Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Alannah Kavanagh of Grizzly Coast to find out about her influences, goals and new single.
Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?
Alannah Kavanagh: I started playing music as a child because my older friend Katie did it and I wanted to be just like her! However, I started Grizzly Coast as a solo project when I was 22 as an outlet for all of the secret bedroom songwriting I’d been engaging in. I booked shows and the backing band and growth came naturally from there.
Review Fix: How What’s your creative process like?
Kavanagh: Typically I like to record myself playing random chords and singing whatever comes to me. Usually, I’ll strike on something that intrigues me and from there I can start building a song. Then I take it to the band and we bring it to life!
Review Fix: How What inspires you?
Kavanagh: Joanna Newsom. Sufjan Stevens. Spacey guitars. Baby animals. People who don’t give up on their dreams. Lots of people at one show supporting their favourite artist. The first warm day of the year.
Review Fix: How What does music mean to you?
Kavanagh: To me, music means time stopping. Thoughts stopping. Being totally present.
Review Fix: How How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?
Kavanagh: I get a lot of comparisons to other artists, a big one recently has been Mac Demarco because of the guitar tone on our latest tracks. I’d describe my sound as lyrics-focused dreamy indie guitar rock. Say that five times fast!
Review Fix: How How are your live shows different from your studio work?
Kavanagh: They don’t noticeably differ. In the studio, you obviously have more time to dial in cool tones to the guitars, but I never want to be seen as a studio band. We make it so that we can bring our listeners what they already like from recordings, to the live stage. However, the live show is a different beast by the way of the performance aspect. Really performing my songs, not just playing them, is important to me. So I always try to put on a show and am always looking for ways to improve or evolve the theatrics of it all.
Review Fix: How What inspired your latest single?
Kavanagh: Catch & Release was inspired by self-growth and learning to not really care what anyone outside your inner circle thinks about you. It’s a song about confidence and being on your own, and how nice that can be for a person.
Review Fix: How What are your goals for the rest of 2020?
Kavanagh: My goals are to keep releasing music and play again live as soon as possible. In the meantime, while live shows are cancelled, I’m focusing on maintaining communication with my community through social media – just like everyone else!
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