Cate Kileva On the Making Of “How You Love”
What inspired you to write the lyrics/music for "How You Love?"
I went through a very painful breakup and the way I heal is to write songs. This was one of the first that came out.
Can you talk about any collaborations you had while making this single?
I made this completely on my own at first. I’ve been working as a musician for a while and collaborating with bands and feature musicians, but I wanted something that was on a par with complete solitude in the music. At least, at first. Once I had the track where I wanted it, I sent it to Simon Cohen who has an amazing reputation for pop vocal mixing, and he made it sound magical. He then recommended Ben Feggans who has a lot of experience with ambient music to master the song. So it started out solo but music is never a completely solitary process and I was super lucky to have worked with those two. There are also a bunch of samples so it’s like I worked with all of those people too.
How do you feel "How You Love" represents your artistic identity?
I feel that there is a deep humour hidden in there, even though or perhaps because it is quite an intense song. And I think that is how my artistic identity is coming through in this piece.
Can you share a bit about your musical background and the journey that led you to where you are today?
My background is in classical piano and a career as a folk singer-songwriter. When everything went to hell with my band and relationships in the space of a few months, I found myself creating new music. It was a journey of discovery. People like to put you into boxes and artists like to choose their own boxes…
How do you stay inspired and motivated to continue pushing boundaries in your art?
The inspiration is everywhere - the natural world is so beautiful and powerful. The motivation requires some grit and faith. I find anger can be useful. People are scared of it, but if you turn that passion towards art, it can transform your work.
