Bradley’s new song already a hit
Timaru musician Caitlin Bradley’s new single We’re Starting a Fire has been added to the prestigious New Music Friday playlist.
The playlist is a streaming collection by Spotify of what is considered the most notable new releases.
Bradley, the daughter of Timaru musicians Sheryl Higgs and Alistair Bradley who perform as Double Talk and teach and record music, grew up with music as a big part of her life.
‘‘I heard it before I was born; it was always there. I used to sit in on music lessons which helped me develop.’’
The 18-year-old – stage name Caitlin Joy – moved to Christchurch
at the start of this year to study a Bachelor of Business Strategy and Entrepreneurship, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music.
Watching her parents build their business had made her realise how important it was to understand finances and learn how to market her music to promote her career, hence her choice of study.
Her first recording was in 2018 with a five-track EP (extended play) album, Call it Hope, which she completed for the Young Enterprise Scheme in her last year at Roncalli College. She described the music as up tempo.
In between university studies she has found the time to produce her new single. The lyrics are about feeling in a stage of limbo in a relationship, not knowing where one stands, are based on her own experience. It was released on December 6 and has received positive reviews, she said.
Studying music had helped her with her songwriting and this time she jumped into a different genre with a more pop/alternative mood. She said meeting different people, going to different gigs, and hearing different sounds in Christchurch had influenced her.
Bradley says the lyrics and music usually come at the same time when songwriting.
‘‘Every songwriter is different, it depends on which idea sticks.’’
If it went smoothly and flowed she could write a song in 30 minutes; other times it could take months to ‘‘flesh out’’.