Kate Davis shares Origins of new song “Cloud”: Stream
Origins is a new music feature that presents musicians and artists with the chance to provide insights into the inspiration behind the newest track. Today, Kate Davis gives us a look up into the “Cloud”.
Kate Davis has already had a long and successful music career, the kind that any number of artists would look back on and feel contented. A violinist since age five and a bass player since 13, she was a successful jazz musician before she could drive, joining groups like the Portland Youth Philharmonic and the Grammy Jazz Ensemble. Later, she’d perform at Carnegie Hall and share the stage with everyone from Ben Folds to Herbie Hancock to Jeff friggin’ Goldblum.
But her latest endeavor is something different entirely. No longer emotionally satisfied with the standards, Davis turned to penning heartfelt indie songs instead of practicing progressions. Eventually, she found herself in a writing room with Sharon Van Etten — a session which led to a co-writing credit on the best song of 2019 so far, “Seventeen”.
Now completely converted into an indie rocker, Davis is set to unleash her debut studio album, Trophy, on November 8th via Solitair Recordings. Van Etten returned the “Seventeen” favor by premiering “rbbts” back in June, and today Davis is debuting a second single, “Cloud”. As its title might suggest, the track is a soft, rolling number with daydreaming guitar lines tumbling over the steady snap of a snare. “Lay on my back, feel your face in the cloud,” sings Davis, imagining a youth her music career didn’t allow her. “Time is fickle in the space it allows/ It could be 24 hours till I see you.”
Listen to Kate Davis’ “Cloud” below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99FUy7zzYcQ?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent&w=806&h=454]
For more on how she got her head in the “Cloud”, Davis as broken down the song’s Origins.
Wussup Rockers and Kids:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW_X0MGejQs?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent&w=806&h=454]
The concept for the video (directed by the albums producer, Tim Bright) was influenced by the band “gang” vibes and teen love feels of Wussup Rockers and Kids (Larry Clark/Harmony Korine). The video depicts a dream of the intense but fleeting relationships made in youth that may or many not last as we evolve into adulthood.
Big Little Lies:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meJ2yK4boJE?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent&w=806&h=454]
I watched the opening credits for Big Little Lies when the show first came out and instead of diving into the episode, paused the show and wrote “Cloud” in a 20 minute frenzy/ out of body experience. L O L
William Frank Kaiss:
Willy Blivitz (ten pounds of shit in a nine pound bag) — My grandfather’s full name and his old navy nickname. Which I’ve used to address him my whole life. My grandfather has been a huge influence on my work and my outlook on life. He’s a lifelong Baltimore man with a great love of local sea activities. His favorite song of all time, “Sea of Love”, is referenced in the lyrics. Telling jokes is his love language, and I’m committed to keeping his charming oral tradition alive.
Teen Re-do:
Most people would probably like a re-do of the teen years. For me, I was an isolated nerd and missed out on a lot of stereotypical teen emotion and experience. The song is written from a perspective that isn’t quite my own inner teen, but imagining what it would have felt like were my circumstances different.
Live Tracking:
Sans click — We chose to record the instruments on this track live and without a click. It helped to support the wiggly stop start feelings of youth and fleeting feelings…
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Kate Davis shares Origins of new song “Cloud”: Stream
Ben Kaye
