Capri Everitt, known for her early career singing national anthems, discusses her evolution into a singer-songwriter with her new EP, 'When I Cry I Like to Dance'. In this interview, she reveals how her global experiences shaped her songwriting, emphasising the importance of universal musical understanding.

Everitt delves into the challenges of navigating the music industry in Los Angeles, the significance of consistency across platforms, and the emotional depth behind her dance-pop tracks. She explains the EP's core message of finding strength in vulnerability, highlighting the juxtaposition of upbeat rhythms with sentimental lyrics. Everitt also shares insights into her collaborative process with Anna Piscatelli and Nobu Sounds, and the personal stories that inspired tracks like 'Runnin', 'Spiders' and the newly released songs, offering a glimpse into her journey of self-discovery and resilience.

Great to have the chance to chat with you today Capri! You've transitioned from singing national anthems to writing and performing your own music. How has your global experience influenced your songwriting?

"I try and write my songs so that, even if you don't speak English, you can understand the song and you can sing along. I feel like, in pop music, it is super important to make sure your music can not only be heard but understood by everyone."

As a young artist navigating the music industry, what are the biggest challenges you've faced, and how have you adapted?

"I moved to LA when I was 16 and quickly discovered that pursuing a life as an artist was not nearly as easy as I had maybe thought. I experienced a lot of the things that people warn you about the music industry in LA and have had some difficult moments, but the pros always outweigh the cons, and I continue to work towards my goals."

You have experience with many different platforms, from live performances, to social media, and more. How do you see those platforms interacting together in the future of the music industry?

"Consistency is such an important trait to have. It is one that I look for in other people, as well as in myself. I feel like this is the way fans approach following people these days. If an artist is consistent, not only in their social media, but also in their music and live performances, I am more likely to be a bigger fan of them.

'When I Cry I Like to Dance' suggests a duality between emotional vulnerability and finding strength in movement. Can you elaborate on the title's significance and how it represents the EP's core message?

"I am the type of person to always put on a smile, even when things are not going well for me. These songs perfectly represent that because, at first listen, the records sound like upbeat dance songs, but when you really dive in, you can hear the vulnerable lyrical content."

You've described this EP as a deeply personal exploration of your life experiences. What specific events or emotions inspired the themes of self-love, relationships, and young adulthood that are prevalent in the songs?

"I'll use 'Runnin' as an example: from a young age, I found it easier to run from my feelings and vulnerability rather than facing it head on and that's exactly what this song is about. The album is an introspective look into some of my failed relationships, friendships and even family struggles.

The EP blends dance-pop with dramatic and sentimental lyrical themes. How did you balance the upbeat rhythms with the raw emotional content, and what effect were you hoping to achieve?

"I am a big fan of juxtaposition in music and love contradicting instrumentation with lyrics as it reflects the duality of me. I was hoping to speak to the girls, guys, and theys out there that like to put on a smiling face and be strong even when they don't want to be."

You collaborated with Anna Piscatelli on the songwriting and Nobu Sounds on the production. Can you describe the collaborative process and how these partnerships shaped the final sound of 'When I Cry I Like to Dance'?

"This album was so special to me as it felt like homies hanging out and making music. Anna and I would just be talking about life and Nobu would be cooking up beats. One of us would say something cool and the other one would be like "oh that should be a song." And since we were already in the studio, we would make it a song."

'Spiders' and 'Runnin' were released as singles with accompanying music videos. How do these tracks fit intothe broader narrative of the EP, and what visual stories did you want to convey through the videos?

"'Runnin' was the first song that Nobu, Altr and I made together. The day after the session, I went for a run and started listening to the song and it was very unlike anything I'd created before. I realized how special this project could be and wanted to tell the story through the music videos as well. The creation of the music videos was exactly like the studio process: it was me and two friends (Lokii and Dilz Productions) and we would come up with these fun concepts that we thought reflected the depths of the songs.

'Dancing With Your Shadow', 'Unbreak Me', 'Breath On Me', and 'Starlight' are new tracks on the EP. Can you give us a glimpse into the stories behind these songs and what they mean to you personally?

"We had written Breath on Me and Dancing With Your Shadow and they were set to be on the project. These songs had similar themes of not being able to let go of a negative emotion and feeling like it would follow you no matter what. Then we found 'Unbreak Me' in our email and none of us even remembered creating the song. While we were listening to it, we were like "this is hard" and it brought another perspective to the album that we didn't have before, which is more a feeling of strength and fighting back against those negative emotions.

"'Starlight' was kind of like the Hail Mary of the project because it is really the only lyrically optimistic song that is on the EP. Near the end of the album creation process, things started to look up in Duloc and I wanted to write a song that would reflect how I was feeling after the album creation."

Capri Everitt's 'When I Cry I Like to Dance' is a testament to the power of music as a vehicle for emotional expression and personal growth. Through her candid storytelling and infectious melodies, Everitt invites listeners to embrace their own vulnerabilities and find strength in the face of adversity. Her journey is a reminder that even in the midst of life's challenges, music can provide a sanctuary, a dance floor where we can find solace and celebrate our resilience.

For more from Capri Everitt, follow her today on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.