Music Critic Louisa Pickard interviews Caity Baser, discussing her new music, and her subtle switch in musical styles
At 22, Caity Baser’s successes are no small feat: BRIT rising star nominee, Glastonbury performer, all with her debut album Lil CB charting in the UK top ten. And yet, chatting candidly about her success so far, current work and upcoming projects, she still comes across as the ultimate ‘girl-next-door’. Dressed in pink and full of smiles, Baser described her current state of mind as ‘happy, stunning, gorgeous, and sunshiney’, adding ‘everything is great!’ She shared glimpses of her upcoming, more introspective work, all still punctuated with her signature giggles and witty quips.
The recently released single ‘Watch That Girl (She’s Gonna Say It)’ marks a new direction in Baser’s career, departing from her more production heavy tracks, to integrating live instrumentation into the recording process for the very first time. With a highly theatrical soundscape, Baser acknowledged that much of this felt authentically herself, having had childhood roots as ‘a drama theatre kid’. She was keen to explain her artistic vision further, describing the lead single as a sort of show: ‘I wanted it to be like the curtain’s just dropped and here I am’.
Such theatricality was furthered by ‘Watch That Girl’s instrumentation, much of which came from her work with Oh Wonder. When asked about this collaboration further, Baser gushed enthusiastically: ‘‘I’ve been a massive fan of them [Oh Wonder] since I was a kid…when I saw that I had a session with them in the diary I was like ‘what?’ cause I think that they’re amazing’. She added that working with live instruments ‘makes such a difference’ and that the songwriting process ‘was just so natural.’ Given her venture into more intimate topics and soundscapes, this writing and producing process seems to have been vital.
Baser’s upcoming single (released 04/04/25) has been emphasised to be especially ‘vulnerable’, titled ‘Running From Myself’. Baser acknowledged this move from her more typically light-hearted style, but described the transition as ‘really easy surprisingly!’. She went on to credit this to the team she has surrounded herself with, explaining that ‘when I feel like I’m with people that won’t judge me…people that know how to get it out of me basically, I feel really safe talking about anything’.
This more holistic, wholesome approach to the music industry is something that Caity was keen to define further, particularly with regards to social media validation. Previously, she explained that ‘the first four years of my career were solely based on tiktok and virality’ which ultimately led her to feel uninspired, unauthentic, and ‘a bit of a robot’. However, Caity emphasised that her work has become increasingly self-confident: ‘I want to make songs that make me feel good, and if they go viral they go viral; if they don’t they don’t’.
It is this no-nonsense, empowering approach that fans are drawn to, alongside Baser’s more open, heart-on-her-sleeve lyrics. Though boasting a wide-reaching audience, her fanbase is united by this sense of relatability. Baser herself champions this relationship and adamantly stated that one of her primary motivations as an artist is, ‘making sure that everybody is being heard’.
On this note, with her acoustic sessions tour beginning next week, Baser excitedly pointed out that it will be her ‘first round of shows with just me and a piano’ before cheekily adding that she couldn’t wait to ‘show off’. Her initial releases are certainly set to exhibit her vocal abilities, which have previously often come second to her quick paced lyrics. The series of shows look to be intimate, emotional experiences that hold much promise at the beginning of Baser’s new musical era in 2025. When asked what this year was looking like, Baser excitedly listed her festival and tour intentions, dismissing a slower pace and rest: ‘I hate it!’ She hinted ambiguously at a ‘big, huge project I’ve been working on’, perhaps alluding to a second album. Only time will tell what Baser has instore for the UK pop scene but, as she said herself, it’s sure to be ‘completely insane’.
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