Colaine
Indie electro-pop artist Colaine is back with a brand new single titled “baby steps”.
The new record is the beginning of a new era for Colaine. It is the first single that truly feels like her - musically and personally. I’m super excited to get to support her throughout this new chapter.
“baby steps” has a great storytelling; it’s honest and it comes from the heart. It unpacks what it can be like to have a strained relationship with those you love. Something I can truly relate.
The production is dynamic and Colaine’s vocals are simply beautiful and emotional.
The LA-based artist will be revealing a lot more songs so stay tuned.
“baby steps” is out now !
Photo credit: @anaiah.papaya
Hi Colaine, how are you? Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions.
I’m doing great! Thank you for asking :)
What did you grow up listening to?
I grew up listening to a lot of different music and whatever my parents put on the radio in the car, but I very quickly gravitated towards pop music and R&B. I do have a soft spot in my heart, though, for country music because I grew up listening to that and spent a lot of time in Nashville.
When did you know you could sing? When did you start writing songs?
This is a funny question, because I guess I always knew I loved to sing and thought I was ok at it as early as 5. I have memories of singing in the school hallway, always looking forward to music class, and making up songs and singing them around the house. I remember finding old drawings with little lyrics I’d written at the top of the page, and I’d had a “songbook” (covered in sequins btw) by the time I was 9. I’d say by age 12 I knew making music was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. However, at this age was when I developed a vocal cord injury. I couldn’t sing more than 30 seconds of a song without losing my voice. It was a really painful time for me as middle school is awful for everyone, but I felt like I lost my one outlet. I had to get speech therapy and a vocal coach and learn how to even speak properly and sing with technique. Before this happened, I knew I loved to sing but didn’t necessarily think I was that good, so I thought I’d learn to play guitar and write songs to compensate, but after starting from the ground up and singing in a way that was good and healthy for my voice, THAT’S when I realized I could sing and I had a newfound confidence in my ability.
Could you list a few records that influenced the music you are making today?
This is so hard because I truly have so many inspirations. If I had to name a few albums I’d say Pop 2 by Charli XCX, Badlands by Halsey, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t by Kehlani, 21st Century Blues by Raye, and Everything by Lido are a good bunch that inspire me.
What gave you the confidence to be an artist and release your original music?
I’ve had a lot of people believe in me and lift me up throughout my life and that is something I am so blessed to have had. Also, I just have this mentality that we get one life and I’ll be damned if I don’t spend it doing what I love. I live to make music and it doesn’t come from a place of wanting to do this, but rather needing to do this.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you, professionally?
My vocal coach was definitely the first person to really believe in me. She was always my biggest cheerleader and encouraged me vocally, and also with my songwriting. She always said that I had what it takes to make this my career and that really instilled a confidence in me. More recently, my producer, Stecker, who produced this song and all the following singles I have lined up for this year has consistently believed in me and reinforced for me that I’m on the right track. We met at a time when both of us were feeling extremely discouraged about how both of our respective music careers were going at the time. Baby steps was the first song we made together, in a single session by the way, and from there we both knew we had to keep making music together.
"baby steps" is your latest single - what's the inspiration behind this song?
This song is so personal to me. For a long time, up until very recently, I didn’t tell my family I was pursuing music. I think many artists and people in general have complicated relationships with their parents and there can be a lot of anxiety that comes with navigating those relationships as you step into adulthood. I wanted so badly to share this piece of me that is basically my whole life, but wasn’t sure how it would be received or affect some of my relationships that were already struggling. I kept things really surface level with my family, which obviously put a strain on our relationship, but for a long time I opted for that strain rather than the one I feared my music and life choices would bring.
When did you start working on "baby steps"? Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song?
Me and Stecker met through a mutual friend and we did our first session in December of 2022. We made this entire song in one session. Everything just clicked immediately. He had sent me a snippet of a beat prior so I could maybe get an idea, which I did. I gave him a few notes and he built out the whole beat while I kicked my feet up on the couch and wrote the whole thing in like a half hour. It was one of those things that once I knew what I wanted to say, the song wrote itself. We always start our sessions with a cup of tea and just talking about whatever's been on my mind for an hour usually. That kind of brings everything to the surface emotionally, so when we start building production, the lyrics come so quickly.
What did you feel when recording this song?
I felt vindicated in my decision to keep going with music when prior to making this song, I felt like giving up. I felt an overwhelming catharsis and release of emotions, but more than that I was excited. Everything made sense and I couldn't wait to just keep making more music.
What made you want to release "baby steps" as a single?
“baby steps” is truly the first song I’ve made that felt like me. So, it felt like the best song to be a first impression for what this new era is gonna look like musically. These next few songs are coming out in the order I wrote them, which feels right to me. As I began to unpack certain pinnacles of who I am, the music really followed and I think they tell that story in order.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I have so many, given that music is all I think about. I want to be hopeful that things will change soon. There’s been a universal hyperfixation on social media and streaming numbers, and I think people are slowly realizing that those mean nothing. Having a hundred thousand instagram followers does not translate to people buying a ticket to your show. After the pandemic, I think more than ever people are longing for substance. So, I hope labels shift back to finding talent and developing it, rather than signing someone who had a TikTok go viral.
What message do you want to deliver through your music?
I want my music to be a safe space for people with really big feelings. I always joke that I’ve never been chill or relaxed in my entire life, and for me my music is something that thrives because of that. I’m not great at letting things go or seeing the big picture sometimes, but when I write I get a little bit closer to what I’m looking at. Stories and art bring people together, and I’d love it if my music did that for people.
Besides music, what are you passionate about?
This is a hard question for me because with where I’m at in life, music calls the shots for me. I’m passionate about mental health and about fostering genuine community.
What's the best advice you've ever received?
I’ve always been a rather anxious person, and when I was in middle school I was just always so afraid of doing everything wrong and people not liking me. My mom told me that if I wake up every morning thinking, “I’m not gonna piss anyone off today”, that I need to understand that I’m most likely going to be wrong and that that’s no way to live. We all want to be liked and accepted, but I think it was important to her that I understand that I need to live my life for me and not care so much what everyone else thinks.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Laws that don’t enable and encourage corporate greed. Everything wrong, at least in the United States right now, can all be traced to that. Climate change, the mental health crisis, lack of healthcare, the fact that everyone I know is living paycheck to paycheck. Our culture is so hyper individualistic and a shift back to giving a shit about one another rather than everyone focusing on themselves would make the world a much better place.
What makes you happy?
Campfires, early 2000s country music, picnics, when the sun sets at 8pm, and friends you can count on.
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