life on tour with neo soul singer-songwriter, kaiit

If there's one thing we here at frankie can't seem to get enough of, it's the silky-smooth vocals of Melbourne/Naarm-based muso, Kaiit. Recently, the singer-songwriter made her way over to Ireland to take part in a music program, Jameson Distilled Sounds, hosted by Anderson .Paak, that brought together over 20 artists from all over the globe. 

We sat down with Kaiit to shoot the breeze about her experience making music in Ireland, so take a gander at our conversation below (plus, give a listen to her newest single while you're at it!). 

What was your favourite thing about working in Ireland? The people! All the artists I was working around were super nice but, I’m telling you, the Irish are some of the loveliest people I’ve ever met, so sweet, and I’m obsessed that they also say “deadly”!

How would you compare the Aussie music scene to Ireland’s? Walking the streets of Dublin, the biggest thing I noticed was all the people hanging out on the streets, by the bars and clubs, having fun, drinking and enjoying the music.

I also noticed the little-to-no police presence, which made me low-key feel safer and there was something really beautiful about everyone on the side streets. Uninterrupted joy.

What was the most memorable moment you had with Distilled Sounds? On our last night together, there was a beautiful dinner for us at the Jameson distillery in Middleton, Cork. But before we began to eat, Anderson .Paak pops out in his DJ PeeWee wig and puts on a wild and very intimate show for us! Like, 'I can smell his wig' intimate. 

And then, as he finishes the set, he started to play one of the tracks I worked on in a session the day before and someone chucked me a mic. So, Anderson is basically my drummer now!

Talk to us about your upcoming project, And Off She Goes. What are its main themes? I feel the main themes around this project are reminders of lessons I’m not trying to learn again and creating your own movie, in your own world. Be the main character. 

How would you describe the song-making process? Lots of time and space. Time to go through the lessons and safe space to reflect and express it out. Lots of expressing!

I tend to write my lyrics alone, but recording my vocals and production is a collaborative process. For this project, I played a lot with old microphones and recording instruments – analog style.

What songs are you most excited to perform live? All the unreleased new ones! I’m excited to bring the world I’ve created to you all! 

How do you get over those pre-stage jitters? I can’t say I’ve ever felt those feelings deeply, but if I'm ever needing to centre myself or keep myself present before going on stage, I start by acknowledging and thanking the country my feet are on, for the spirits for guiding me and helping me express freely. I thank everyone who is there and hope whoever needs to get healing from the music will.

What do you hope listeners will get out of your new music project? At the minimum, I want people to vibe the music and hear and feel the movement of the story. 

I want people to feel transported and I want people to feel the unconditional love I put into making it!