Cincinnati native singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Catlea’s musical tastes range widely, encompassing pop, rock, alt-indie, and electronic dance music.
Their latest release ‘Like Me’ comes ahead of their forthcoming full-length album titled, Language Barrier. They worked closely with producer Jason Boshoff (Ed Sheeran, Josh Groban, David Grey, Rufus Wainwright) of Room to Studios in Barcelona, Spain, spending three years writing, producing, and refining ten new alt-indie songs. Every voice track by Catlea was recorded locally at PLAY Audio, formerly known as Gwynne Sound.
We sat down with Catlea to discuss their music and much more. Here is what they had to say:
Hey Catlea, welcome to FLEX! How are you?
I’m doing great! Thanks so much for having me!
Congratulations on your brand-new single 'Like Me' - what inspired this particular track?
Like Me is a painfully self-aware song about being able to recognize your flaws and imperfections, but still struggling to understand how to get better in spite of that. I wrote the lyrics at a time when I was struggling to be vulnerable with those around me, and I had no idea how to express what I was feeling through words. It was like an ouroboros – the self-eating snake – I wanted to talk about talking, but I couldn’t talk. Honestly, at first, I was hesitant to share the song with others because it was so vulnerable; but every time I’ve played the song since the very first time, I showed it to my best friend on my ukulele on the floor of my bedroom, it’s helped me to heal that part of myself, and I’ve had the opportunity to understand better the people I share it with as well. I hope Like Me can help others who are silently hurting inside, struggling to be heard.
And do you have to be in a certain mood to write?
I wouldn’t say there’s a specific mood I have to be in to write, but there is definitely a specific feeling that comes with getting inspiration for a song. I think the most important thing for me is that I write my best music when I’m feeling well both physically and mentally. I often write about difficult things I’ve been through, but it’s much easier to turn something painful into art when I’m not still deep in that pain. That being said, sometimes writing is a pretty good way to get frustrations out.
How was the recording and writing process?
The writing process was pretty straightforward- I wrote the start of the song in the middle of the night one summer, and the next day I drove to my favorite park and sang and played my ukulele under a tree until I had most of the lyrics written down. As for the recording process, honestly, it was a bit difficult. The first day in the studio I had to cut the session short because I couldn’t sing without getting emotional. Thankfully, I work with some of the most patient and understanding people in the world, and they were able to help me work through the emotions enough so the next time we were in the studio, we got it all recorded in one session.
For viewers who don't know Catlea, how would you describe your sound?
I’ve taken to describing my music genre as “indie-whatever.” I make whatever I’m drawn to. But usually, my songs are somewhere between indie pop and alt-rock.
And what are some of those activities that you engage yourself in when you aren't writing or recording in the studio?
I like to be creative no matter what I’m doing, so I spend a lot of my time either learning new instruments or making art! Whether it’s digital art/painting/drawing/photo editing etc., I’m pretty much always making something! Other than that, I’m passionate about studying languages. I’m not perfect but I’d say I’m conversational in Spanish and Norwegian, and I can read French and Italian pretty well (though I can’t speak them… yet). I’ve also studied Greek, Guarani, and German a little. Currently, I’m particularly focused on studying Catalan so I can communicate better when I’m in Barcelona which is where I record a lot of my music at Room To Studio — and where my producers live.