We love it when we discover rising artists, and Caity Baser has been on our heavy rotation all year long! The bubbly British babe from Southampton has been making waves as she continues to excel in popularity with high-energy pop songs tinged with some cheeky and mature themes. Now based in Brighton, the singer first gained traction and success during the COVID lockdown when she posted an improvised song on TikTok. ‘Average Student’ ended up accumulating 1 million views on the viral video app. This caught the attention of a management agency, which reached out to her, and the rest, they say, is history. Since then, she has charted four songs in the UK and hit the road with her first-ever tour back in Spring. We’d say we’re surprised, but we added Caity to our Ones To Watch list back in 2023, so we really feel like we can say: “we told you so!”
2023 saw Caity really make her mark in mainstream, featuring on MTV PUSH for the UK and Ireland and performing at a number of festivals such as BST Hyde Park, BBC R1’s Big Weekend, and Reading and Leeds. 2024 is looking to be another bright year for the Southampton sweetheart. She was nominated for the BRITs Rising Star and is preparing for the release of her debut mixtape, Still Learning, which drops March 15th, and has just kicked off her biggest UK tour to date, including a show at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. The tickets are available at a capped price as part of Caity’s pledge to keep her shows affordable for her fans. We can’t help but stan!
As we countdown to the release of Still Learning, we caught up with Caity herself to learn a bit more about the record and the exciting whirlwind that is her life.
Hi Caity! Welcome to The Honey POP! Can you introduce yourself in the form of a dating app bio for our new readers?
Hiya, I’m Caity Baser! I’m 21, a singer, ocean lover, and chaos-filled girl who’s always down for fun!
Congratulations on your EP, Still Learning! What has been the most exciting part of your journey in creating this EP?
I think this part. I’m a few weeks out from releasing it, and I’m just so excited now!
Trust us, we are too! Is there anything in particular you have learned while working on the EP?
That I can’t control everything. Life is really gunna happen the way it wants to, and sometimes you really can’t change that. And that’s fine! Just take every experience as it comes and learn and grow as you go.
Honestly, that’s a really valuable lesson. You have a lot of relationship themes in your music. Talk us through the process: do you ever feel in the moment, “This is something I need to write about!” or rather, do you head to the studio and sort through past memories and cherry-pick from those experiences?
A bit of both, to be fair, when something really dramatic happens, I go to the studio the next day, knowing that I’m going to write about it, and on other days when my life is a bit more chilled, I either make a chilled song or dive into my past experiences and make a song about one of them.
You first found fame through TikTok, where you shared your original music. What sparked your interest in writing songs? What inspired your musical beginnings?
I’ve always been making songs, and I’ve always wanted to do it and post about it. When TikTok was locked down, it was really popping off, so I just posted a video one day, and it did really well. Yeah, that’s why I continue to post on there—it’s just a great way to reach people.
I have a lot of musical inspirations, from Etta James to Freddie Mercury to Billie Holiday to Lily Allen. I’m just really obsessed with everybody. To be honest with you, I love music. I love anything that gives you goosebumps. It makes you feel something, which, for me, is most music. But I’d say my inspiration for musical beginnings was old, jazzy, beautiful music. And to this day, this sort of music is what I listen to every day.
We love your eclectic taste! The beginning of your career has been quite a whirlwind! From being signed to performing at festivals like Reading & Leeds, being nominated for BRITs Rising Star, to working with major names like Joel Corry and Mae Muller. When you take a moment to yourself, amongst all the excitement, what goes through your mind about how your life has changed?
For the majority of the time, I don’t really think about what I’m doing because I’m just so excited at the moment I don’t really take it in I just go and do. I put on the best show I can I have as much fun as possibly can, but I’d say the last time I properly sat down and I looked at everything was New Year’s. Every New Year’s I always write down what I’m thankful for what I’m grateful for, and this year I had so many things to write down and that’s what I realize like “f*ck I’m really doing it.”
It must be a real pinch me moment when you realize! You’ve gone from being your typical girl next door to a rising name in the UK and beyond. How do you cope with that 180º change?
It’s gonna sound really silly, but perfectly fine. I feel like all I’ve ever wanted was to be and do what I’m doing now like I spent the first 18 years of my life wanting to be something that I thought I would never be, and now that I’m doing it, and getting thrown in all these situations that are honestly insane. All I can do is just run with it and be so excited because that’s what I wanna do, and also, that’s what I’m doing for 10-year-old Caity for 15-year-old Caity and 18-year-old Caity. You know, just let’s go!!!!!!
We absolutely love that energy! You’ll be heading out on tour soon! For people who have never been to a Caity Baser show, what should they prepare themselves for?
Chaos, fun, vibes, healing energy, the best night of your life, I think.
We know your fans, Slaysers, relate heavily to your music. Is there anything in particular a fan has said to you that you remember fondly?
One of my favourite comments from a fan was that my songs feel like they’re on a FaceTime call with me, and that’s exactly why I make my music the way that I do because I make it in a way that sounds like I’m talking to my friends, and is the way that I sound when I talk to my friends so the fact that that’s translating to people I just I love that.
Now you’ve said that, we can absolutely agree that’s how it feels. We just have to say we adore your fashion sense! How would you describe the signature Caity Baser style?
Loud and colourful, lots going on, just like me.
The year is still young! What else can we expect from you this year? Or do you have a 2024 bucket list of things you’re hoping to do?
I’m doing another summer full of festivals, which I’m very grateful for because festival season is the best. I’m hoping to go to Nashville maybe, maybe back to Australia and getting ready for my first album, I think, which is very exciting.
We are so excited to see what’s next for you, Caity! Congrats again on Still Learning, and thanks for chatting with us!
Still Learning is out March 15th. Caity Baser is currently on tour, tickets are available now
Want the tea from more of your faves? Check out these interviews!
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