INTERVIEW: Kate Klein on her latest single 'Stuck': "It’s highly damaging for an artist to put themselves in a box. I love music..all music..more than anything else."

Published: 19 August 2024

London-based Italian singer-songwriter Kate Klein has been releasing music since 2017 and over the last few years has been rapidly attracting attention for her alt-pop music, including coverage from BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing and MTV. Her first releases lent heavily into electronic-synth pop, with a sonic switch to a harder indie-pop-rock sound in 2020.

She has recently released her first new music in close to a year with the single ‘STUCK’. Written and co-produced by Klein, it is a rousing indie-rock tune with a thumping beat, and a punky, snarling vocal from Klein. There is something of a throwback to the early 2000s alt sound, in the best possible way, with the lyrics a raw look at struggling with your life and feeling unable to move forward, all while missing your ex. ‘I'm stuck in my brain / I'm so fucked up / And I wish you were here / And now can't even think out straight,’ she sings.

“‘Stuck’ is about deciding to run away from your problems, but your anxieties insist on following you,” Klein says.

Klein has also released a music video for ‘STUCK’ which see her cycling and performing in a desolate landscape, a fitting metaphor for feeling lost with no direction.

After her first music releases, Klein relocated to Los Angeles where she worked with some of music’s greatest producers, including Teddy Marquee (Dua Lipa, X Ambassadors), Stefano Moro (Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign) and Robert Cuttarella (Slash, Sting). She relocated to Europe when the pandemic hit and released a number of singles including ‘$erontinin pls’ ‘in my mind we’re all insane’ and ‘Milano sei Tossica’. Later this year she will release her next EP Love, War and Other Human Inventions, which will feature ‘STUCK’.

With music that is always buzzing, invigorating and with relatable lyrics that allow you to vent out your own frustrations and pain, Klein is an impressive artist who might just be your favourite new discovery this month. We recently caught up with her to chat about ‘STUCK’ and her career to date.

Hi Kate! Thanks so much for chatting to us today. How is everything in your world right now?
Hi, thank you so much for having me! Life is pretty insane at the moment, my new single ‘STUCK’ is on BBC Radio 1, I’m preparing for touring, writing an EP, launching a clothing brand and more. I’m on a roller coaster! 

On that note, congratulations on new single ‘STUCK’, it is such a brilliant blast of a song! Can you tell me a little bit about the inspiration behind the song?
Thank you! I wrote it during a time when I felt completely stuck. Every day felt the same: same dramas, stuck in toxic relationships, and my friends trying to figure life out. I was stuck in my own head. You know that feeling when you're zoned out? Disconnected. One night at a party, I found myself surrounded by a bunch of strangers I had nothing in common with, texting a guy who was acting like a D.  I felt like I was wasting my life. That was my "a-ha moment." I was done with it—I needed to get unstuck. 

What was the creative process like for ‘STUCK’? Who did you work with, where did you record, how long did the process take?
I wrote and recorded it in my studio in North London. I like to take my time, sitting on the song, a lil sip of beer, getting some pizza, going through my notes app. Then I work on the vocal production, usually by myself. This way, it’s easier to communicate to my producers what I want later during final recordings. ‘STUCK’ was produced by an Italian production duo Ale& Gio. It took some time, as I felt something was missing in the beginning. I believe songs have their own timing. Some are written in 5 minutes while others need time. Artists drop songs that were sitting in their laptops for years, and they end up becoming major hits.

One standout of the song, and for all your music, is the lyrics. There is a real relatability about the story, and while the song is punchy and fierce, throughout it the lyrics regularly take a left turn into this really touching vulnerability, such as “I’m so fucked up / And I wish you were here”. Have words, lyrics, poetry always been an important part of your life?
Yeah, I think my music reflects my personality. I’m punchy and fierce in my approach but vulnerable at the same time. I have very few filters when It comes to language, and this often gets me in trouble. People sometimes think I’m rude, but my brain just doesn’t have that filter. Anyways going back to the lyrics, I like to express that contrast between and emotional. That's how my brain works, I guess “fuck you but kinda miss you’’.

You’ve also released a really great music video for ‘STUCK’. Where was this filmed, and what was it like to make?
We filmed it in Lanzarote. It all started with a picture of a desert I had saved from Pinterest. I thought, "Why not ride a lowrider in the middle of the desert?" So, I found a lowrider in Birmingham, flew it to Lanzarote, and asked the locals if they knew a dope hairdresser. And there we were: riding a lowrider with beer cans in my hair, surrounded by volcanoes. I almost mentally died to get it done, but we ate it.

For those who are new to your music, what has been your musical journey? How did you get started?
It all started back in high school when my best friend and I decided to start a pop-punk girl band. Then I moved to London and began hanging out at the Roundhouse, where I learned music production. I spent hours recreating some of the most famous hits and writing melodies. I would ADHD over snare sounds and talk about all the new plugins. Yeah, I’m that nerd. Before covid, I went to the USA, where I spent time working with producers and exploring my sound. I worked with many artists across hip-hop, pop, and rock. That time in the States was incredibly inspiring. When covid hit, I cried because I couldn’t properly do what I love so I started releasing music on my own, and here we are.

Who were the artists that you looked up to and loved when you were younger?
My mum was obsessed with Shania Twain, so I was heavily into country music. Then I started playing the electric guitar so I was listening to all the rock bands, from Sum 41 to Placebo, Blink 182 and some metalcore. I’ve always had a thing for pop music also. Post Malone, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bieber were heavily on rotation. I was never black or white.

Your earlier releases had a strong electronic pop sound, while your most recent releases have moved into a harder, guitar indie-alt-pop sound. What inspired this change of direction?
I grew up listening to a wide variety of genres, so it feels natural for me to explore different styles. I have one side that's into pop, and another that loves crunchy, distorted guitars. I love dance drum kicks and distorted synths, but some days, I’m in the mood to write a piano ballad. I think it’s highly damaging for an artist to put themselves in a box, even if it's often expected. I love music..all music..more than anything else.

I also think there’s a sort of global vibe when something is popular. We’re all connected and inspired by each other. I remember in 2020 being so inspired by MGK, Them, Yungblud and all the new emo punk scene. 

The music industry has traditionally been a difficult space for women to exist in, particularly young solo artists, thanks in part to be being run by older, straight, white men for so long. There is pressure for women to fit into a particular box or look a certain way, pressure that is never put on male artists. What are your thoughts on gender (in)equality in the music industry?
I think it’s a bit complicated because the music biz is full of sharks and people who come from difficult childhoods and are easy targets. When I first started in music, I was just a girl coming from the hoods growing up with unavailable parents. It was easy to look for love in the wrong places…and be afraid to speak up.

That’s why I think that women need to support each other and have the conversation. Look at the latest collab between Charlie XCX and Billie Eilish. This ‘’stuff’’ works, them together plus the song and the video speaks volumes.

‘STUCK’ is out now, what else is coming up for you in 2024?
I’m dropping my first EP by the end of the year and touring the UK and Europe in 2025. I’m launching a clothing brand related to my music and secretly  building a DJ set. There’s so much in the machine…I need to sleep.

‘STUCK’ is out now. You can buy and stream here.
Follow Kate Klein on Instagram and TikTok.