Our interview with Los Angeles-based artist Kaleigh, featured recently with the passionate single “Situationship.”
Your track “Situationship” is a relatable, punk-infused success — that anyone who has been in a subpar relationship can sympathize with. Was there a particular experience that inspired the track’s theme, or was it more a build-up of multiple experiences?
There were a few back-to-back dating experiences that ended in complete and total failure that inspired Situationship. From finding a partner that was entirely emotionally unavailable to dating someone incredibly emotionally immature and unintelligent to being fooled by a manipulative narcissist, there was plenty to draw off of, haha!
Your talents span across the music, acting, and modeling industries. Fortunately, all those pursuits can be simultaneous, but if you had to choose only one of the worlds — music, acting, or modeling — which one would it be?
I always get this question and it never gets easier to answer because I love all of these career endeavors for different reasons. Music is my first love…it’s a way for me to express my innermost thoughts and opinions as though I’m sharing excerpts from my diary. Acting allows me to be somebody entirely different every day…I can try on new personalities and character traits and see the world through someone else’s eyes. Modeling is carefree and so much fun…I get to let loose in front of the camera and connect with the photographer on a creative level that yields some truly beautiful art. If I had to narrow it down, I suppose I would choose music or acting.
Beyond the negative effects of casual dating, are there any other current societal plights amidst the Millennial, Zillennial, and Gen Z generations that you feel is under-exposed in song form?
There are so many social plights affecting the Millennial, Zillennial, and Gen Z generations that are under-exposed in song form…the negative effect social media has had on younger generations, the lack of political movement and stances taken by the youth, and the climbing rates of drug and alcohol addiction amongst our peers.
What’s your favorite venue to perform at?
I’m not sure what my favorite venue would be, but my dream venue to perform at would be the Greek or Madison Square Garden.
Do you have a specific process or ritual when creating new music?
It comes in waves, there are times when I am driving home in traffic and all of a sudden, I have a burst of inspiration and the minute I get home I’m in the studio until I have a rough cut of the song out of my head.
Any favorite artists or albums you’re listening to at the moment?
I have been blasting a few artists on repeat…Bad Omens, Maggie Lindemann, Pierce the Veil, Sleeping with Sirens, Slush Puppy, JXDN, and Aurora View. Aurora View just dropped a new album recently called SHMR and I’m obsessed.
If you could collaborate with any artist, alive or dead, who would it be?
If I could collaborate with any artist, alive or dead, it would have to be either David Bowie, Prince, or Dave Grohl.
What do you find is the most satisfying part of being an artist?
The most satisfying part of being an artist is being able to connect with other artists and fans on this spiritually creative level. It’s almost like we have our own understood feelings and thoughts that are like speaking in another language.
What is the biggest challenge you find in today’s music industry?
I think the biggest challenge in today’s music industry is the struggle between quality and quantity. So often today, young artists feel the demand to churn out new releases like clockwork because social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have purported this incessant need to instantly gratify fans, but many times I find that even though there’s more music out these days, it still doesn’t hold a candle to the songs written by rock legends that will be heard for lifetimes to come. Independent artists especially need music executives to find their true inspiration to discover truly “new” talent and quality music to share with the masses.
What’s upcoming for the project?
Well, right now the main focus is to tell all my fans – Day 1’s and newbies – stream, buy, stream, buy, and stream! Oh, and of course watch Situationship’s music video on my Vevo channel on repeat. And one of the most important things an independent artist can ask of people is to follow their Spotify channel and subscribe to their socials! It really helps with visibility and it will help you stay updated on my new upcoming releases. I’ve been back in the studio working on some new singles, so look out for that in the New Year!
