We are back again with another interview, and this time, it is with the extraordinary Caye! Caye is an LA-based artist, producer, and songwriter. And we had the honor of getting to sit down with him to talk all things We Love and his upcoming tour! So without further ado, let’s get into the interview.
The Interview
Hi Caye! Welcome to THP! If you could describe yourself/your artistry to a new fan, what would you say?
I’m a lifelong music fan. I love being active, especially surfing and playing basketball. Some of my favorite artists are Bon Iver, Bob Marley, and John Mayer. I love making music and creating things in general. I love painting, building things, and cooking as well.
Your debut album, We Love, came out on February 3. What do you think is the biggest thing you’ve learned during the recording process?
That I love being an artist. The music industry is so vast, and there are endless hats you can wear: producer, artist, writer, instrumentalist, executive, manager, etc… I’ve tried many different things out at this point, and I’ve learned that many facets of this world do not fulfill me in the same ways as others. Throughout this process, I’ve learned that making honest music with the people I love is one facet that does fulfill me. And I’ve realized that I love the cycle of being an Artist. Create, release, perform, repeat.
With this record, you have written and produced it almost entirely on your own. How important was it for you to create your debut album by yourself?
Having the ability to write, produce and record by myself gives me the space to get my ideas fully out without the influence of others. It also allows me to get weird and be free while creating. It definitely allows me to create music that’s true and authentic to me.
That being said, this project wouldn’t be where it is without the lyrical help from my girlfriend Noémie and the production touches by my friend AJ. Collaboration is the key to doing amazing things, not to mention it makes everything more enjoyable.
Was there any aspect of the writing or recording process that you felt the most growth on?
My patience has grown a lot. Music lives forever once it’s finished, so spending an extra hour or two to get a specific lyric right or to get that perfect sound is nothing in the long run.
You’ve gotten to work with some iconic people and have even had a Wiz Khalifa feature on ‘Easy.’ With the various styles of each artist you work with, do you find it difficult to get in the groove of their style, or is it a fun challenge for you each time you work with someone new?
Growing up, I studied classical music and was in multiple rock bands, jazz bands, and hip-hop groups. Over the years, I have gone through phases of producing many many different genres of music. It took me a long time to find my own artistic sound, and along the way, I ended up picking up skills and experience in other musical worlds. I think having that experience has helped me greatly in those moments where I find myself working on other artists’ projects that are in different worlds than mine.
‘Lose Sleep’ is a beautiful song with this anthem-like track behind it. It’s very big, but also slow and soft. What was your thought process behind the beat of the song?
Well, the song is about addiction. Toxic relationships, drugs, gambling, whatever that pulling force is for you. It’s about things that seem beautiful on the surface, but then you get closer, and you realize they’re actually demons. That was the theme when creating the sounds. In order to make it into the song, each sound had to fit the vibe of being beautiful/inviting while also having a tinge of sadness/longing.
Which song are you most proud of off of the upcoming album?
It changes every day! I’m just proud of the album as a whole. A lot of love went into that thing. It captured a beautiful moment in time for me, and I’m glad I get to share it with the world and relive those moments forever.
I’d love to know more about the creative process for you! When you know you are going into the studio or are writing for a full album, do you like having a concept in mind, or do you prefer going with the flow and seeing where the process takes you?
I mostly always start with the music. Listening to music as a kid, I would hear the music on the first listen, but it would often take me several times to start internalizing the lyrics. When creating, I’m able to put emotion into sound before I can put it into words. After listening to those sounds for a while, only then I start to come up with words that reflect those feelings. But, once I do come up with a concept and lyrics, the production will often change dramatically to better fit the words. It’s a back-and-forth process.
For our last question, we like to give you the floor to talk directly to our readers. Is there anything you’d like for them to check out (other than this incredible album)?
Yes, come see me on tour! I’ll be hitting the road and creating an amazing live experience for the whole month of March!
We hope you enjoyed learning more about Caye as much as we loved interviewing him! He is an incredible talent, and we hope to see y’all at one of his tour dates coming up next month!
Find a date near you here!
We want to hear from YOU! Let us know your thoughts about Caye, his tour, and his music in the comments below, or chat with us on Twitter and Instagram.
Want more music? We got you!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CAYE:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
