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US Native but New Zealand based pop/soul singer Kaitlin Riegel has been weaving her own stories into intricate alternative pop songs with a hint of jazz and a twist of R&B. She recently released her System EP and with more great music on the way GroundSounds decided to catch up with her to talk about her latest project, musical inspirations and more. Check out the exclusive interview below.
For those just discovering your music can you tell us a little bit about your upbringing and moving to New Zealand?
My family lived all over the U.S. and we were based in Massachusetts before we moved to New Zealand. Neither of my parents are particularly musical people (save for my dad’s purchase of every ‘Now! That’s What I Call Music’ CD that has ever come out), however, my sister and I both managed to slot right into music like a key into a lock. That was a really B grade metaphor sorry haha. I learned piano, listened to all sorts of genres, and sang….everything. After hanging out at coffee houses when I was ten I realized I could chuck the two together. I’m an adult now (technically) and I’m still doing just that, but maybe ever so slightly better than when I was ten. Growing up my parents listened to James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, The Beatles, Harry Conick Jr and the likes. I basically had four CD’s as a child: Avril Lavigne’s ‘Let Go’, P!nk’s ‘M!ssundaztood’, Gavin DeGraw’s ‘Chariot’, and Shania Twain’s ‘Up!’. We moved to NZ when I was twelve and I think it had a really beneficial effect on my music because I was exposed to a whole new array of artists. I played in Jazz bands, sang in choirs, and started to write songs more prolifically.
Can you tell us about working on your latest System EP, what was it like bringing this project to fruition?
It was quite the adventure. The songs were all written at very different points and they were all recorded in different places. That would sound pretty sporadic but I found that they fit together really well. All the songs on the EP are relevant to each other because each one was about understanding an emotion I was experiencing. It’s really personal to me because each track on that EP was a coping mechanism. This EP was definitely about keeping it simple; focusing on the vocals, the lyrics, and the atmosphere.
What was it like working with folktronica artist and producer James Yuill?
James is the man. It’s surprisingly difficult to use words to explain music sometimes, especially music that doesn’t exist yet. He is brilliant at transferring my ramblings into the songs’ production. It was funny because we weren’t even supposed to work together, but last minute someone said “Hey, I think you may work well with this guy, why don’t you pop into the studio with him and try and record a track?”. Now he’s producing my third EP haha. He’s also a real good quality dude, can spin a good yarn and is insanely talented. Working with him gave me a whole new level of excitement for the recording process because it opened up all these doors for what pieces could sound like.
What do you enjoy most/least about New Zealand?
Sometimes I start to feel the smallness of the country but then I remind myself that I’m living in a sub-tropical paradise and get over it haha. The size can actually work to your advantage because everyone is quite accessible, if I don’t know someone it’s quite likely I know someone who does. It’s also cool that we get an interesting balance of US and European pop culture coming into the country so that’s definitely influenced my music. I legitimately can’t explain how beautiful the country is; even the major cities have stunning beaches within walking distance. I’ve become quite spoiled with being able to walk into town and walk into nature.
Can you tell us about the writing and creative process involved with your track “When I Fall Asleep?”
I don’t want to say too much because I’ve talked to so many people who have interpreted it differently, and there’s something quite comforting in that. I wrote it with the intention of discussing the struggle in solitude. So in my mind writing and recording I was thinking isolation, loneliness, and that uncomfortable state of feeling like something is missing but not being able to place it. Piano can be such a lonely instrument so I thought I’d play that up, keeping everything really simple and stripped back. I wanted to create a track that reflected a haunting, uneasy sensation and was thoroughly relatable. My heavy string of adjectives in this answer is basically how I approached production with James haha.
What typically goes through your mind while performing?
Performing is my favourite part of being a musician. Usually, I just immerse myself in the song and enjoy the ride but sometimes I have an interior monologue of “Don’t play the wrong note, don’t play the wrong note, don’t play the wrong note. Why did I ask for the piano to be so loud in the foldback? Wait…what are the next lyrics? How can I forget the lyrics to something I wrote?!” Thankfully, I have never forgetten the lyrics live. I am definitely more comfortable performing with my band just because it feels so much more like a jam session.
We have had “System” on repeat, can you tell us about the inspiration for this track?
I had recently purchased my first vocal looper and I was (am) obsessed with major seventh chords. I wrote it pretty strictly to be a live performance song with loops so I was reluctant to record it. It’s a lot of fun live because there is so much going on and it’s sick creating this massive amount of music all on your own, but I am ecstatic with the recording. James and I were able to maintain that loop vibe but make it work as a track. It’s slightly different because we were able to create a stronger and more weighted atmosphere. Lyrically, I had this sensation jamming in my mind that I couldn’t get over, where I was mentally prepared to move forward but emotionally stuck in a rut so I wrote the song to process the experience.
What current bands/musicians are inspiring you?
I always struggle with this question because I think there is something to take from everybody. I remember hearing a Norah Jones song that did this really delicate chord transition and I was like “Woah, I want to do something like that.” I listen to Kate Nash’s “Foundations” or Ed Sheeran’s “Wake Me Up” and I think ” I want to write something that articulate and specific.” I crank Twenty One Pilots all the time…my goal is to write something as brilliant as “Ode To Sleep”. I listen to the radio heaps, so I think ultimately the best answer I can give here is everyone haha, I love music. I spend many evenings messaging songs back and forth with my mates.
We read that you are currently working on a third EP, what can you reveal to us about it? What can fans look forward to?
Well, I brought my full band in for all the tracks on this one. James is the producer for the EP and it sounds INCREDIBLE. There are a few really fun, groovy tracks on it and a couple of intense ones…and one about Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy haha. The whole idea for me is to articulate these weird day-to-day, in between, underrated emotions and experiences we have. I had such an incredible time making these tracks from writing to recording to production and I can’t wait to share them around.
