I’m sure that lately everyone has been vibing to Harry’s House, crying when ‘Matilda’ comes on. Because of that, you’re probably trying to find more songs that just… hit different. Well friends, local folk singer-songwriter Becca Caffyn reached out to me with a sneak peak of her new song ‘Stair Kids,’ and HOLY SHIT. The talent. So, here’s a little interview to get all of you on the Becca hype-train.
Nexus: Who are your top three inspirations?
Becca: Lyrics are my favourite part of songwriting, so I’m really inspired by people who are great lyricists, particularly a lot of female singer-songwriters. If I had to pick my top three right now, I’d say Phoebe Bridgers, Holly Humberstone, and Lizzy McAlpine.
Nexus: Do you remember the first song you wrote? If so, how much do you think your writing has changed since then?
Becca: The first songs I ever wrote were very much based on what I thought a song should be, so they were happy love songs and they were terrible. When I write now, I often write with the idea that no one ever has to hear the song if I don’t want them to, which means I have no constraints with the topics I choose to write about. Early songs of mine were very hypothetical, but now that I’m a bit older I have my own stories to tell. It really helps to balance out the broader, conceptual ideas with real details and firsthand experiences. Meeting more writers and musicians has meant I co-write often now, which I never used to do. I also tend to craft my work and set aside time to write and finish songs, instead of relying purely on sporadic moments of inspiration.
All that said, I still don’t write good happy love songs, so that hasn’t changed.
Nexus: Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Becca: I’m a big op shopper. My mum and best friend are both into buying secondhand too, so I go with them pretty often. There are just so many benefits to op shopping, and so many cool pieces to be found. Upcycling clothes and jewellery is really appealing to me, using existing things that I like and turning them into things I know I will really love wearing.
Nexus: What song has currently been stuck in your head?
Becca: There always seems to be something playing in the background in my brain, so I have a few songs on high rotation. ‘Matilda’ from the new Harry Styles album is a big one right now.
Nexus: Tell us about ‘Stair Kids’: what inspired you to write this song? How excited are you to release it?
Becca: I wrote ‘Stair Kids’ during a songwriting week at the studio I was based out of last year. It was my first year out of high school, and we were reflecting on how you and your friends change when you are all given the freedom to completely make your own choices, so that’s what we wrote about. The song just flowed out of the conversation in the room that morning, and turned out to be something we really loved.
‘Stair Kids’ is my debut single, and I am ecstatic to finally be putting it out. It’s been so rewarding showing it to people who have seen me working on my music for the past few years and seeing them get excited about it too. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m so ready to introduce myself and for ‘Stair Kids’ to be out in the world.
Nexus: What are your ambitions for the rest of the year?
Becca: ‘Stair Kids’ is the first of the releases I have planned for this year, so the rest of the year will involve putting out a few more songs and doing some gigs. Now that live music is back and hopefully here to stay, I’m really keen to play my songs live and do a few headline shows. I have a goal of playing 100 gigs in the next few years, so I have a lot of work to do there. I’d also really love to hear one of my songs on a student radio station.
One of the exciting things about doing music is the opportunities you don’t see coming, so I’m looking forward to seeing what might come after my releases.
