Canadian artist Chris Caulfield continues to captivate audiences with his latest single release, "Ugly". Following the success of last month's release, "Porchlight", Caulfield delivers a painfully honest and raw emotional journey with his newest release. The single is the second recent project produced by New-York based engineer, Aaron Bryn, and showcases Caulfield's powerful, dynamic vocal performance. The themes explored in "Ugly" focus on the darkness inside all of us, the guilt and self-reflection that we experience, and the protectiveness we feel towards those around us. Caulfield's striking lyrics, such as "I can't take away your light, with my ugly," are just a few examples of the artist's exploration of multiple viewpoints and perspectives.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Chris Caulfield, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
I think it was a precursor to therapy. There was a period where I was facing things like anxiety and depression, increasingly and head-on, but almost unknowingly to a degree - with everything that was going on around me. It was the worst couple of years of my life, dealing with a multitude of issues that ultimately I think needed an outlet, and I really just found myself writing as an outlet, organically, and kept going from there. That honesty and ability to connect in music has been something that I’ve connected with in a strong way for as long as I can remember.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Of course, but, music commands the majority of these time slots. When I have any rare “free time”, it’s almost always spent on more music. Outisde that, I’ve run my own businesses for a number of years and now do some specialized consulting, I have always had an interest in technology and how to use it to grow, refine, etc. Travelling and dining are big ones, and I have kids, so the family and I tend to always be up to something.
Your latest song is 'Ugly'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
This song went through a few iterations, I had some very specifics ideas in mind and as I got into the project found there was this overall feel that there was something missing, a connecting element, and that’s where I oscillated between a few versions before ultimately working with a producer who helped get it over the finish line and really get it where I knew it could go - and the feedback has been fantastic in these early days since release!
“Ugly” also is one of my more recently written, and showcases a lot of the sonic elements I’ve been working into my recent projects and upcoming album in a unique way - it sort of skipped ahead of a few that were supposed to be before it in release order!
Can you reveal the recipe for a musical hit?
I don’t know that I have the answer for that, but I’ve definitely learned some things along the way that have had measurable improvement on the music, and the results I’ve seen in releasing the music. I think having something people can connect with, even if it’s a really specific audience, is important - and for something to resonate with someone, in 2023, it needs to be authentic. Jumping back to your first question and considering how I started back into writing, that introspectiveness and honesty was a day one foundation for this project. Taking those concepts and stories that people can connect with, and delivering them in words they’d use, melodies they can sing, I think those are important elements too.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
Learning and connections are two of the big ones. I’m constantly researching things, from production and sound, to writing, vocals, performances, marketing, etc. Trying to then decipher of what I learn and hear is actually usable and relevant to me, can be tricky, so building relationships and connections with various types of industry professionals, working closer with producers and engineers more consistently, things like that have helped me minimize missteps and keep things moving forward. The gut, unfortunately, and just a commitment level, are also critical and just those things you can’t learn necessarily, but there’s a lot of noise, a lot of “do this” and a lot of people after your money - and so many of those things can keep you spinning in circles, so trying to tune out the noise sometimes and just rely on gut and trust in the process, is part of that growth and development.
What inspires you as an artist? Could it be the sea, the weather or something else?
Nearly anything can inspire me, from experiences to things I see, how people behave, my kids, life, the process of making music itself - the list goes on. But, I think a big one for me ties back to my writing process, if something is on my mind, prompting a lot of reflection, or more specifically rumination - music is such a useful tool for that, and those sessions also tend to be more powerful.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
I think spending more time on what we’re passionate about and on our creative pursuits, more time on what makes us happy, needs to be prioritized so much more than it is today. People work for the money, and tell themselves it’s for their families and such, but it’s so easy to lose sight and just really get lost in all of that. We spend so much of our lives “working”. Going out there and earning what’s needed to do the things you care about, to spend time with those you care about, should be the goal - past that point, it takes away from what the goal should be. After a period of just sheer force in pursuit, and the neglect on so many other apsects of my life and health, the clarity around the importance of what you’re prioritizing and how you’re approaching it is very high for me now.
Do you have a mentor or coach?
I’ve formed a bit of a circle around me of people I trust that work in various areas of the music industry, various backgrounds and opinions, approaches, and having those various sounding boards has been incredibly valuable. The thought of working even closer with one specific mentor/coach has crossed my mind many times and I just think for both mentor and mentee, the fit has to be so ideal, that the right connection in that department can take time, and working with groups of people you trust along the way is the next closest thing.
Do you think it's easy to become established in the music world, or is it difficult?
I think like many other industries as well, that at first glance it can seem impossible, but when you break it down into steps and stages, and start to achieve some, the validation can help paint the picture further and then my opinion on it kind of fluctuates. I think, again, gut is so important because you are dealing with so much subjectivity, timing, metrics that aren’t dollars but can be used to validate or prompt change - it takes a lot of listening and self-assessing to keep moving forward, and that in itself can be tough to navigate and intimidating to many, and why so many ultimately don’t pursue it past a point. That line between stupidity and courage/commitment gets real blurry and you have the one side saying come on over, it’s fine, while the other tells you you’re insane.
There’s a lot of opinions on how to make it work, but at the end of the day what works for one may not work for another, what worked last year may not work now, or ever again, sometimes things are what they are, which is frustrating to accept, but necessary.
All things considered, I think you just need to keep a focus on the music, it’s what got you into it, it’s the whole thing, and the more you can move along in your music, the easier those other steps will be, but like anything, you can probably make a living at anything - it’s what do you want to do, how many things can you balance when dividing focus, and that becomes the most difficult part for many, the risk without any indication or assurance of reward.
What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?
I think continuing to hit those steps, achieving new milestones - have some goals around ideal or dream collaborations, goals for certain venues/shows, streaming markers, and will continue to set loftier ones as I go, I see myself continuing to grow and evolve and hope to carve out a space for my music and continue to share it with a growing audience.