KRISTOPHER On the Making Of “Cage With No Key”
What was the creative process like for this particular "Cage With No Key?"
I really wanted to get this one right. It was important to me to have a more unique song structure, a musical atmosphere that felt heavy and melancholy, and lyrics that described as accurately as I could the sheer hopelessness and fear that can come with Major Depressive Disorder. Unlike most songs where I usually have some melodic or chord structure in place as I write the lyrics, this song started as more of a poem with rhythm based on the different sections I wanted to write. I sang through melodies and picked out chords that I thought fit and then my incredibly talented producer, Nate Khors, came up with the piano accompaniment for this one. I also knew I’d want to play around with harmony so I once the demo was recorded I’d listen to it over and over in my car and ideas of what I wanted to do with background vocals kinda of popped into my head… which I’m super grateful for considering writing the song to begin with was already like a 5-month process.
Were there any challenges or breakthrough moments during the songwriting process for "Cage With No Key?"
The lyrics were a struggle as far as making sure I could verbalize the struggles of those with depression and anxiety as best as I could without turning ‘cliche’ and taking the weight away from just how serious it is. The lyrics were still easier than the melody that I went through several iterations of. Lyrics and music are sometimes separate things. In this case, I wanted the lyrics to help the audience understand mentally what I was trying to say. I wanted the music to be as impactful as possible to help the audience understand emotionally and to make them potentially feel some type of empathy.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for "Cage With No Key?"
After recording those harmonies, especially the ones during the climax, the validation I received was quite inspiring and helped build confidence in my stacking abilities. It’s made me want to play around with things like suspended dissonance and harmony resolutions.
Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you decided to follow your path as a musician?
Yes! I was working on a project in Portland in the fall just before the pandemic started and while there I met an independent artist from the U.K. who convinced me that music was not a long shot career and if I cared about music and built my work authentically, that I could make a living from it. Before that moment I was pursuing psychology because I didn’t think there was any money or success to be made in music unless I was 10x more talented or famous.
How do you balance crafting relatable stories with maintaining your unique voice as a songwriter?
I think the storytelling aspect of music is what I find more exciting. A story will be relatable if there’s emotion and authenticity I think. I don’t know if I personally consider my perspectives all that unique although I do feel that I’m incredibly open about everything which may be harder to come across because people can be really guarded. The experiences I have are universal in many ways I just have to find the core parts that I know other people struggle with. Maybe a person doesn’t have depression or anxiety but they know what it feels like to be devastated or scared.