Kady Rain – It Wasn’t the Roses

By starrymag | July 9, 2018

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) POP. I make pop music, through and through. I try to write music that uplifts people’s mood and makes them feel something. Whether it’s an EDM or an acoustic or a doo wop song, it’s always gonna be pop.  There’s nothing wrong with saying you want to write music that everyone can relate to.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I am influenced by so many different genres and artists. Growing up I listened to a ton of Selena, The Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child and, of course, The Beatles. I’ve gotten compared to Katy Perry and Lady Gaga both aesthetically and sonically and I consider that a huge compliment because I consider them to be masters of the pop genre, but I’m not trying to live in anyone’s shadow.  More recently, Charli XCX and Zedd are crushing it.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “It Wasn’t the Roses.”

 

A) “It Wasn’t the Roses” is about my relationship with my abusive ex. True story: one time he threatened to kill me with a gun and to apologize he bought me flowers the next day and for some reason I took him back. Back then, I didn’t understand my worth. I knew I was in a bad place with this person. I knew he wasn’t right for me, but I stayed in the relationship because I was too afraid to leave. I was too afraid to be alone. He treated me like trash and ultimately almost ended my life. Obviously, it’s terrible that this happened but ultimately, I’m grateful for the experience because I wouldn’t be where I am today. I would still be drinking, I would still be dating assholes and I would still be pursuing their dreams instead of pursuing my own. This song is an expression of the frustration of being stuck somewhere, but the silver lining is that you’re never stuck even when it seems most dire.

 

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

 

A) In every song I try to tell a story that everyone can relate to on some level. Not everyone has been in an abusive relationship, but nearly everyone has been in a difficult situation or taken advantage of or felt stuck or helpless. I try to capitalize on universal human emotion and put a unique spin on it that inspires others and makes it to where anyone can relate to it, which is an art in itself.  When we play this song out, the strangest thing is that everyone in the audience moves the same way.  They all sway and move their arms together without being told what to do.  I think that’s special.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) We don’t have a video for this song, but I would love to make a video for it! I’ve envisioned lots of dance numbers and vintage clothing.  We’ve been throwing the idea around, it may still happen! [smiles]

 

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

 

A) 99% of the time songwriting goes like this: Ben [Bazzrea] and I will sit down and Ben will go through different chord progressions he’s been playing around with on guitar. I’ll pass on the ones that I’m not vibing with and I’ll pick the one that I want to work on. I’ll have him play the progression over and over while I sing different melodies over it and record it. From there, we pick the best melodies of the lot and get the verse, prechorus, chorus and bridge melodies out of it. Then, we write lyrics to go with the melody. The lyrics are usually whatever comes first to mind when listening to the lyrics, whatever best fits with the song. Like I said, this is how it’s done the majority of the time. Sometimes, though, I’ll have a whole song written in one go lyrics and all and I come to Ben and we just flesh out a chord progression and edit the lyrics a little. But that’s a rare and beautiful thing. To smooth the song out, I’ve found that just singing it once or twice a day all the way through for a few weeks will allow me to naturally iron out the kinks without the stress of sitting down to do formal editing.

 

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

 

A) I do not produce my own music; however, we hand pick the producers that we work with and we are intimately involved in the production process. We send our producers a midi of the vocal and the underlying chord progression, send them references and guide them throughout the production process. We never release a song that we aren’t happy with, so we make sure it’s something unique and special and matches the vibe of the lyrics and melody.  Just like a session player sometimes needs help writing a part that is for the song and not for their instrument, so do producers need guidance in creating a production that serves the song and isn’t a showcase for their sound design.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Kady Rain performance?

 

A) You can always expect me to be wearing a fire outfit. And you can always expect sassiness!  We’ve got a lot of things in the works surrounding the live element.  I’m really looking forward to unleashing some of the creativity and seeing where the journey takes us.

 

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

 

A) We are releasing singles for now, but we want to release our debut full length in the next couple of years. That’s definitely a big goal of ours. Actually, just today we sat down and created our six month and year end goals and the album is on there. Knowing what we do now, it won’t be as difficult to get an album to the finish line, but it is still no small task.

 

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

 

A) Swan Dive in Austin, TX is a great venue with great staff and all of our shows there have been fantastic. I also love Empire in Austin, TX. I work there on the weekends, so it has a special place in my heart. <3

We also really like the Scoot In, our single release show for “Lonely One” was there.  Also, Cheer Up Charlie’s has been kind to us.

 

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

 

A) My dream would be working with PC Music on a song. They are absolute geniuses and it would be an honor to work with AG Cook or SOPHIE.

 

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

 

A) I’ve been listening to Janelle Monae’s Dirty Computer on repeat. She’s queer, she’s proud, she’s bold and she’s talented as fuck. And I was just jamming Kasey Musgraves’ new album Golden Hour with my mom. “Butterflies” is a perfect song. I listened to that song probably fifty times in a row and it inspired me to write a love song of my own for Ben.

 

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

 

A) Social media is the quickest and most efficient way to reach thousands of people with your message. I love connecting with fans all over the world. I love starting conversations and reaching out to people who found me randomly and fell in love with my music and getting to know them and learning how my music directly affects people and their lives. I’ve met so many incredible people, both fans and professional contacts, through social media.

 

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

 

A) Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Everyone that believes in me and helps support me is part of my family. My fans are literally bringing my dreams to life and I owe everything to them. And all I can do is say thank you.  We have a lot of big ideas and we are giving 110% to make sure that the release is going to be one for the books. [smiles]