CESIE, the singer, songwriter and visual artist, has just released her debut solo single ‘Caught In Affair’, and it's a captivating introduction to this multifaceted artist. With a sound that blends 60s guitar, Brit-pop influences, and a touch of grunge vulnerability, CESIE's music is a melting pot of genres and eras, reflecting her upbringing in Birmingham and current life in the Danish countryside. Her lyrics, deeply personal and often inspired by her own experiences, explore themes of self-discovery, liberation, and authentic living.
In this interview, we talk about CESIE's musical journey, exploring her early influences, songwriting process, and the inspiration behind 'Caught In Affair'. We also discuss her artistic background, her dream collaboration, and her advice for aspiring musicians. So, let's dive in and get to know the artist behind the music.
Lovely to meet you CESIE. Let's dive right into 'Caught In Affair', can you tell us a bit more about it?
"'Caught In Affair' is my debut single and could be the soundtrack to the Big Ex Escape. For me, it brings out a lot of emotional energy and I remember being pretty outraged in a completely liberating sense when writing the song on guitar. Composing the song was like a physical reaction to a past relationship where I was tired of feeling like a mother or easily replaceable. A dream for the song would be if it could get broken hearts to headbang with liberation."
"The song was recorded as a one-take setup with my band in Århus, Denmark. We recorded all the instruments in one large room, with one overhead mic and close-up mics placed with inspiration from the 60’s, by our sound engineer Jeppe Kristoffersen. On the track, I wanted to sense the room in which the song was recorded and hear the sound of our facial expression/the melodic chemistry when playing the song."
"We then chose the one-take recording with the most shared energy regardless of mistakes, and took it back to the studio in Copenhagen, where I’ve been working on the whole forth-coming album with my producer Valentin Kruse."
"Our process in the studio with this track was to add the last spice of attitude and carelessness, which we certainly had a lot of fun doing when tracking the backing vocals for instance."
What is your songwriting process? How does it all come together?
"Quality over quantity is a first for me. I can’t force songs to be created, for the sake of it. I need to feel a purpose or a strong feeling about something before it can be channelled into a song. Usually, I feel emotionally overloaded if I haven’t written a song in a while. When I open up to that creative outlet I stay dedicated to working on the idea until the potential is found or not."
"I usually record full sessions of generating ideas melodically and lyrically at the same time and go back and listen to it over and over again. I then catch on to the strong elements from the recording that I wish to keep and then repeat the process until I have a finished song. When I really have something vital on my mind eager to get out, the songwriting process is usually shorter because I’m more clarified about the direction, theme, feeling of the song."
What’s the most important thing for you when you’re writing a song?
"First intuition is key for my songwriting. The initial idea is what feeds the rest of the songwriting process. Primarily I only work on song ideas that are very close to my heart or themes I feel strongly about."
"Regarding the space in which I write songs, the most important part is to create in a nonjudgemental environment, where I can experiment with my voice, lyrics and expression like nobody is watching, because quite frankly no-one is. Not to say I haven’t written music with others, it’s just not my best work."
How did you first start making music? Where did it all begin?
"It’s difficult to answer when I started making music and where it all began, because it’s something I feel like I’ve always done in some perspective. I’ve always found it intriguing to make new melodies on top of already existing songs I liked or sang along to on the radio. I’d sing along to the songs whilst in the midst unconsciously making my own songs on top. So in some way, I’ve been generating ideas whilst listening to music in that way."
"My younger brother is also a self-taught musician and we’ve been writing songs together since we were teens. We’re not from a home of musicians, however our father has generously shared his passion for listening to music, especially rock/hard rock."
"However, if we’re referring to the upcoming album, the first song idea that eventually became a song for the album, was written/composed when I lived in Paris for a year in 2014. I brought my first guitar there, a Martin 000-15, and that opened up a new chapter of finding my own style in songwriting. It was a period where culture/art/music was all I was interested in and Paris was a bountiful place to get inspired."
How would you describe your sound?
"The sound of the forth-coming album is a culmination of the different cultures I’ve experienced, bands/musicians I’ve listened to and the life experience I’ve had so far. As a child, I grew up in England so therefore I’m undoubtedly very inspired by the British music scene, the 60’s bright guitar sound and the organic sound of live instruments in a room. The sound is inspired by the 60’s folk/rock scene and the 90’s grunge themes."
What influences most define your music?
"I believe that a good song is a good song, which can be played in any genre. So strong songwriters are a huge influence on my music and style of writing. The kind of storytellers who have an intriguing story to tell both melodically and lyrically. Artists who have inspired me persistently are musicians such as Feist, Jeff Buckley, Phil Lynott, PJ Harvey, Karen Dalton and more."
What would your dream collaboration be?
"If I’m allowed to dream this big, then the dream collaboration would be writing or playing a song with Feist. I can’t even put into words what kind of dream that would actually be. She is the queen of classic raw songwriting in my opinion. She was solely the reason I picked the guitar up in the first place."
What advice would you give to bands who are looking to make it?
"The best advice I could give another songwriter/band is to seek life experience, so you can generate something on your chest, you feel the need to channel through music. The authenticity of creating something that you are satisfied with will make the journey more worthwhile, than trying to live up to what is expected of you. Let yourself be the judge of how you gain success in an industry. There are so many phenomenal musicians out there who “haven’t made it” according to the industry. Be sure to know that if your music touches a few people, but for a long time, then that is a huge success in my book. I think success is a perspective that needs a good shuffle."
"Last but not least, make mistakes, plenty and please. It’s vulnerable, human and impossible to eliminate, so why fear it."
What has been your best moment as a musician so far?
"The best experience about being a musician so far is the freedom of creativity in my own environment. I tend to write songs best in my own company and in a safe space where I can experiment with ideas, without judgement or expectations from others. It’s work I don’t consider being a job, yet more of an expressive state of mind that eases me and I feel fortunate to call it a job."
It's clear that CESIE's journey is just beginning, and with a full project slated for release in early 2025, we can expect to hear much more from this exciting new artist. Her dedication to authenticity, her captivating sound, and her deeply personal lyrics make her an artist to watch in the coming months and years. So, keep an eye on this space, because CESIE is undoubtedly one to watch.
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