I’m Kaisha and Something Else is an honest offering of songs that represent who I am, down to the melodies and the production. Previously, I struggled with finding my own voice in this ever-changing music industry. This debut EP is a look into what and who I aspire to be.
I’ve been grinding in the music industry for about 5 years. Before Kaisha, I was using a different artist name, making completely different music too. My music back then was in line with electronic pop and whilst I had it in my mind to write soul music, I struggled with achieving that sonically. Stuck in a rut, I felt like I needed to break out of this cage I was trapped in.
Changing my name was obviously a huge step and at that time I didn’t know whether it was the right step either. It was a massive leap of faith in changing my direction of music and starting again from square one. Now looking back, I think it was probably the best decision I’ve ever made.
Without that decision, I wouldn’t have been able to progress further, because I wouldn’t have been true to myself. Whilst it cost me a little bit more time, I believe I am now in the right space and mindset to be continuing my music. Because of this too I have been able to write without feeling guilty, or feeling like I need to adhere to a certain genre. I’m just writing what comes to mind.
Last year, I wrote a bunch of songs amidst my crisis and brought it to my producer James Berkeley. He is the frontman of Yakul, a future soul/jazz 4-piece band who are out of this world talented. James is also a very close friend of mine, so I trusted having him on this new chapter of mine- it felt like the right choice.
He had a look at it and we decided to turn it into an EP. Initially, I thought releasing an EP right away would be a risk as I had no singles yet, no intro or even a sneak peek into my new material. But then I thought, f**k it. I wrote those tracks at the same stage of my life, so I would be remiss not to put it all out together.
For those 5 months I spent in the studio, I also read up more on the music industry, the music business and I even took up marketing. Got a side job so I could save up to invest in my music. More than ever, I was keen and determined to ensure I was better equipped this time around.
On the artwork side of things, I worked with this talented photographer Tan Le. He’s helped me bring my vision to life. The idea of having my tongue out for the artwork was definitely a strong choice- but I wanted Tan to capture me at my most candid. I guess it was a way of me saying not to take myself too seriously sometimes, to just to have fun. I think that was what was missing before.
Something Else touches on sour relationships, regrets and the process of life we all go through. I wrote this EP as a way of dealing with my dilemma and now that it’s out, it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
I always felt like I should’ve been creating ‘something else’ – so as a way of honouring my progression, this project is named after that as confirmation I’m moving in the right direction.
Listen to my Something Else EP below!
