Kaïa Kater Talks New Album, Her Voice And More

Apr 14, 2024 | Interviews

Words by Glenn Sargeant

Photo Credit: Janice Reid

Acclaimed singer, songwriter and Grenadian-Canadian musician Kaïa Kater will release her anticipated new album, ‘Strange Medicine’ on 17th May 2024. She chatted to us about her new record and more:

Your new album ‘Strange Medicine’ is released on 17th May 2024. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

My past albums were each recorded in just a week, with pre-production happening relatively close to the recording time. With this one, I wanted to take my time with writing and let the songs breathe a little. My co-producer Joe Grass and I made rough demos of the songs in his studio in Montreal. We would bring in different drummers and bassists and see what their approaches were with the songs. What I loved most about it was that we had time to explore different musical tangents. I think that this is what gives the album its unique sound and approach.

Where did you record the album and who produced it?

I recorded the album at studio Mixart in Montreal! The record features mostly Montreal musicians as well, save for some guest artists and one or two session musicians. It was co-produced by Joe Grass and I.

Who did you collaborate with on the album?

So many folks helped bring this album to life. The guest artists are Taj Mahal, Aoife O’Donovan and Allison Russell, three of my great musical heroes who I’m lucky enough to call colleagues and friends. This was a drum-heavy album so Joe and I worked with Phil Melanson, a fantastic drummer from Toronto who has worked with Andy Shauf and Sam Gendel. We also worked with another percussionist, Robbie Kuster who is truly one of the best musicians I know.

We also had some orchestral arrangements on the album, those were done by my friends – and total wizards – Franky Rousseau and Dominic Mekky. Dom and Franky were so instrumental in helping me get the sound and feel that I wanted in some of the bigger tunes. The way we worked it is that Dom and Franky would send me midi mockups of their arrangements over my demos. And I’d go to Franky’s house every couple of weeks and we’d work on refining ideas and trying things together. I’m really thankful they came on board.

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

Ooooh – great question! I’d probably score the adaptation for White Teeth – it’s one of my favourite Zadie Smith books, and I love the humour in it as well as the Caribbean/London connection.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

I really really love my Peluso PS-1 vocal condenser microphone for live shows. I got it in 2018 and have been using it ever since. It just provides a depth of richness of sound that I feel really suits my voice. Can’t recommend the mic enough!

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

Montreal is my hometown! And to describe it, I’d say: Experimental Music and Food City

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the album recording sessions?

It was the second day of recording. Phil Melanson and I went in to record one of the songs on the album In Montreal; early on, Joe and I had decided to record the bed tracks as just banjo and drums, and build everything else off of that foundation.

When I started playing the song, Phil stopped me and mentioned that he heard the downbeat of the song in a completely different place than I did! It’s a bit of a Reich-ish rhythm so it made sense that the downbeat really could have been anywhere. Anyways, that led us down a path of really experimenting with where the drums were emphasizing the downbeat. It was silly and fun and we did land on a place where we agreed the downbeat should be, haha.

Do you have any plans for live shows in Europe/UK in 2024?
Yes! I’ll be touring through the UK in early October – look out for an announce soon on my website and socials.

You have released your new single ‘FÉDON’ ft Taj Mahal’. What is the inspiration/story behind the song? How did the collaboration come about?

I’ve sung a lot about the island of Grenada (southern Caribbean); my dad and entire family are from there. Grenada has a very strong history of standing up to colonial powers, and my last album, Grenades, was all about the socialist revolution that took place from 1979-1983 in Grenada.

Fédon was written about Julien Fédon. a Black revolutionary in Grenada who staged a revolt against the British crown in 1796. He executed a lot of British slave owners, and vowed to abolish slavery. Unfortunately his revolution didn’t succeed, but he lives on in Grenadian history and lore.

I knew writing the song, that this was a story I felt I wanted someone like Taj Mahal on. Taj is an elder statesman of folk music, and he was one of the first Black people I ever saw playing the banjo. He’s also extremely knowledgeable about Black Caribbean music and history. I wrote his manager and explained the story of the song, asking if Taj might want to sing on it. He agreed, and the rest is history!

Which of your new album tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

A) Happiest is In Montreal, it’s a groovy fun song about growing up in your hometown and all the funny things that happen to you there.
B) Angriest is probably Fédon, for the reasons listed above.
C) Most reflective – probably my song History in Motion; it’s a meditation on all the ways I run myself down in the name of attempting to find success, and thinking of what my ancestors would have wanted for me—which is to rest.

Was it a difficult album to write?
I found it more fun than difficult, though I was going through a difficult time when I wrote them, so maybe that counts? I wrote through the pandemic, when I really wasn’t sure if I (or anyone) had a future in the music business anymore. In an odd way, I wrote more honestly…because I was, for the first time, writing without the expectation of anything. You can hear on the album that there are a lot of questions that lead to some interesting answers.

How do you look after your voice?
I try to warm up before singing, I usually ask for more of myself in my monitors in order not to *over-sing*, especially when I’m playing with louder instruments like saxophones or drums. And if I’m getting sick or my voice feels tired, I swear by a cup of Throat Coat tea onstage or after the gig.

Who created/designed the album artwork?

The artwork was created by Jamiyla Lowe, a fantastic surrealist artist. I wanted the album art to reflect the fever dream nature of some of the songs, and she made such a beautiful cover.

What makes Kaïa Kater happy and what makes you unhappy?
Happy = sunshine and getting outside, dogs, forgiveness, therapy, laughing with friends, films, ice cream
Unhappy = misogyny, racism, queer phobia, being dismissed, being belittled, expectations of labor without fair pay.