Callaghan Belle – Run Into You

By starrymag | June 2, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) A producer friend of mine calls it “Curban”—cute urban, which is just his polite way of saying, “You’re not cool enough to pull off urban.” [laughs] So, I’d say it’s pop with some soulful elements. Lyrically, I like to tell a story. My personality is also pretty sassy and playful so that comes through as well.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) It’s pretty all over the place. The Beatles, Lana Del Rey, Kelly Clarkson, JoJo, Fleetwood Mac, Anita Baker, Troye Sivan, Aly & AJ, Ariana Grande, Leon Bridges, Dolly Parton

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Run Into You.”

A) A couple years ago, I flew home to Detroit for my aunt’s funeral. Sadly, I had to fly back to Los Angeles from the funeral pretty quickly because my boyfriend and I were supposed to attend his sister’s wedding. It was a Tuesday. I vividly remember. So, I fly back specifically for the wedding, which is coincidentally taking place on my birthday. And my boyfriend is giving me the lowdown on his extended family— what to do when I meet this person, what to say to this person, what cheesy family games we’ll have to play, how things will be different when it’s our wedding, how much he missed me while I was gone. And then he dumps me. Right in the middle of the same conversation. I was uninvited from the wedding, had no plans for my birthday and he never spoke to me again. It’s the craziest story for me to tell because it sounds like something is missing. So, this song was written for the sake of having an ending, you know? Like if someone doesn’t give your relationship any kind of closure, here’s the ending that you’d choose. Strangely, my life has always imitated art to a spooky degree so the week after writing this song, everything in the lyrics quite literally happened.

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) I envision this song being sung during a breakup. Something to empower you while you’re being dumped. [laughs] But in all seriousness, I think people find the idea of karma comforting. It’s nice to think that the tables will turn in your favor someday. Everyone loves a comeback. And that’s what this song evokes.

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) I write both the music and lyrics. In my experience, a song can happen so many different ways. If I’m writing on my own, there’s no process. The music and lyrics happen all at once. Inspiration hits and twenty minutes later there’s a song. When I’m collaborating with other writers there’s more strategy— ideas are passed back and forth, it’s a different kind of magic.

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) For my first album, I wrote and produced everything myself. It was an important learning process, but relying on myself to such an extreme degree really led to some equally extreme burnout. As an artist, I needed to reprioritize and realize, “Okay, maybe I can’t figure out the drum part for this song, but maybe that doesn’t mean I’m a failure. Maybe it just means I’m not a drummer.” [laughs] So for “Run into You,” the production came from my friend and collaborator, Peter Chun.

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

A) Yes! I have two different collections of songs ready. One is an EP that coincides with “Run into You.” It’s pop. And then I have another EP of piano ballads. I’m hoping to release both by the end of the year.

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) Performing at Hotel Café was pretty magical. You can truly feel the history in venues like that. I feel like I’m always saying this, but there’s nothing I love more than a story. So, playing in a “story-filled” venue feels really epic.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) If we’re really reaching here, I’d love to do a song with Harry Styles someday.

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) I’ve been listening to Gracie Abrams a lot lately. There’s such a sense of beautiful nostalgia in her music. She doesn’t have a full album out yet, but I’ll be one of the first to listen when she does.

Q) What tips would you give to up and coming singer-songwriters?

A) Something that I wish someone told me is that both creatively and when it comes to opportunities, it’s vital to follow your intuition. People offer so much unsolicited advice when you’re in an artistic field. The sooner you can develop your own gut instinct and learn to follow it, the better off you’ll be.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) In the current social distancing climate, it’s the only way to connect with anyone. I feel like my persona on socials is pretty equivalent to who I am in real life. And I just try to use the platform to inspire positivity, but also to be honest.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I know this question is meant to be about music, but it feels against my nature to not acknowledge the current times. So, I’ll just say please do your best to keep carrying on. Take care of yourself, be mindful of the people around you and take things one day at a time.