+ (614) BIG SIS KAIIT
TALENT Kaiit
PHOTOGRAPHY Sully Enayatzada
VIDEOGRAPHY Sophie Forsythe
CREATIVE DIRECTION + GRAPHIC DESIGN Francesca Nwokeocha
WORDS Nonye Iheakanwa
After parting ways with traditional labels, Kaiit is re-emerging with a renewed energy and fresh perspective. In a 1-1 with 614, we had the chance to get cozy and listen as she shared her creative process, challenges, and the experiences that shape her music.
At every intimate junction, Kaiit was an open book, discussing her theatrical inspirations, the importance of cultural identity, connection to community and the potential to uplift other artists through her label, Big Sis Energy Records.
Through candid reflections and humorous anecdotes, Kaiit offers us a glimpse into her life and artistry, revealing a deeply grounded and passionately creative individual on a remarkable musical journey.
Nonye: I’m Nonye, some call me ‘Nonni’. You know B Wise? I’m his sister.
Kaiit: Oh my gosh, are you serious?
Nonye: Yeah, I was actually chatting to him the other day and I was like “I’m going to interview Kaiit”, and he was like “That’s awesome!” He said to say hi and how much he respects you.
Kaiit: Aww oh my gosh, nothing but love for him. I’m also a sister as well. I have a twin brother, and I have a 19-year-old sister. She’s a bloody Gemini too.
Nonye: Double whammy!
Kaiit: Oh my, so many Geminis, but very thankful. I’m chilling out West at the moment.
Nonye: Western Australia, or?
Kaiit: Oh no west of Melbourne.
Nonye: So, what are you doing out West?
Kaiit: I'm based out here. It's a vibe compared to being Southeast and living with the fam bam, even though that's a blessing and has its perks as well, but it's definitely been a vibe being out here. I think I'm getting on to three years now.
Nonye: So you must be loving it then.
Kaiit: Oh yeahhh! West is best until you get your car window smashed in.
Nonye: [Laughs]. That actually happened to my best friend.
Kaiit: [Laughs] They don’t do the regular BMW. I have a Honda CRV, they even smashed those ones and those are hard to find! [Laughs].
Nonye: It’s like they’re looking for a challenge. It’s like rock solid.
Kaiit: It’s funny you said rock solid, because they literally used a fucking rock to smash my windows. Like the rock was still there. Like take those rocks with you! [Laughs]. I don’t think they took anything, I was so cut. [Laughs]
Nonye: [Laughs] So let’s start this interview. How are you feeling at this present moment? What's your vibe and mental energy?
Kaiit: Ooooh I'm feeling good, babe. It's been very beautiful, the process of releasing again. What it really comes down to for me, is just connecting with the community I didn't know I had. The act of releasing is a lot, especially when it's been with you for many moons, but it all came out perfectly, and I'm so thankful to everyone [who's] been connecting with the music and the visuals. Also seeing the connection of PNG (Papua New Guinea) peeps connecting to it as well. That's made my heart so happy. And [seeing] PNG people commenting in Tok Pisin, which is the main language, makes me so happy.
Nonye: The engagement has been great. That would have been so fulfilling to see, and heartwarming, I'm sure.
Nonye: And how do you feel about your community expanding?
Kaiit: Thankful. I love it. People [who] listen to my music are so lovely and sweet; you can just feel it. Even [at] shows. The bar staff or the owners of the venue, [say] “This is probably the loveliest crowd we've ever had”. People are so nice, and people just smell really good and sweet [laughs]. So I hope we all find each other, you know, like finding a friend.
Nonye: It’s your music that attracts this good energy. It's great to see that your community stayed so solid, loyal, and just well-rounded.
Kaiit: Yeah, I'm so thankful, honestly. It's a beautiful movement…coming into this era now, over these years of not releasing music, I've been thinking, working and changing things. But one of the biggest changes for me was, personally my accent when singing. I'm singing a lot more in how I talk, which is really beautiful and feels really powerful to me, and I hope that can rub off on others as well as a reminder that our accents, I mean, are still colonised, but we make it our own. That's me right there. And just from seeing so many incredible British rappers and singers, and hearing how much love they get for their accent…people want to be hearing these different accents that aren't American.
Nonye: Absolutely.
Kaiit: Even your bro, wow like he’s inspiring too and I love how he expresses his accent and his bars. It’s iconic when we do it.
Nonye: Absolutely. You don’t know how long I’ve been trying to tell him to bring his accent out.
Nonye: Sidebar, would you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert?
Kaiit: [Laughs] It definitely does depend on energy. Some people's energies are interesting, and some things are just not worth [Laughs] adding to. At times I will be saying nothing or just be giving less than what I would to someone else. I mean I’ll say hello and all that but getting into the shits? No. [Laughs]
Nonye: What else have you been getting up to during this break? And how's it served you?
Kaiit: Ooh, definitely served. [Laughs]
Nonye: [Laughs]
Kaiit: Um…[giggles]. The universe is always fuckin’ serving. But this time, when there's space and there's not [the] releasing of music. That to me is the writing down, it's the learning. It's like school and life, period. It’s the lessons, the words and the sounds given in those moments, the inspiration and the smells. I've been going to many shows over these years, and that's really inspired me. The way that this [upcoming] project for me is moving…it's a big theatrical story in my little head. Like I flew up to Sydney to watch Wicked. That literally was wicked. [Laughs] In the best way. It was so iconic. I was taking a lot of notes.
Nonye: Was Wicked a standout? Or is there another one that's coming to mind?
Kaiit: One that was like “Oh my fuck!” was Chicago. I watched that in New York on Broadway. Holy shit. There's this one drag queen that was from Ru Paul's back in the day, Called Jinx Monsoon. An icon. And I didn't know, because it wasn't promoted or anything, but she was actually performing in it for three shows. It was just incredible. And there was a whole ass band in the pit, and they're playing a whole show…it was just incredible.
Nonye: Tell me more about that. The sensory experience inspired by the production of theatre. How does that resonate in your makeup and choice in the visuals? Even smells which you’ve talked about.
Kaiit: So things need to be popping from miles away so massive lashes…like fly-away style. But still, there’s something I need to figure out for when I’m performing because the sweat with the lighting, because I’ve got no eyebrows, I shave them off, it drips into my eyes.
Nonye: *Sarcastic voice* Oh, so that’s the functional purpose of eyebrows?
Kaiit: Yes! [Laughs] This is why you should have eyebrows while performing.
Nonye: [Laughs] You might need to start using a sweatband.
Kaiit: Holy Heck! [Laughs]
Nonye: Oh my gosh now we’re going on a tangent. [Laughs]
Kaiit: [Laughs] So I was doing makeup before professionally singing, after leaving…no dropping out [giggles] high school. I was studying makeup, hair and beauty, and then started getting into the shits with the makeup. It's been beautiful coming back to it. A lot less pressure. It also reminds me that it's all art practice, down to the singing. So moments when music has felt a bit much, I just tap into the brush, and then turns into doing makeup for musicians and helping bring the vision together. I love doing that. And if I'm able to do that for other artists as well, especially Black, Indigenous, POC artists, say less.
Nonye: Let's chat about your latest single (‘Space’). What was the most challenging part in creating the song and what came naturally?
Kaiit: I think the most challenging part was making the space. Because this song, lyrically, like the way that I've written it, it's me talking to myself. That's very confronting, especially when you're calling yourself out. Who wants to do that, let alone make it rhyme?
That was the biggest thing, making the space for myself to express it. All of these words are lessons that I've had to learn. Even words that get put in a song, I might not realise its full meaning until a year later or after it's been released. So, this [song] is a special one, and it's definitely helped me a lot.
Nonye: What are your specific steps to creating space?
Kaiit: Being extra gentle with myself honestly…and yeah, there's something about writing on [paper], and hearing the writing of the pen. The pen that I was using [for this song] makes me think of my mum…Smells! I love, smells. Candles. We’ve got a lot of Palo Santo wood sticks. My partner got me the Erykah Badu incense. Badu’s Pussy incense.
Nonye: Get out.
Kaiit: It smells incredible. They got her underwear in the resin. I don’t know how they did that. [Laughs] Mama Badu’s literal essence. [Laughs] DNA.
Nonye: DNA samples. [Laughs]
Kaiit: [Laughs] It’s beautiful. Also definitely smells and rain. I mean, water period, drinking water, showering, raining. I love the sound of rain. Oh and socks.
Nonye: Socks? Like socks socks?
Kaiit: Yes Socks. [Laughs] It’s cold. [Laughs] I mean I put my sock into the incense.
Nonye: Oh OK.
Kaiit: [Laughs] I’m joking. I’m joking.
Nonye: [Laughs] I wasn’t going to judge you, because I was going to take notes for myself. That’s so funny, but yes, warm feet are very important.
Nonye: We saw some heavy themes [of PNG representation] in your video, for ‘Space’. I really loved the symbolism, iconography, the outfits. What’s the relevance behind some of that, especially the colours used?
Kaiit: Green, especially that neon green. Green just makes me so happy. The clothing that my aunties wore. First of all, I'm thankful my aunties even said yes. I was very thankful for that…They're literal superstars. How they dress, how they express themselves…is so iconic and so potent, powerful and purposeful. Every element, down to the movement, down to the melodies of the traditional songs sung, is so special. Their traditional clothing, we call it ‘Bilas’, so that's the grass skirts, the shell money necklaces, the pigs' tusks, the dog's teeth and the feathered headdresses.
Nonye: I love the traditions that are carried through generations within the diaspora, and I love that you've shared that with people as well.
Kaiit: Yeah, even PNG people being able to see that for themselves.
Nonye: You mentioned the element of shame and difficulty in expressing yourself. Is that something you are able to let go of or embrace?
Kaiit: A bit of both. I tried to view shame, that shaming voice, as a coloniser fucking voice. If I put like I dunno, like, like Pauline Hanson’s voice in my head, then I’m like “bitch shut the fuck up” [laughs] Am I really gonna let this bitch stop me from doing that? No!
Nonye: Not Pauline! [Laughs]
Kaiit: [Laughs] I just need someone fucked. Just a fucked vocal tone that doesn’t sound like me, because it isn’t, to remind me this ain’t my voice.
Nonye: Tell me more about Big Sis Energy Records. Have you signed anyone so far, or any plans to? Who do you want to represent that?
Kaiit: So the first artist that is signed on is myself. So all of my music, from now on, will be going through Big Sis Energy. I think that's the main thing I'm trying to focus on now…I'm thinking about [the] experiences that I've had, experiences that have been expressed to me by friends and colleagues, and also the history of the music industry. It's a theme in general for me, creating new rules. I don't resonate with the rules that have been put on me and the art, and what's expected of the artist. So, [I’m] really thinking about how I can restructure things and make things work and feel good for everyone involved. End of the day this record label…it's about giving ‘big sis energy’ to people who need it, and that first person is me.
Nonye: Do you have advice for up-and-coming artists in your community who resonate with your story?
Kaiit: Keep community. Keep the music…the sounds, the melodies and the lyrics, the words that you're wanting to say. Keep that at the forefront. Work on your words. Talk to your elders. Talk to your aunties and uncles. They've got so much knowledge, and that knowledge is temporarily in them. Listen to them even in moments where it might agitate. Go away, do your thing, but come back. Come back home, wherever that is for you. And remember why you're doing it. What are these words that you're singing? What do they mean to you? Words have a lot of meaning, and we speak things every day into existence, especially songs.
“I tried to view shame, that shaming voice, as a coloniser fucking voice. If I put like I dunno, like, like Pauline Hanson’s voice in my head, then I’m like “bitch shut the fuck up” [laughs] Am I really gonna let this bitch stop me from doing that? No!”
Kaiit: You will find out.
Nonye: Okay I’ll have some patience.
Kaiit: No, honestly, I need to as well. The story will unfold for both of us. Honestly, I'm super excited.
Nonye: Do you have any exciting plans for the near future?
Kaiit: Yeah, I actually just got approved for a grant to do some songwriting in the States.
Nonye: Yay!
Kaiit: Thank you, babe. I'm excited to do that. Get some inspo. Probably watch Chicago again.
Nonye: When you go can you let me know because I’m across the border from New York and I’ll come. I’m in Toronto.
Kaiit: Oh babe! Say less. I’ll definitely hit you up!
Nonye: [Laughs] OK perfect.
Nonye: Last one. Would you rather inspire people to think or feel more?
Kaiit: Oh, that's tricky. If I was talking to myself, it would be to feel. That's all you need.
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