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Kacey Fifield releases summer single

Kacey Fifield releases summer single

Image Credit: Lauren Eve Parker

We’re thrilled to welcome back Kacey Fifield, a multi-talented talent in the entertainment industry. Known for her notable roles in Nickelodeon’s REACT TO THAT and KIDS REACT series, Kacey has also made a name for herself as a talented singer and songwriter. Since we last spoke in 2020, she’s continued to captivate audiences with her original music, including her latest single “Dream Girl,” which addresses the pressures of societal beauty standards. Today, we spoke with Kacey about her journey, recent projects, and what’s next for her.

HELLO KACEY FIFIELD, WELCOME TO ABOUT INSIDER! SINCE OUR LAST INTERVIEW IN 2020, YOU’VE RELEASED A FULL-TIME ALBUM, AN EP, AND NOW YOUR LATEST SINGLE “DREAM GIRL.” HOW HAS YOUR MUSICAL JOURNEY EVOLVED OVER THE PAST YEARS?
I’ve been making music since I was 10, so my songwriting has naturally evolved with me. I feel like I’m finally finding who I am as an artist and what I want my sound to be. “Dream Girl” is definitely the most idiosyncratic song I’ve released production-wise, from the gritty synths to the fun chatter section we included toward the end.

“DREAM GIRL” IS ABOUT THE PRESSURE TO MEET CERTAIN BEAUTY STANDARDS. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE SONG AND THE MESSAGE YOU WANT TO CONVEY?
The song was inspired by an idea I had back in August of last year about a “dream girl” who seems perfect on the surface but actually drives herself crazy to fit that image. In the studio with my co-writers Sam Beresford and Michael Kamerman, as we started to come up with the chord progression for the chorus, the lyrics “so unwell, I get possessionive and I lose myself” came to me with the melody. Building on that melody idea and thinking back to the concept I came up with back in August, we shaped the rest of the song to show the contrast between being a so-called picture-perfect dream girl and the consequences of changing yourself to fit that beauty standard. I always love a super fun, upbeat pop song with a deeper meaning hidden beneath the catchy melody.

WORKING WITH SAM BERESFORD AND MICHAEL KAMERMAN ON “DREAM GIRL” SOUNDS LIKE AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH THEM AND HOW DID THEIR INPUT INFLUENCE THE FINAL TRACK?
I love working with Sam and Michael! We also worked together on my songs “Never Reply” and “Left Behind”. They are both so talented and unique, so working with them feels like a fresh take on my music. We really built the song together from start to finish. Michael started by playing a chord progression on guitar that I loved, I came up with a melody and lyrics based on that chord progression, and Sam built the rest of the song based on the ideas we came up with in the studio. It’s the coolest thing ever to work with people who understand my artistic vision!

YOUR MUSIC OFTEN REFLECTS PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS. HOW DO YOU FIND THE BALANCE BETWEEN VULNERABILITY AND CREATIVITY WHEN WRITING YOUR SONGS?
I get super inspired by my life and everyone around me, so it really depends on the song! For example, “Self Sabotage” was inspired by the situation between one of my best friends and her ex, while “Left Behind” is about the anxiety I felt during my senior year of high school. The new release “Dream Girl” is definitely inspired by my own experiences, but also influenced by observations I’ve made about people trying to change themselves to get their crush to like them or to fit the ever-changing beauty standards. I take a lot of creative liberties with my storytelling through songs so that I can be vulnerable but still make music that others can relate to, not just me.

Image credit: Maiya Buck

YOU HAVE PERFORMANCES PLANNED, INCLUDING THE MINT LA. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR LIVE SHOWS AND WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT FROM YOUR UPCOMING PERFORMANCES?
I’m preparing myself with lots of rehearsals and psyching myself up! Performing live is my favorite part of being a musician, so I’m always super excited to play shows. Fans can definitely expect to hear “Dream Girl” live for the first time (!!!) plus some old favorites from my album, Between the lines, and my recent EP, “Nostalgia Haunts Me.”

YOU HAVE A NOTABLE CAREER AS AN ACTOR AND IN MUSIC. HOW DO YOU COMBINE THESE TWO DEMANDING SECTORS AND DO YOU FIND ONE INFLUENCE THE OTHER?
For me it’s all about balance. Now that I’m focusing more on music, I’d still love to act in a project that I can relate to! As a full-time student and artist, it’s important for me to do what I love with the free time I have. I love acting, so I’m in an improv group at my university, and I love music, so I spend a lot of my free time writing songs and playing shows. All of my experiences, including my work as an actress, shape my music. I think that’s part of what makes me unique as an artist: the variety of stories I tell in my songs.

YOUR PREVIOUS WORK INCLUDES A LANDMARK ROLE ON NICKELODEON’S REACT TO THAT AND KIDS REACT SERIES. HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE ON THESE SHOWS INFLUENCED YOUR APPROACH TO YOUR MUSIC CAREER?
As a child actor while still in public school, I really felt like Hannah Montana! A lot of my acting peers were homeschooled and thought it was crazy that I was still in a regular school and a lot of my classmates thought it was crazy that I was going to auditions and tapings all the time. Because of this, my music has definitely been influenced by my upbringing in the entertainment world, especially the bigger shows that I was on!

THE THEMES IN YOUR SONGS HAVE MATURED OVER TIME. WHAT DROVE THIS EVOLUTION AND HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH STORIES AND MESSAGES TO EXPLORE IN YOUR MUSIC?
As a lifelong creative, my songwriting has evolved with me. I’ve always loved telling stories: I grew up reenacting scenes from my favorite TV shows, writing my own scripts, and improvising one-woman musicals for my family. My childhood iPad is filled with videos of me singing songs I made up about my toys, friends, and family. Since then, I’ve really come to love songwriting as a form of self-expression and a way to connect with others through shared feelings and experiences. For example, my recent EP explores many of the feelings I experienced during my senior year of high school, from the fear of being “left behind” by my peers to shutting out toxic people like the ones I talk about in “Blameless” to processing my emotions in “Numb Pill.” Now that I’ve finished my first year of college, expect my songs to explore new themes and emotions that have arisen during this transitional time in my life!

HOW DO YOU CONNECT WITH YOUR FANS WITH YOUR MUSICAL JOURNEY ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOW DO YOU USE THESE PLATFORMS TO SHARE YOUR MUSICAL JOURNEY?
I think social media is so cool because I can reach people all over the world! I love posting snippets of unreleased songs and seeing how my listeners react, but also just sharing bits of my life. I feel like people understand my music better when they know a little bit about me as a person.

LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS FOR YOUR MUSIC CAREER? CAN YOU GIVE US ANY TIPS ON UPCOMING PROJECTS OR COLLABORATIONS?
I’m always making music, so I definitely have projects in the works! I can’t make any promises on a release date yet, but I’m working on music that feels like the best I’ve ever made, so I can’t wait to share more with the world. One of my big goals is to go on tour, either as a support act for a bigger artist or headlining my own shows. For now, fans in LA can see me live at The Mint LA on August 14th!