Introduced to the piano at the age of 5 and playing the guitar by time she reached 7th grade, Catbells has long since found herself drawn to and immersed in the world of music. Having started her professional career as a member of several bands, she’s now gone solo, writing and sharing songs that are often reflective of nature and of memories from her childhood when she would swim in lakes, canoe down rivers and work on the family farm. Her latest single “Fade” is an intimate, open-hearted reflection of lost love, and PopWrapped spoke with Catbells to talk about the story behind the track, discover the artists she’s most inspired by and learn what she’d like to achieve in the next five years.
How’d you come up with the name Catbells? Is there any particular meaning behind it?
I have a long time obsession with mountains and maps, I have always loved looking at different locations on maps and looking up images….recently I was looking at the Lake District in England and came across the mountain Catbells. I fell in love with the idea of wild cats once possibly roaming the mountain in England, as one explanation for the mystery of where the name Catbells originated. It is also the area where Beatrix Potter lived and wrote many beautiful novels that I loved as a child. Her love of nature and the outdoors felt very familiar to me. All at once the name Catbells just sent shivers and I knew it was the name that was meant to be.
Given your artist name, I have to ask – do you own any cats?
Yes! I own a cat, and a dog, and chickens! I love animals!
Tell me a little about your new single “Fade – Rainy Day Demo.” Where’d the idea for it come from?
Fade really came together with lyrics first and then the song quickly followed. The feeling of a memory that can’t fade of the person you loved, even after knowing they moved on like it was nothing. That is a feeling that hurts deeply.
The “Fade- Rainy Day Demo” video is imaginative and has an interesting and melancholic aesthetic. Is there a particular story or concept behind the video?
The melancholic aspect of the video just naturally happened. The imagery needed to portray feelings of sadness, longing or wishfulness, nostalgia, despair and a tinge of hope. There is hope there somewhere.
Does the cat illustration in your video for “Fade – Rainy Day Demo” and the cat mask in your photos have any particular symbolism? If so, is it tied to the name ‘Catbells’?
The cat girl illustration was created by the talented artist Gris Visa from Mexico. I came across her image as a Giphy and was just instantly moved by her sad expression. I contacted Gris about working together and from there collaboration for the video started. The cat mask seemed to then make sense as I saw myself through the eyes of the sad cat girl character.
You are releasing an acoustic version of “Fade.” Can you tell me a little more about that?
“Fade” acoustic is something I am excited about. I think hearing a song in its striped and most basic form can be really interesting and can bring a new feeling to a song. I love the production elements on Fade, but also hearing it in a very simple form really allows the lyrics to become front and center. I have a video to go along with it that I am looking forward to sharing when the acoustic version comes out!
Lyrically and artistically, who or what are you most inspired by, and how do those influences filter through into the music you make?
Mostly nature, being outside, or memories and feelings from the past inspire my writing. Things from childhood, songs, smells, sounds. Writing poetry or just stream of consciousness thoughts has always been cathartic for me and many times those bits and pieces have turned into songs.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Maybe like a day inside my head…a walk-through stories, memories, and things I make up. My imagination wanders often, for good or bad and I try to just go with it when it comes to writing and making music.
As an artist, how do you feel about the power of social media and the role it plays in your career?
Social media in moderation is ok, but I think getting outside and unplugged is really important. Living in real life for me is important, it’s easy for me to get sucked down a rabbit hole of insecurity, comparison, not feeling good enough, not feeling like I’m doing enough…social media portrays the best of the best for most people, not necessarily true reality, so it’s important to remember that and be kind to yourself.
If we were to look at the artists you are listening to, who would be on your playlist?
I made a playlist recently on my Spotify page called “Rainy Day Playlist”, it includes a bunch of songs that I am currently listening to a lot and love. But there are many many more artists to be added!
Finally then, what accomplishments do you want to achieve in the next 5 years?
It is a huge accomplishment just to release music, putting out “Fade (Rainy Day Demo)” was a massive accomplishment for me, and I’m looking ahead to the Wilderness EP coming July 16th. I am already feeling like I might cry when that comes out; the feeling of creating art, something very personal, and then releasing it into the world is a very overwhelming feeling for me. Over 5 years, if I can just keep creating music and putting it out into the world, I will be very happy!
Check out the lyric video for “Fade (Rainy Day Demo)” below and for more information on Catbells, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
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