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Hi Caitlin, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
I’ve been great and busy! I love living in Nashville! This city has brought me so much opportunity and surrounded me with the most talented people in the business.
Can you talk to us more about your latest single “What If”?
Yes, I’d love to. The idea behind “WHAT IF” is anchored in “the butterfly effect”. This is a popular hypothetical in which one small change in action can alter later results and amount to larger unforeseen outcomes. Notice the single cover has butterflies on my eyes, signifying that we cannot see how each minuscule event will alter the future. I filmed a very thought-provoking music video showcasing this concept in the storyline. I think this song also touches on the idea of mental health. I’m a perfectionist and with that often comes a lot of anxiety. When I wrote this song, I wanted to show people that having those thoughts of regret, wonder or being unsure of yourself are all normal feelings we must deal with as humans. However, there’s also a danger in constantly questioning our actions. We can easily get caught up in this rabbit hole of asking ourselves “what if” about everything… ultimately leading to even more anxiety and a lack of confidence. Having a philosophy degree, I have experienced how certain thoughts can drive you mad contemplating them too much. I enjoy thinking deeply about love, relationships, and the fundamental truths, which are soundly embedded in my lyrics and the hidden messages found throughout my music video. I even put in a teaser of the next song I’ll be releasing in the “WHAT IF” music video… Go check out the elevator scene! 😉
Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?
The song was inspired by a relationship I was in that left me with a lot of “what ifs”. Growing up, I really enjoyed the movies, “Sliding Doors” and “The Butterfly Effect”. I was always so Intrigued by the theory itself and would often ask myself, “What if this or what if that…” playing out what could have happened. “The butterfly effect” something that happens to us all every day, but we rarely stop to think about it.
How was the filming process and experience behind the video?
I did! It was the first music video I had ever directed entirely by myself. Coming from a background in acting (Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes national commercial, Doritos Super Bowl commercial, and guest starring in the ABC sitcom, Blackish) I was nervous before the filming because I didn’t know how stressful it would be to be one of the actors in the music video, and directing it at the same time. There was a point I was debating hiring a female actress so that I could solely focus just on the directing, but my family encouraged me that I could do it! And just to have fun with it and enjoy the process.
The concept came to me in the stairwell of my apartment late one night. The entire video honestly flashed before my eyes in one instance. It was hours of not knowing what to do, to all in one second the entire video was finished in my head. I knew I wanted the video to capture something to do with the butterfly effect, since that was what inspired the song. The biggest problem I ran into was how to do that in under five minutes. So, I had the idea to almost treat the music video like a short story- adding in dialog, and setting the scene in the first 45 seconds before the music comes in. We see two separate realities. In one, David (the male actor) grabs his Airpods, and has the music playing so loud he doesn’t hear me when I ask him to hold the elevator door. Because of that, we never meet. In the other reality, David forgets the headphones on the counter. When I ask him to hold the door, he now hears me and can stick his arm out right before the door shuts. This small series of events dramatically changes her life.
I’ve always loved the idea of changing up traditional music videos and making them different from the rest! Standing out and being different in your craft is something that should be celebrated.
How was the recording and writing process?
During one of my co-writes with Ben Simonetti, I threw out some lyrics I had written for the song and discussed pairing these with the concept of the butterfly effect. He liked my vision, so we went with it! Then one day I was working with Stephan Laplante (insanely talented guitarist). I sang the song for him and he took the bridge and brought it up, which I loved! When I finished recording the song at the iconic studio, Southern Ground, Ben had the brilliant idea to bring in the very talented artist, Jessi Alexander to sing background vocals. I’m so honored she’s on my song, as she sings with top artists like, Blake Shelton and has written some of the biggest hits, like Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb”. It’s so much fun to look back on the process of making a song and be in awe at the little things that made such a huge difference. Before I started songwriting, I was the type of person who liked to everything myself, but through these experiences, I’ve gained such an appreciation for collaboration and admiration for my everyone involved in making this song.
What was it like to work with Sal Oliveri and Ben Simonetti? How did those relationships develop? It has been amazing to work with them. They are at the top of their game, and I feel very fortunate to have them as my producers. They encouraged my creative input every step of the way, making the songs we wrote and recorded very enjoyable. I met Ben through his wife, Olivia! They have both become such dear friends that we consider them family! Ben has been very instrumental in my songwriting, teaching me about the music business, and introducing me to the biggest and most helpful people in Nashville. I met Sal through other friends of ours, Grant Gaston and Kathie Lee Gifford. Kathie Lee had just finished a big movie project with him, and I was introduced to him shortly after that. Sal is very easy for me to work with because we have the same personality! We’re both very type A and super organized. He really understands my voice and how to showcase it by giving me a lot of space in the music he creates. I pinch myself all the time that I have these two producers in my life!
How much did they get to influence the song?
Ben produced, “WHAT IF” and he was an enormous influence on the song. We were rewriting it at midnight the night before I was going in the next morning to record with him! When I first wrote it and brought it to Ben, it was a very slow and sad ballad. Ben reworked it and added his magic, giving it a more upbeat tempo. He had just finished recording a huge project with Zach Brown Band right before my session with him. I felt like I got a little bit of their “island/calypso type vibe at the beginning of my song from their sessions before. After recording with Ben, he continued to help with how to put my music out and who to talk to. You can have the best song in the world, but if no one hears it, it’s like that saying… “If a tree falls in a forest and there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound?”
How does your background as trained opera singer influences your work in music?
My classical training influences my music in many ways. One of the biggest is my vocal range. This is the first anyone is hearing this, but I’m putting out a Christmas song this year! In that song, I do a 3 key change! My training has also taught me how to maintain a strong and healthy voice, which is more important than anything. I’ve had to shift gears away from some of my classical training in order achieve a more commercial sound. Developing that commercial sound has been my main focus with my vocal coach, Chanelle Guyton.
Does the new single mean we can expect a new material – how’s that coming along?
YES IT DOES!!! I’ve worked for the last year, songwriting and recording to have enough music to release a new single every 3 weeks starting this Friday! That’s a lot to bite off, but I’m enjoying the challenge. I’m already heading back into the studio soon to start recording more music so I can keep that schedule going.
Any tentative release date or title in mind?
Right now, I have releases planned through March that have already been recorded. You’ll have to stay tuned to check them out!!
