In this episode of “Bruin to Bruin,” host Celina Landero Valenzuela sits down with student and singer-songwriter Katie Simpson to talk about her journey as an independent artist. Simpson shares insights into her creative process, the inspiration behind her upcoming album “Strangers, But Not Really,” and the balance between music and student life. She treats us to a special live performance of her song “Echolocation.”
Celina Landero Valenzuela: Welcome to Bruin to Bruin. My name is Celina, and today, we have an incredible, talented singer and current student from UCLA. She’s joining us today, and she’ll be discussing her upcoming album named “Strangers, But Not Really,” her creative process and her journey as an independent artist. Katie, how are you? Welcome home.
Katie Simpson: Ah, so good. So excited to be here. Thank you for having me.
CLV: How are you feeling? Are you nervous? You excited?
KS: I was, but I’m excited now. We’ve talked, and it’s been good.
CLV: Okay. Okay. So since we’re here, of course, I want to ask you the basics. I want to start with: What’s your major?
What inspired you to start your career as a singer and yeah, let’s start there.
KS: I’m a communication and music industry student here at UCLA. I grew up in choirs, and I became obsessed with harmony, and we’d be in the back of the car with my sister and our best friend, and I’d give them harmonies to sing, and it was just so fun that I just kept going with it, and I went through high school thinking I’d be going to STEM – because I also love math and science – and then at the end of senior year, I had a moment where I was like, “I think I have to do music.”
Had not written a single song, had not produced anything, and I just, I started producing and writing, and immediately was like, “I have to do this. This is so cool. I can make this a career, and I’m gonna do that.” So here we are. I’ve been putting out music since then. I have put out two albums, and my third album, “Strangers, But Not Really,” is coming out in May.
So, super hyped for that.
CLV: Yay! We’re so happy for you too. Well, can you enlighten me please, what’s harmony?
KS: Oh.
CLV: Yes, please enlighten us.
KS: Holy cow, OK. When one or two voices or more sound good together, I guess. I don’t know the actual definition of harmony.
CLV: Oh it’s like Fifth Harmony, right? Like the group. That’s what they call Fifth Harmony. Is that right?
KS: Yeah, they’re harmonizing together. They’re singing together, but they’re singing different parts, and that’s harmony.
CLV: So you were listening to the music with your family who inspired you? What musician were you like, “Oh my God, I love this. And I need to do the same.”
KS: Well, OK.
So it’s interesting because I grew up with … So my mom came from a classical background. Her parents were musicians in the 50s, like they were born in the 30s, and they were musicians all around the U.S. And so I got a classical background from her. She really pushed classical music. That’s how I started choir.
CLV: OK.
KS: And then my dad pushed (Bruce) Springsteen and the Beatles, and those were the pinnacle of music. And it’s not like we couldn’t listen to any other artists, but he was like, “These are the best, just listen to these guys.” I was like, “OK.” So there was a summer where I memorized every single Beatles song.
And what album it was on – and was obsessed with that. Their harmonies are amazing. Their beginning music is boy-bandy, it’s pop. But then they get a little crazier as they go on.
CLV: When you write a song, what is the process for you?
KS: I think I work the best when I’m in a flow state. So I’m not thinking about what I’m doing, I’m just creating, and so sometimes, a phrase will come to me. Like one of the songs off the album – this isn’t a phrase, but I like the word “echolocation.”
It’s like, “what does that mean to me?” So I started writing a song about echolocation, which is something bats do. Not me, I’m not a bat. Echolocation is something bats do to find each other. And they’ll send out a signal, and it’ll bounce back at them. And once it hits the thing that they’re trying to find.
So last year, my sister was in Taiwan for 10 months and couldn’t come home, so I was obviously missing her and the time zones were so annoying, and so I wrote this song, “Echolocation,” about her, where I was like, “What if I was a bat?” and I screamed and put my voice out to her, far away, across the globe, and it came back at me. That’s conceptually what that’s about.
CLV: OK.
KS: So to answer your question, sometimes I’ll start off with a phrase and then write a song around that, or like a chord sequence, like that.
CLV: Can you play for us a little bit? Yes, please. Yeah.
KS: I’ll sing “Echolocation.” I’ll just do the chorus.
KS: Echolocation to hear where you are
I yell, the walls bounce my voice back at myself
I scream but you don’t get the message it’s too far
It’s so loud I can’t hear anything else
But me
But me
CLV: Wow, that was beautiful.
KS: Thank you.
CLV: What’s the name of that song?
KS: That is “Echolocation.”
CLV: “Echolocation.”
KS: Yes.
CLV: OK.
KS: That’s the chorus.
CLV: As every UCLA student, I know you probably have multiple tasks and you are making the best out of it.
I want to ask you, what’s your time management? How do you handle being a producer, a singer, a writer, and then also have time to be a four-year student, right? It’s not an easy thing. We’ve all been there. We all know. So, tell us how you do that.
KS: UCLA students are the busiest. So this time management skill actually goes back a bit.
In high school, well, growing up, I was doing gymnastics competitively. I was in choirs and trying to get straight A’s to get into UCLA. And so you just kind of prioritize what you need to do. Now that I’m in college, I set time aside in the mornings to clear my mind and be creative. But I love a peaceful morning.
That helps me get in the space to be creative in the day and then, honestly, every second that I’m not doing schoolwork or CrossFit, I’m trying to do music.
CLV: OK. I know there’s some exercises like every singer, right? They probably have special exercises to breathe and stuff and your core and everything. Did you practice any of those?
KS: Yeah, I’ve just started taking vocal lessons.
CLV: OK.
KS: And so I’ve been learning a lot. Because singing in a choir is a lot different than singing solo. You use different techniques, and so there are exercises that you can do.
You can do lip trills. For example, I’m gonna back up, like you go.
Which is silly, but it gets you ready to go.
CLV: Yes, like that? Literally, that is basically the exercise?
KS: Yeah, there are a bunch of different exercises that you can do to get different parts of your face – for lack of a better term – and throat and everything you use for vocals ready to go. That’s one of my favorite songs.
CLV: OK, I like that. Since you’ve been doing this for like five, I mean four years, do you have a dream collaboration? You’re like, “Oh my god, I’m pursuing this artist, it’s my dream.” Who is that person? Or if you have multiple, just call three.
KS: So Jacob Collier has been one of my inspirations for so long. He’s just an amazing producer, writer. He is so creative with all of his music. I had the opportunity to meet him through UCLA.
CLV: He’s a Bruin?
KS: No.
CLV: Oh.
KS: He’s just friends with Herbie Hancock who is a big donor to the music school.
CLV: Right on.
KS: He sang a song for him. I’ve never been more nervous than the day leading up to that. Because the whole day, I knew it was going to be singing for Jacob Collier at the end of the day. So OK, he’s my number one Jacob Collier.
FINNEAS, also amazing producer, I love his attention to detail, and I never really listened to lyrics before him, before I’d listened to his music, and his lyrics just hit, so, FINNEAS, you’re listening, I would love to collab. And then my third is Maggie Rogers. A lot of people that have listened to me think I sound similar to her.
And I’m literally not trying, we just have similar voices. But also her production, her writing, everything about her is so cool. So this is less of like – of course, I’d love to collab with Maggie Rogers, but in case you need a younger sibling to take with you on tour, “I’m the one, I’m the one, pick me, pick me.”
CLV: Where do you see yourself, Katie, where do you see yourself in –
KS: Now?
CLV: No, let’s say, let’s give it two years and then five.
KS: Two years and then five. I would love, in two years – actually, they’re the same.
I’d love to keep collaborating with the people that I love making music with. I’d love to keep pushing myself, keep playing shows with musicians I respect, have a tour under my belt – whether that’s like independent tour or opening for someone. Yeah, they’re the same thing. I want to keep doing what I’m doing at max capacity.
CLV: Are you actually seeking an audience and are you using social media? Are you promoting collaborating? What’s the deal over here?
KS: All of the above. I’m using social media, so, “Oh, this gets to the message.”
So, the album that is coming up is called, “Strangers, But Not Really.” It is about how every stranger can be a friend. And I want to connect with people who find joy in any way they can, have diverse experiences and are excited about life. That’s who I want my audience to be.
And I’m hoping to find that. Through live shows mainly. My dream is for people to find me on social media. They get off their phone and go on adventures with people, and I would love to provide the experience of that joy for other people. OK. So if you’re listening to my songs in the car with your friends, hit me up.
CLV : Where can we find your music besides social media? Can we find it on Spotify, YouTube?
KS: Yes. Both my albums are up on Spotify, Amazon, all of the platforms. And I’m releasing singles every month this year until May. And that’s where all of them will be.
CLV: Would you share another song that you might love the most?
KS: Yes, absolutely. So this song is coming out tonight, but in post.
CLV: We just don’t know when we’re going to post this, but yeah.
KS: It will be out by the time you’re hearing this interview.
Set on edge for the seventh day
Doppler effect of the sirens
Howling preparation for a dirty fight
What I would do for some silence
But the hills are lonesome, they read my mind
They take my clothes off and leave me what’s inside
Got an open heart and an active mind
I’m the anxious type not the angry kind
Gonna light a fire in the late July
Gonna pour it out when the time is right
When the time is right
CLV: I’m clapping. but I can’t clap. Has UCLA in any way have helped in this journey?
KS: Yes, so I want to give a giant shoutout to, specifically, professor Pasternak in the music industry program. She heard my first song. And I’ve taken all of her classes. And she’s been a kind and firm supportive voice in my journey. And she’s called me where I need to be called and given me amazing advice, has always supported me. Everything you hear on the album is all me plus instrumentalists that are my amazing friends.
And I made this in hopes of connecting with others. I love connecting with people. I love meeting strangers in crazy places. And I think my music embodies that. And so if you need a little bit of that spontaneity and excitement in your life, then you’ll probably like my music. But if you don’t like it, totally cool.
Listen to someone else. But the people that get it are gonna get it.
CLV: Yeah, absolutely. Katie, thank you so much for all this conversation. Anything you want to say to us, last thing? Nothing, we’re all set?
KS: That’s it. Album out in May. Thanks for being here.
CLV: Awesome. It was wonderful to have you here.
KS: Thank you so much.
CLV: And yeah, see you around.
KS: Thank you.
CLV: Bye.
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