Singer-songwriter and performing artist Cate Tomlinson has released a haunting pop ballad that is self-reflective in its analysis of past relationships. We had the pleasure of interviewing Cate Tomlinson, and here’s what she had to say:
Q: What inspired “twenty-one”?
TOMLINSON: It took me a full five years to gather all the perspective I needed to write “twenty-one.” It’s about growing up and figuring out your boundaries in all types of relationships, and how the people you chose to be with when you’re young can really impact your life.
My main goal was to capture how it feels to compromise yourself for a person who is not asking you to. Part of it is the anger I felt towards myself knowing I made the choice to put myself through that relationship when no one was asking me to, and the other part is having some perspective as a 21-year-old and realizing I was just young and didn’t have the tools or wisdom to pull myself out of it.
Q: How do you hope listeners will react to it?
TOMLINSON: Honestly this song makes me feel pretty vulnerable, but overall I’m proud of it and I think other people will be able to see themselves in it, so that outweighs the discomfort. I’m hopeful that it will resonate with other girls who have been through a similar thing.
Q: What do you do when you feel stuck while creating a song?
TOMLINSON: Usually write at the piano, so when I’m stuck on lyrics sometimes I’ll try making a demo of the song away from the piano. Getting other sounds associated with the song can sometimes re-focus its personality, give me new ideas, and streamline the direction of where I want it to go.
Q: In what ways do you think social media has changed the music industry?
TOMLINSON: Social media definitely has its benefits but sometimes I wish it didn’t exist. I think TikTok encourages songwriters to pour their energy into really catchy short verses or lines that grab your attention and not necessarily focus on creating a solid structure for the song as a whole. And it’s also moved a lot of people away from listening to full albums from artists in order, which is kind of sad.
Q: How do you balance your music career with your social life/other obligations?
TOMLINSON: I go through phases where I’m either really social and going out all the time or adamantly at home by myself with no desire to go out. I definitely think there is a balance to be found there, but it’s worked for me so far with music, especially in college. I like to think of my going out phases as collecting my content and my staying in phases for translating all my new experiences and interactions into songs.
Q: What influence do you think music had on your formative years? How do you think this has influenced your choice to become a musician?
TOMLINSON: Music has always been a part of my life. I’m really grateful I grew up in a family that loves music—my dad is definitely a lyrics person and even though he doesn’t write, some of my earliest memories are of him telling my brother and me to listen ‘really close’ to a line in a Lenny Kravitz song and appreciate the craft that goes into songwriting.
So I have always aspired to write songs that are well-crafted, and every time I think I’ve written my ‘best’ song I end up getting a little better the next time. I like that there will always be a way to improve and you can never be done writing songs. It keeps things exciting.
Interviewed by Zoey King
FOLLOW CATE TOMLINSON:
