Kaitlyn Shuko makes lo-fi indie pop akin to artists like Clairo and girl in red. On her debut album, Kaitlyn carves a special, unique and distinct style within this genre. We had the pleasure of talking with Kaitlyn Shuko about her songwriting process and got to hear more about her debut.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from, and a little bit about the music that you make?

Hey, my name is Kaitlyn Shuko. I’m a Brooklyn-based independent artist that’s pretty new to the game. I consider my music an amalgamation of bedroom pop/lofi and trap influences.

We love your new album! Can you tell us more about the themes behind it?

Thank you! I think the main thing I tend to write about is my inability to connect with people, whether it be friends, lovers, etc. My music is for the most part intimate expressions from my diary and a lot of my content is based around either loneliness, sex, depression, or independence.

What is your songwriting process like?

Depends on if I’m producing the beat or not. In Disposition, I did not do the production, so songs would come from either feeling the vibe of a track sent to me by friends/found online, or I would pull a line from my random ramblings in the Notes app and expand from there.

How did you produce the album?

I did the vocals on Disposition. Probably my favorite songs on that album were mixed/recorded by me, alone in my bedroom with just GarageBand and iPhone voice memos. I just picked up Logic though and will be dropping something I produced very soon, 100%.

It’s cool that you directed and edited the video for your latest single by yourself. What was that like? Did you have any prior experience going into that?

J Anders Urmacher (@au79.film) directed and edited “Name On It”. Though the concept and scenes were based on storyboards I drew. Pastime though, I loved taking complete control of. Would definitely do it again.

Do you see yourself doing more of your own music videos?

Yes! I already have one planned. Always excited to jump into that. It adds a whole other layer to the music.

How has it been adapting to not playing live? Do you have plans for future shows?

It sucks. I would love to meet some of the people following me and share the music face to face but regardless I don’t mind waiting. I’m just glad everyone is staying safe in the meantime so we can come back to that someday. All my plans are just based on the whim of the pandemic at this point.

What do you hate right now?

I’m hating the cold in New York right now. Trying not to complain though. Just looking forward to Spring.

What do you love right now?

I’m loving Kopi right now. And McDonald’s Fillet-O-Fish, as always.

Is there any new music from 2021 that you’re enjoying?

Not exactly new, but I’ve been on a Vashti Bunyan binge lately. Also, this one is new, I’ve been loving Joji’s Nectar.

What else can we expect from you in 2021? Any more releases planned?

I have a beat tape produced/written by me coming out very soon! EP in the springtime if everything goes as planned!

Do you have any final life lessons or tips for our readers?

Be safe. Be mindful of what you need. It’s okay to be selfish sometimes! You are not inconveniencing anyone and you do matter. These words are helping me a lot lately.

Start Listening To: Kaitlyn Shuko