An Interview with Cayley Spivey

Interview by Miranda Cardenas

What's your ideal collaboration?

This is a good question. I honestly, I would love to do something with the 1975. I'm really obsessed with them right now. And their new record is beyond belief amazing. They were also my number one on Spotify Wrapped this year, so it only feels right to mention them.

Okay. And following that, do you have an ideal place to perform?

I know it's so cheesy, but basically like any arena, it doesn't even need to be a specific arena, but I just would love to play like a stadium or something. Like any day of my life. Yeah, or anywhere out of the country. I haven't played out of the country besides Canada, so I would love to do something in like England. I don't care where I’m playing in England.

What did you do in Canada?

We played a couple shows on like a tour. I think we were playing for little clubs and stuff. So it was just a quick little run, but it was cool.

And then, do you have a place where you feel most inspired?

Yeah. Probably the middle of the night, and anytime I'm alone. I always write alone. I can't write in rooms typically, unless I'm in the studio with a producer, but like lyrics always come alone.

That goes straight to the next question, which is what's your creative process like?

Okay so sometimes I'm like driving or I'm in the shower or whatever I'm doing, and I'll come up with like a one liner. Then sometimes I'll write the rest of the lyrics around that one liner. And other times I'll just be playing acoustic guitar. A lot of times they start on acoustic guitar. I recently got a grand piano in my bedroom and I use that a lot too. All of it is like on the spot, I don't even know if I really have a process, you know? It's very feelings based. Yeah, like a diary.

What was your first “wow moment” where you realized that you really wanted to do music?

I realized, I think in fifth grade before I could even play music, I heard a song and it was like a rock song. And I heard it for the first time - and I'm queer, so I grew up in a small town where that wasn't okay and I didn't have a lot of people to relate to. So, when I heard this song, it was shown to me by my best friend who I had a crush on. And it was a rock song, and I had never listened to rock music before, I’d only ever heard things on the radio. So I connected my feelings for her to the song. And then that's when I kind of realized, “oh music can be emotional” like you can get emotions out through music. And it was in fifth grade, ever since then, I was like, “I have to learn how to play music.” Like I have to be a musician.

How long is your typical process from writing to release?

Oh man, I typically take a long time to release songs. Like I'll write them and have them and they'll come out like a year later. It's typically because I care so much about the visuals, so I really want the music videos and the artwork to have a story. Sometimes that takes a lot of teamwork, I have to get people involved and plan things and film it. So, sometimes it just takes a hot minute. I'd say about a year.

So you prepare everything before releasing the songs?

Yeah, literally everything. Once I have the record, we go fully into getting everything else, and then drop it.

And then, what would you be doing if you weren't making music?

If I wasn't making music I'd be a detective because I love true crime. I think it's really cool. I like solving problems and looking at timelines because you go back and you think, “oh, if somebody would've paid attention to this one little detail, things could have turned out differently.” I like thinking about things like that. So being a detective would be cool.

I know you did a show in LA at the Echo, and I just wanna know what the feeling was like when you got out on stage and saw all your fans there.

It was crazy! Because I just moved here, it was the first headliner we've ever done in LA. This would be the second. And I was really scared no one would show up, because I don't know anybody here, but we were like a hundred people short of selling out the venue. So I was like, “this is amazing.” I remember being super excited and I felt super confident. I was really happy.

If you had to write a song based on how you're feeling, like currently, what would it be about and what would it be titled?

Probably “New Beginnings,” I feel like I'm just in a period of transformation. I'd write something about just letting go of things and how important that is, in order to rebuild something new in its place.

What advice would you give aspiring musicians?

I would say trust, trust your taste. If it sounds good to you, it's probably good. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If it sounds good to you, it's probably good.

And then what is one question that you wish an interviewer would ask, but they haven't?

How are you feeling, how are you?

How are you feeling?

I'm feeling good. You kinda asked that earlier though, in your question about, what would you write about if you could write about how you're feeling right now? So you kind of asked.

Kind of, indirectly.

You did it. You’re slaying the game. You did it. That's it. That's it.

And lastly, what's the message that you wanna give to your fans and potential listeners?

Authenticity is key. Life is really short, if you’re not being yourself, you’d be so much happier if you just were. So seriously just trust that who you are is great and you’ll find your people.