Interview with Singer-Songwriter Caitlin Purvis

         Soulful songstress Caitlin Purvis talks about her new EP 'Wasting Days' musical memories, inspirations and shares a few stories from the road.


AHC: What has this journey in music, so far, been like for you, the highs and the lows, and what sort of life lessons do you feel you've picked up along the way? 

Caitlin: In many regards this journey is just beginning.  While I have been making music since a young age and I always turn to composing songs when working through difficult times, to express joyous moments or to rant about unjust political issues and so on, my music has seldom reached further than my immediate network. This was in large part due to my tendency to be shy about what I created and due to a fear of having my voice heard. It sounds silly, but fear can be powerful.  That said, I have had some very memorable moments and broken away from the fear on occasion; for instance, the day I randomly ended up opening for The Doors in Ecuador.  Ultimately, music has carried me through all of the highs and lows in my life (and believe me there have been many) and I am currently in a place whereby I think if we are going to live life fully, we need to face our fears and do what brings us joy. So for me, that is what releasing my debut EP: Wasting Days was all about - facing my fear and sharing my music so that I wouldn’t have regrets.


AHC: What first drew you to music and what was your early musical environment like growing up? Were there pivotal songs for you then that just floored you the moment you heard them?

Caitlin: This is such a loaded question and I truly can’t answer it in its entirety briefly. There are so many artists and bands from Billie Holliday and Ottis Redding to Lauryn Hill and Sublime that have impacted me or that I’ve put on repeat until those around me beg me to stop; naming just a few seems unfair. So let’s just say: I don’t believe a day has gone by in my life where music has not been a part of it.   My family embraced music; there were always instruments in my home to fiddle and play with and I was always encouraged to do so. The music I was exposed to was an eclectic mix. I’d either be dancing and singing along to music from the 50s, 60s, and 70s with my best friend at her parents’ home, as they had a jukebox and liked to throw parties, listening to world music, flamenco or the Cowboy Junkies as my mom cleaned, or to jazz and artists like Ali Farke Toure as I drove around with my dad. To this day, I identify most with artists who have powerful and soulful vocals, with songs that have great rhythm, and I continue to love a very wide array of music from electro swing and blues, to the classics, to those with a political message and so forth. They say variety is the spice of life and I definitely like to have access to a variety of music.

AHC: Do you remember the first song that you ever wrote? Or that first moment when you picked up a pen and realized that you could create whole worlds just by putting it to paper?  

Caitlin: I can’t say I do. This is probably because I have been singing since I could speak. My mother says that even when I didn’t have great command of the English language, being a toddler and all, haha, I would be humming notes and songs as soon as I awoke at 6am.  I have literally written hundreds of songs and I’m certain I’ve created thousands of melodies as they just come to me while I walk, when I’m alone in nature, if I’m cooking and so forth. Sharing this with you makes me think I should probably carry a pen and paper around more often or at least record what I come up with more often! Haha.

AHC: Which musicians have you learned the most from? Or writers, artists, filmmakers etc?  

Caitlin: I don’t know. I don’t try and emulate anyone in particular and I haven’t focussed on learning from anyone in particular either. Of course I’ve sung along to many artists music over the years and lots of the chords I learned on the guitar were during my teen years when I listened to a lot of Sublime and Jack Johnson, but the truth is, usually when a song comes on and I like how it sounds, I often just end up making up my own lyrics to sing. This is why I am terrible at Karaoke. Haha.  

But in all seriousness, I wish I had a direct answer for this. There are so many talented artists in every field, and I have been able to witness such a variety of works of art through my travels around the world, that while I am not naming a particular artist, I am sure simply the exposure to many great talents has, hopefully, worn off on me a bit or rather helped to steer me whether I am aware of it or not.


AHC: What do you think makes for a good song, as you're writing and composing, is there a sudden moment when you know you've found the right mix, that perfect angle of light, so to speak?

Caitlin: Making a ‘good’ song, I believe, is a result of so many components coming together: lyrics that tell a story or you identify with, instruments you hear clearly and are played at the right moment, a rhythm or melody that sets a mood, and so on.  You know, the list could really go on and on and I am sure there are people out there who know how to make a ‘good’ song - what the algorithms are.  I also think ‘good’ songs are often just considered that because they’re popular.  

In regards to my music, I write from my heart. I write for me. I used to write about politics when I was studying urban poverty, now I tend to have more love songs.  I do not set out to write music to please people or attract certain listeners. For me, music has always been a means of expression, not a means to an end.  As everyone has their own idea of what a ‘good’ song is and we all know, you can’t please everyone, I think that if you can make music which causes people to feel something, to reflect, to dance, to go somewhere deep, and so on, you may have just created a ‘good’ song.

AHC: Do you consider music to be a type of healing art, the perfect vehicle through which to translate a feeling, a state of rupture, hope lost and regained? Does the writing and creating of the song save you in the kinds of ways that it saves us, the listener?

Caitlin: Absolutely.  I have lived in places all around the world and although there have been hundreds of incredible moments, I have also experienced great loneliness, heartbreak and trying times. Having music as my outlet has gotten me out of many of these moments. I tended to write a song rather than write in a journal, and the best part was, I always felt healed afterwards and a sense of joy if not closure.


AHC: What are your fondest musical memories? In your house? In your neighborhood or town? On-tour, on-the-road?

Caitlin: There are so many. Opening for The Doors is probably one of the greatest stories I’ll live to tell, but I am equally fond of reminiscing about the days when I would run up and down the hallways in my house attempting to play the trumpet or saxophone, when my entire family would be singing to Jimmi Cliff on a drive down to Mexico, when myself and a friend would escape the crowd at high school park parties to harmonize to Alicia Keys’ “I Keep On Falling”, or when I’d  casually play around bonfires and at beaches around the globe. When there is music in my life, I really am a very content person.

AHC: When you set out to write an album of songs, how much does 'where the world is' in its current moment, culturally, politically, otherwise, influence the kinds of stories you set out to tell, if at all?

Caitlin: Currently I am writing from a very personal place. Most songs on my EP are about love and the relationships I have experienced.  That said, I am a humanitarian at heart and the political and social circumstances of the times do affect and concern me greatly.  While I didn’t include any songs about the struggles of the most marginalized or the changes I would like to see in the world, which is partly a result of not wanting to come across as though I’m preaching, I did win a talent show at university when I performed a song that was inspired by Brazilian gangs and urban poverty. I know that as I continue with music I will produce more songs that touch on the political and cultural circumstances of our times and perhaps on the next album I’ll be confident enough to share them with the wider public.


AHC: With the traditional ways that we listen to music rapidly changing, does it at all affect how you write and put together an album? Too often people are downloading/streaming and engaging with singular songs rather than albums as on ordered and thematic canvas, do you regret that your work may not be received in the way it was intended or created?

Caitlin: As I am a new recording artist, I am really just beginning to navigate this industry. There is so much I don’t know and I am constantly learning and asking friends in the industry for advice and tips. My network has been very helpful and while I often still end up doing things ‘my way’, I am definitely taking into account what they say and grateful for any insight that comes my way. The industry seems to be changing rapidly and I think for this reason it’s important to be both flexible with one’s approach and realistic with one’s desired outcome.


AHC: Do you have any words of advice for other musicians and singer-songwriters or anyone who is struggling to create something of value out there, who are just starting out and trying to find their voice and their way in this world? What are the kinds of things that you tell yourself when you begin to have doubts or are struggling with the creative process?

Caitlin: I don’t know if I’m the best person to be giving advice to other musicians as I am constantly seeking theirs, however in regards to creating something of value, I truly believe you need to do what brings you joy and it’s better to be authentic than not. We are all incredibly unique and need to trust ourselves more.  It sometimes seems like doubt along with fear, have been ingrained in us.  I am currently in a struggle to overcome both fear and doubt. My belief is that we all have great potential, we just need to activate it, to find out where our heart lies, to sit with it and then to act on it. We won’t get anywhere by doing nothing, but we also need to be patient.  Rushing through life or the creative process I do not believe will get anyone any further ahead.  Oh, and one more word of advice: practice.  Practice writing, practice singing, practice performing, practice creating.  If you put in a solid effort, do your best, no matter what happens, at least you won’t be unhappy with yourself.

AHC: Could you talk about you new EP 'Wasting Days’?

Caitlin: I’d love to!  It’s a compilation of five songs, each a unique genre: boot-stomping (as I like to call it), reggae, folk, pop, and soul - not in that particular order. Every song has great rhythm and is also catchy, but not necessarily in the cheesy sense.  You will find that you will want to sing along and move to the rhythm.  It’s strange for me to say, but I like the songs more each time I listen to them. I hope others feel the same! Haha.  And my voice, well, it’s got some character. Because each song is a unique genre, it’s my voice that bridges them. 

I was really fortunate to have Max Zipursky as my producer and the entire team at The Space Studios really came together to help me create something special.  I think most people will find at least one track on the EP that they dig.  At least that is what I am hoping.


​
For more visit  caitlinpurvis.bandcamp.com/releases

caitlin-purvis.squarespace.com/