Buzz’s Joseph Elijah is something of a keen enthusiast when it comes to brash new UK pop upstart Caity Baser, so in between reviewing her debut mixtape Still Learning and catching her live in Cardiff University, he gave her a ring while she was at the gym. Between reps, squats, curls etc (presumably) Caity offered some thoughts…

Hi Caity! How are you? 

I’m good. Thank you so much for chatting with me, I’m excited! I’m actually just in the gym… iconic. We got to Leeds last night and I woke up this morning and immediately thought, let’s go to the gym. Honestly, when you’re on tour all you want to do is eat shit and drink alcohol, but this time I’m saying no… Well, I’m saying yes to both. I’m gonna work out in-between the drinking and going out.

We love to hear it! Congratulations on Still Learning being number seven in the album charts – how does it feel?

It feels insane. It feels crazy because at the start of the year me and my team were manifesting. The manifestation was to be in the top 10 album charts and now we’re here at number seven against the big dogs! It’s crazy! 

Am I right in thinking that some songs were written in 20 minutes…? 

Yeah, all the ones that slap! Well, they all slap but all the times where I’ve stopped putting pressure on myself, that’s when the best songs come about. Oh Well is my favourite on the mixtape and that took me about 15 minutes to write.

Has the reaction surprised you as to which song is most popular? 

I feel like everyone likes me when I’m being big, angry, loud, fuck-off, so I thought everyone would love The Plot the most, but the response to Oh Well has been beautiful. Which I’m so happy about because it’s my favourite from the mixtape. 

Favourite part of the process? Is it the writing, recording, rehearsals or performing? 

Being on stage, 100%. I love everything, but sometimes the studio can become a bit tedious. Rehearsals – you sing it over and over again. I’ve been in training – I call it ‘popstar training’ – for months and now and I’m ready to apply it to life. Dance rehearsals four times a week, choreography, singing lessons, all the stuff nobody sees.

I’m forever grateful for studio time, but going out and performing the songs for people, that’s the best. When you’re onstage you do it once and then it’s done until the next time; every time is different.

If you could have a collaboration with an artist on a song from the mixtape, what would it be? 

I Love Making Bad Boys Cry and Doja Cat.

Stop! Because that is the exact mix that I had written down as my example!

No way! Now it has to happen…

Do you think that without everything that happened in 2020, you would have started posting on TikTok and made it to where you are now? 

I always knew that one way or another I would make it. Somehow. The drive that I have to be what I am now means it would’ve happened on my own either way. I don’t know if it would’ve been as ‘easy’, or slower, but I do genuinely believe I would’ve made it happen regardless. 

Have you started thinking about what’s next?

I’m sort of a ‘take every day as it comes’ girl. Honestly, people ask me what dates and festivals I’m doing and I’m like “I don’t know!” I know I’m doing loads, but I just get in the car, I get ready, and I go. I just send it every day and be a productive, nice girl, and that tends to do the trick. 

Have you noticed a difference in the way that men speak to you now? Are they scared of being turned into a song? 

I feel like men don’t even dare anymore. It’s the best thing ever because I hate being hassled. I feel like, as a woman, if we go anywhere, we get called at, no matter where we are. I’ll be nice to anybody that I meet, of course – I’ll happily chat with anyone – but when they start being annoying, I will tell them to leave me alone. 

Do you read your reviews?

I read every single review. The most iconic thing I have read is that I am all five Spice Girls in one. How good is that! I want to get it tattooed.  

Using a crystal ball, what does a Caity Baser arena tour look like? 

Like a kid’s playground on roids. A Katy Perry concert meets Miley Cyrus. Cutesy but also slay. 

Have you been to Wales before this tour? 

I first went to Wales when I was like 14 because I was in loads of trouble with my mum. I’d done something naughty, so she drove me to Snowdonia because she knew I hated walking. How savage is that? We stayed in Caernarfon. Then, I’ve been to Cardiff once when I did Depot In The Castle last year – which was really fun because it was the day before my birthday.

Caity Baser’s Still Learning mixtape is out now.

words JOSEPH ELIJAH