Nieuws

On November 17th Arizona-born singer-songwriter UPSAHL, born Taylor Cameron Upsahl, brought her
Melt Me Down Tour to Kavka. You might know her from songs like ‘Drugs’, ‘People I Don’t Like’ and
‘Summer So Hot’. She opened for FLETCHER in Brussels in 2022, but this was her first time headlining
in Belgium. Before the show, Kaat got the opportunity to talk to her about her tour and her upcoming
album.

Kavka: Hi Taylor! It is your first time headlining in Belgium, and also playing in Antwerp in general. How are you feeling about tonight?

UPSAHL: I’m so excited, I love Belgium. The last time I was here I was opening for Melanie Martinez, but she cancelled the show,so I just got to hang out with everyone instead of playing the show and the energy in Belgium is just really fun.

Kavka: Tonight is the first show of the ‘Melt Me Down Tour’ on mainland Europe. You’ve been to the UK and Ireland, how was it so far?

It’s been so amazing. It’s definitely been my favourite tour I’ve ever done. Especially being over here in the UK and Europe, the shows and the energy of the fans have been so amazing and I love the crew that I’m out with right now, they’re all so incredible. The vibes have just been great! I also feel like because it’s the end of the year and this is the end of my touring for the year, it’s very sentimental and everyone’s just trying to soak it all up, it’s been sweet.

Kavka: Do you have a favourite show on this run so far?

London was fun! That was a very full circle, cool moment for me, because the first headline I played in London was – I don’t even know if you would consider it a venue, it was probably the size of this room – years ago, so it was a cool full circle moment to play a big venue.

Kavka: You’re singing an unreleased song on this tour, called ‘Cut Em Off’ and you’ve also teased a lot of songs over the years that haven’t been released yet. Do you have a favourite?

It’s hard, I feel like I have so many songs that I love, because when I’m not on tour I’m in the studio literally every day, writing new music. I think that’s why this album is taking so long. I have so many songs that I love and it’s been really hard to narrow it down to the ones that make the most sense for an album. I love ‘Cut Em Off’ live and I have this one called ‘K Bye’ that I really love. I’ve teased it a little bit and I want to tease it some more. I think that one’s my favourite.

Kavka: You mentioned the album that you have coming out next year. What can we expect from it? Is it similar to your previous work or is it completely different?

I think it’s going to be a little bit of both. I think that there’s been a lot of self-discovery throughout making this album. When I started it, I had an idea of what I wanted it to feel like and now since going on tour and playing songs live, I feel so connected to my fans and I realized what songs go over well and which ones don’t as much. It’s just giving me so much insight into what my fans want to hear and so I think that’s why when I get back from this tour I’m going back in the studio and writing some more for it just because I feel I want to sort of shift how I’m going about making the album. Which is cool, It’s nice to let fans into the process of making an album, whether it’s testing songs at live shows or dropping demos online, it’s cool that it’s like a group thing now.

Kavka: What kind of music do you listen to? Is it similar to what you put out or how does it inspire you to do your own thing?
My dad is in punk bands, so I grew up listening to a lot of random, unknown punk groups that my parents would play around the house and I love playing No Doubt and Gwen Stefanie, some Outcast, some Wheezer. That’s kind of what I grew up on, but now I kind of listen to everything except for
country. It’s the only thing I can’t get into, but I really love all music right now. I also think pop music specifically is in such a cool place right now. For a few years after 2020, I feel like it was so boring because everyone was just chasing a TikTok viral song and now there’s Charli xcx, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Olivia Rodrigo. They’re all these pop girlies being so authentic and so real in their writing and that’s inspired me a lot, especially with my writing this year.

Kavka: You’ve also written with and for a lot of pop artists like Demi Lovato and Madison Beer. Do you have a favourite collab or favourite song that you might wish was yours?

Oh, that’s a good question! I love ‘Boyshit’ with Madison Beer. That song was sick, but it just didn’t work for my project at the time, so I’m so happy that it found a home with her. The song wasn’t as cool with me singing it, but I do love that original demo. Sometimes I go back and listen and then I think: “this one is cool, this would be fun to play live”. Especially watching her play it live every night on tour when we toured with her in the US, that energy was just so sick!I think my favourite artist that I’ve ever worked with is Reneé Rapp, because she’s just so real and so
unapologetically herself in and out of the studio and as a writer it is so inspiring to be around people like that.

Kavka: I have a few rapid fire questions for you. What’s your favourite lyric that you wrote?
That’s so hard! I love the lyrics to ‘0 or 100’ because they are so real and stream of consciousness and deep and normally I don’t write stuff like that.

Kavka: What’s your go to comfort TV show?
On tour, my sister and I are watching disenchantment every night. It’s a cartoon, but it’s so hilarious, it’s just our brain rot go to type of show.

Kavka: What is one thing you can’t leave the house without?
Coffee, I drink so much coffee, it’s actually a problem (laughs). I can’t start my day without it.

Kavka: If someone had to play you in a movie, who would you want it to be?
That’s so stressful, I don’t know. Who’s a super baddie actress right now? Megan Fox, let’s pretend I’m super hot (laughs).

Kavka: If people want to get a feel of your music, what song should they listen to?
They should listen to ‘People I Don’t Like’ and then they should listen to ‘Lunatic’ and then they should listen ‘0 or 100’ and then ‘Wet White Tee Shirt’. That covers all the chaotic energy.

Interview dankzij Kaat: https://www.instagram.com/kaatsteukers/