Kaisha
Modern R&B has moved up a level with Kaisha. She was raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia but has since moved to Brighton, UK to pursue music. The singer/songwriter uses this unique upbringing to create a symphony of neo-soul, indie pop, and jazz instrumentals. Her abilities as a songwriter and vocalist shine in songs like “Tell Me” and “Shoulda Known”, which both feature catchy hooks and harmonies. These releases are just two of the songs that have earned Kaisha nearly 17k monthly Spotify listens. Her latest song, “Kitchen Sunset” (w/ Sam Wills and David Nuri), was released today. And, with more music on the way, she is certainly an artist that we can all get excited about. We recently spoke to Kaisha about music making, overcoming self-doubt, and more!
How did you start making music?
Well my first ever experience with writing music would have to be when I was in a rock band in my mid-teens. Writing in a group kind of spurred me with the confidence to write on my own. I was learning how to play the guitar then, so I'd write here and there with whatever chords I was able to play. However it wasn't until I started uni that I got into songwriting daily!
Besides making music, what's something you love doing?
Cooking! I had zero clue on how to cook anything before I moved to Brighton but surprisingly- not to toot my own horn or anything, I'm quite good at it. I'm not vegan but I love finding ways to turn certain meat dishes vegan.
You recently released your EP Something Else. Which track was the hardest for you to write?
Redlight. I had so many different choruses for this song, the reason being I was unsatisfied with the original melody.. it came to a point where I was just forcing something out and the more I listened to ALL different choruses, the more I wanted none of them. In the end my producer James Berkeley convinced me that the original melody was the best so we went with that after all the trouble. I'm glad I did, to be honest.
How did it feel when you found out you were added to Spotify's Fresh Finds playlist?
I was pretty ecstatic. I think “Tell Me” had been out for 3 weeks already and it wasn't really picking up on the streaming side of things.. but then I got an email about Fresh Finds, and also Fresh Finds: The Wave! Two editorial playlists! Insane.
Were there ever moments where you doubted your career in music? How did you overcome them?
That feeling of doubt will always be at the back of my mind. It's always a little stronger when I get rejected for certain things like playlist submissions or publications. I used to really let it get to me- there was a point last year when I was making music under a different name that I felt incredibly stagnant, but I never really set off you know? So I took some time off and developed a whole new plan for myself, with a fresh name and everything. Not saying that doing a complete overhaul of your music identity is the answer of course, but by doing this I trusted my gut. So I think really, trusting your gut is just the way to overcome these doubtful moments.
Who's someone you'd love to collab with?
Found this artist the other day called Flwr Chyld, so dope. Definitely would love to collaborate. Another one is The Internet!
What next for you?
Currently, I'm working on more music, some singles on the way soon hopefully but in the meantime, got a track with the talented Sam Wills that is out today! It's part of a collaboration EP consisting of the solo challenges he put out on his Instagram, featuring several new artists. Super cool idea! And another collab track with El Train soon after that. Should be a good rest of the year!
