Catie Turner is renowned for her authentic lyrics and catchy tunes that enthrall her listeners with addictive pop music. By blending her passion for theatrics and her current love for music, she successfully captivated audiences during her recent tour with a lively and cheerful performance.
Read more about our conversations about her ep release, “Comedy & Tragedy: Act 1” and what is up next for Catie.
Laura:
Hi Catie! So glad I am able to interview you after the release of your ep. How
does it feel to release the project finally
Catie:
It feels amazing! I’m not the best at keeping secrets, and more often
than not I will end up giving very generous “sneak peaks” on my tiktok live (I just
play the entire thing), so it is a huge relief that it is out to the public!
Laura:
Talking about your ep as a whole, is there a specific word or phrase that you
feel describes the ep?
Catie:
Chaos.
Laura:
When choosing songs for the ep, did you try to fit a specific theme? Did you start with one song and add to it, or did you previously have a collection of songs meant for the ep?
Catie:
I loved trying to stay inside the dichotomy of a song either fitting more “comedy” or “tragedy.” Writing inside those parameters made me feel like I was working towards a cohesive project. The whole project started off with the title track, “Comedy &
Tragedy”.
Laura:
Taking a deep dive into the lyrics of your song, “God Must Hate Me,” this set of
lyrics stood out to me due to the emotional intensity. When writing these lyrics,
what does this mean to you? What is the back story?
So I blame the metaphysical
If Jesus died for all our sins
He left one behind, the body I’m in
Same hands that made the moon and the stars
Got carpal tunnel and forgot some parts
Catie:
I grew up attending a Catholic school, and I didn’t fit in – at all. I had a bowl cut, was the tallest girl in my grade, couldn’t play sports, and was shy whilst also being loud. Every day, we were taught to love thy neighbor and how God doesn’t make mistakes, but I remember thinking: “Maybe they’re all being mean to me because I fell through the cracks. Maybe he did make a mistake with me”. It was a lonely time in my life, and when this song came to be, it was an unhealed part of myself I didn’t even know I had because it was repressed for all those years. It’s angry, it’s painful, but at the end of the day, it’s cathartic.
Laura:
After listening to your ep and attending your show, I feel like Comedy and
Tragedy brings a new era to light. Are you looking to emphasize that on tour
through props or set lists?
Catie:
With “Breaking Free” being the cover, I hope it emphasizes the tone of the show well.
Laura:
Do you see this ep reflecting your comedic nature? What dowa Comedy and Tragedy mean to you?
Catie:
There’s a little bit of comedy to be found – or made – in every tragedy, and
that’s how I’ve always approached hard things. I hope this EP gives everyone an
insight into how my brain functions, and hopefully they walk away knowing me
better than they did coming into it.
Laura: Out of all your music, is there another song of yours that would fit in this era?
Catie:
I think “Gets Better”!
Laura:
Circling back to your current tour, what is your favorite song to play? Is there a specific song that you enjoy playing for crowd engagement?
Catie: I love playing “Control” live. It’s so fun to be able to lean into the feminine rage of the song and YELL on stage (Catie, even a month ago, could NEVER). ‘Stepmom’! We all get unhinged, fake proposals ensue, and a lot of jumping around.
Laura:
Overall, I am beyond impressed and in love with your recent project, especially
“Nothing.” Growing up, it can be hard to know what you are doing, and this song
is truly relatable. It makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs. When
creating music, is it a goal of yours to help others understand that they are not
alone? Also, is it almost therapeutic that you can release the ep and find people
who can relate to you?
Catie:
Thank you so much! That truly means the world to me. When making music, my goal is first to rip the thoughts from my brain and just put them down onto paper without judgment, without labeling it a good feeling, a bad feeling, or an “unattractive” feeling. When it’s released into the world, and people find themselves relating to it, it is certainly therapeutic and so fulfilling. At the end of the day, I hope people listening to my music can feel comfort in their own
humanity, and that at the end of the day, we are all winging it.
Listen to her ep, “Comedy & Tragedy: Act 1” along with her recent single, “Someone That I’m Afraid Of.”
