down-to-earth. Humbly, Baser states her music career “feels great, it honestly feels so cool”, with her BRIT nomination and playing Glastonbury being her ultimate “pinch me moments”. Nevertheless, amid the shining career, hard work always followed. “I did this all on my own”, she admits, having no prior connections to the music industry before her career took off. It was clear that that made her line-up feature at Glastonbury so rewarding, and “mental”, in her words. “Everyone who is an artist dreams of playing Glastonbury. And the fact I did it twice, it was just really cool”.
Following the release of ‘Watch That Girl (She’s Gonna Say It)’, which in its essence is so classically Caity with all its feminine pride and protest, the release of her newest single, ‘Running From Myself’, is set to be equally hard-hitting, but slightly more cryptic. ‘Running From Myself’ acts like a Coming Soon trailer to Baser’s upcoming musical endeavours. “It’s like the opening scene for the next chapter of me”, reveals Baser, “touching on points I’m going to be speaking about in the future”. The process of releasing new music, as one can imagine, never becomes less daunting. “It’s really scary”, discusses Caity, with all the scrutiny of public opinion and the battle for appeal in the streaming world. However, whilst nerve-wracking, Baser does not show it. Her mantra to “have fun, believe in yourself, and it always works out in the end. So just let it happen”, is emblematic of the bravery and boundary breaking impact of her career so far.
In tune with popular fashion, and also ready for the summer weather, she notes “my vibe is always a cool baggy jean, a colourful shoe and a zip up sports jacket”, and never forgetting a “slick back” bun
If ‘Running From Myself’ is the trailer, Baser’s upcoming tour, ‘Watch That Girl (She’s Gonna Sing It)’, is set to be the blockbuster. Heading to Birmingham on April 10 as part of a near sold-out run, Baser promises more intimacy, more piano, and more “lovely, lovely songs”. Following her hiatus, Baser states she wanted to honour the fans and their support in a “welcome back sort of thing” across the country. “I wanted to put on some shows for the people that really care and connected with it”, actively choosing more toned down venues, with a smaller audience. In essence, as put by Baser, it is a “big fat meet up with some singing”, giving the audience the chance to chat and ask her questions, all with the joy of hearing her unreleased music.
It goes without saying that Baser’s fashion sense is a striking element of her musical performance, with every new single, album or even Instagram video featuring a new look to match her personality. For those seeking fashion inspiration, Baser preached the power of Jaded London jeans, suiting her style as a self-declared “tall queen”. In tune with popular fashion, and also ready for the summer weather, she notes “my vibe is always a cool baggy jean, a colourful shoe and a zip up sports jacket”, never forgetting a “slick-back” bun.
Looking into the future, Baser tells fans to look out for “new music, festivals, and a big, fat, huge tour at the end of the year”
So what is next for Caity Baser? Upon the release of ‘Running From Myself’ this Friday, she will be living up the dream of finally being a bridesmaid at her brother’s wedding. “My band is actually playing at his wedding”, she states, as she is getting excited to be “in a lovely dress, a lovely shoe, just having a great time”. Looking to the future, Baser tells fans to look out for “new music, festivals, and a big, fat, huge tour at the end of the year”. As Baser continues, in her own words, to be “just making music and being great”, it is clear that fans have so much to look forward to for the future of Caity Baser”.
I am going to end there. I wanted to revisit Caity Baser’s music, a couple of years since I spotlighted her. One of the brightest young artists coming through, there is a lot of success in her future. Some stunning cuts from this year show that her music is always evolving and shifting up. A remarkable talent who everyone needs to know, go and follow…
A must-hear artist.
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