Q&A: Kate Grahn "Untangling"
ALWAYS BRINGING EMOTION AND A SPECIAL EDGE OF POWER TO HER TRACKS - Kate Grahn returns with her latest track and video “Untangling”. Sharing her experience with mental health in a refreshingly candid way and the positive role music has played in her life, Grahn wrote “Untangling” ultimately as a way to express her feelings in a way that meant the most to her. “Untangling” highlights Grahn’s skills as not only a vocalist but as a writer, musician and performer as well. Her emotive voice resonates with the listener in way that is both powerful and comforting.
Using the extra time COVID-19 has created, Grahn has used this time to her advantage to work on her upcoming EP, shoot the “Untangling” music video and continue to be a political advocate. Her dedication to her craft is apparent from her songs themselves, the visual side of her as well as the open line of communication she promotes with her platform. Take an eerie trip to the desert with Grahn by watching the “Untangling” video and read below to learn more about the track, her time at USC and more.
LUNA: Congrats on the release of “Untangling” - so exciting! How are you doing these days? How does it feel to have this out?
GRAHN: It feels so incredible. I wrote this song in high school so it’s about time it comes out. One of the main reasons I wrote this song was so that it could be out; so that it could be outside of me; so that I could articulate it in a way that would express my feelings and also help other people who struggle with similar feelings. It needed to be out.
LUNA: Can you share a bit about the meaning behind“Untangling”?
GRAHN: Yes of course! So, I was diagnosed with OCD and Tic Disorder when I was 8 years old. I spent many years at UCLA learning how to manage it. Tic disorder commonly goes hand in hand with OCD and a lot of people don’t know that. A lot of people don’t realize how difficult having OCD actually is. It’s not just a cute quirk where I want all my colored pencils to be in ROYGBIV order. In reality, it’s constant worrying and horribly intrusive thoughts.I have always described it as having a “bully in my head” or playing tug a war with my brain.It’s like being stuck in a mind prison and there is no way out so you are forced to succumb to the horrible thoughts. The only way I could cope and escape those thoughts was by playing music. My guitar was my security blanket and my voice was my emotional release. I wrote this song because I didn’t know how else to express my feelings. I feel like this song will resonate with people who deal with similar struggles. However, I also hope that it helps people who don’t struggle with these feelings understand what it’s like. It was important for me to create a video that visually and creatively represented those feelings .
LUNA: How have you seen your creative process evolve during quarantine?
GRAHN: I definitely have more time to work on music in quarantine. At the start, I felt a lot of pressure to be creative and I didn’t really want to be. I felt guilty about it but then realized everyone was going through the same thing and we all had to give ourselves a break because it’s a bit hard to be creative and productive when the world is going through what it’s going through. I also realized that that’s what music is. It’s telling the truth in times that are challenging. Eventually I got into a groove and started cowriting via zoom and producing some demos I was writing. My best friend Lily and I had the idea to start working together. She began managing me, thus beginning the start of the EP process.
LUNA: The video for “Untangling” is so sick and I’m sure it was really cool to put together - what was filming it all like?
GRAHN: I had never shot a music video before so it was such an amazing learning experience. A couple of my lovely and talented friends (Anthony Anchelowitz: music video director and Derek Cano: music video producer) believed in the song and it’s potential to have a visual representation so much that they hopped on the project. After fleshing out the ideas for what we wanted the video to portray, we started searching for a DP and a location. It was about a 12 hour shoot and SO HOT but a couple of dogs ran up to us while we were shooting so I have no complaints. Since we shot the video during Covid 19 we definitely had some obstacles but we were adamant about safety being our number one priority and took every precaution.
LUNA: What role do you tend to play in the visual side of your work?
GRAHN: I want to be as involved as possible when it comes to my music and who I am as an artist. I was lucky enough to put together a creative team (mostly consisting of the people I talked about before) and they are phenomenal at coming up with creative ideas while also making sure my vision for the project is met. It was really important for me to have every shot be able to answer the question of “why?” I didn’t want any shot to be meaningless.
LUNA: You had the opportunity to pursue music for college and recently graduated. What value do you think your education had for your as an artist?
GRAHN: I am so grateful for my time in USC’s Thornton School of Music Pop Program. I learned a lot about music but most importantly I learned a lot about myself. I grew so much as a songwriter not only because of the theory, arranging, and song writing classes but because I gained new experiences to write about. Going to college, studying music, but mainly living life as a 18-22 year old surrounded by other 18-22 year olds sparked the inspiration for many of my songs.
LUNA: Something that I love about you is how you use your platform to talk about political issues and your mental health as well. Why is it important for you to openly talk about theses things?
GRAHN: As the only daughter of a very outspoken, activist, single mother, I think part of it is just in my blood... but I have always been open about what I think is right and wrong. I will always use my platform and my voice to speak up for those who are fighting for justice. I know there are people that choose not to use their platform to talk about politics and social justice issues but that will just never be me. I have had my own personal struggles with mental health and I have been fortunate enough to learn how to cope with them. Mental health is very complicated because it’s very personal and private to some people. I have been very grateful for people who have used their public platform to talk about mental health and eradicate it’s stigma. I hope to be that person for someone.
LUNA: Dead or alive, who would be a dream collaborator?
GRAHN: This is probably the hardest question I will ever be asked because there are so many people I want to collaborate with. I have always wanted to collaborate with The 1975 because even though our genres are a bit different I would love to combine our styles and write about political and social justice issues which I know they are notorious for. I mean that’s also what Rock is so I would love to send that message and Matty Healy is not shy when it comes to that. I do however, feel like I have to answer with Grace Potter because she is one of my biggest inspirations and role models when it comes to being an artist.
LUNA: As the year winds down and now this track is out, what do you hope the upcoming months bring you?
GRAHN: Now that the single and music video are out, the next piece of the puzzle is releasing the EP in early January. I am going to continue writing and recording more songs. I have a song that I’ve been sitting on that doesn’t quite go with the genre of the EP but I may still release it as a little bonus at some point just for the heck of it. I am going to just keep on grinding! I really cannot wait until this EP is out because it’s just a bundle of me. It’s my diary entries and I am so nervous and excited for people to learn my secrets.
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RT @i_D: Ian Kenneth Bird photographs young punks on Polaroid: https://t.co/MKT0tMUqO9 https://t.co/a0tTl12ML5
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