International artiste Katyayani considers life a melting pot. Raised in Singapore, Australia and India, the musician went to the U.S. to immerse herself in learning, creating and performing. With a double degree from the Berklee College of Music, Katyayani brings many talents to the table, evolving through her work in song writing, performance, production and content creation. She has announced her second single ‘No time’, after releasing her debut single ‘Feel’ earlier this year.
How do you make sense of the challenges the pandemic has posed through your diverse cultural experiences?
Anything we create is the product of our perception of the surroundings we find ourselves in. To me, the moving-around and travel that occurred as I was growing up was so crucial for my learning and growing curiosity. The more you learn, the more amazed you are by the world. I guess it really enhanced my ability to absorb, adapt and analyse certain circumstances I’ve been placed in. From adapting to different lifestyles and expectations to dealing with racism, it’s been interesting.
It’s an extraordinary feeling when someone tells you how much your music has impacted them. I believe that could only happen because I was vulnerable enough to tell a story that someone else could feel was their own. I see my music as little stories strung onto a giant tapestry. A faint echo in an expanding abyss.
How was it filming this single, directed by Patrick Gdovic from Los Angeles, during the lockdown?
I was left with no other choice but to play many roles and learn on the go. I was my own stylist, make-up artist, set designer, light artist, and videographer. Talking about it now, Patrick and I realise we didn’t think much about it before going in headfirst; we just found ways to troubleshoot everything between ourselves, and let the creativity submerge every thought train. One major difficulty was time. Each scene took about 6-10 hours to develop and shoot, excluding editing hours. Once I had shot everything and uploaded the huge amount of footage to Google Drive, the real work of actually putting the video together began. Patrick and I sat on screensharing calls for up to 10 hours at a stretch, meticulously selecting the best shot for each moment, weaving a narrative from copious amounts of footage. We ran into plenty of technical issues as one would with a project of this size, but we made it. I’m thankful for the reception the video has been receiving.
Did it feel a little voyeuristic, being in your own space and filming yourself?
I guess it was my way of opening the channel that the lockdown has blocked. You forget what it feels like to be in someone’s space, in that familiar way, since we’re all locked away from each other. I had to detach from myself, be objective and not too self-critical. I wanted to symbolise the solitude we suddenly found ourselves in, and the ability to detach from yourself as you heal and grow from painful experiences. The video was a form of personal empowerment and expression.