The struggles of being an independent artist in the age of streaming and increased consumer access to music has not fazed up-and-coming Boston-area artist Baby Cate.
Caitlin Simon, known by her artist name “Baby Cate,” released her newest single “If I Fall” on streaming services Friday.
After graduating from Hofstra University in 2019 with a music business degree in hand, she decided to pursue music full-time.
Since then, Simon has released her 2020 EP “Self Love,” 2020 album “23” and several singles.
In an interview, Simon said she crafted her latest song very organically.
“The hook kind of came to me in my head, like I just kept singing it for a couple minutes,” she said. “I guess it was just something I was feeling. Especially with everything going on right now.”
Simon said when she wrote the song, about a month ago, she was “feeling a bit down, but a bit optimistic.”
The song was written in a day, she said, and the beat took her about five minutes to produce. She said the process, start to finish, was around three hours long.
Simon started making music when she was four years old with a toy drum set. When she was 10, she first picked up a guitar. Inspired by legendary stars such as Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, Dave Matthews and Eric Clapton, she said she adopted songwriting.
“Songwriting definitely came through that process,” she said.
Although her musical roots stemmed from more rock-influenced musicians and singer-songwriters, Simon said her music evolved into rap and hip-hop.
When she attended Hofstra, she met classmate Chris Bounds, who also graduated in 2019. Bounds is an aspiring music production professional, rapper and skateboarder with the artist name “Lbs.,” who said he met Simon at Hofstra’s student-run label.
“We were both accepted to be a part of the record label and from there I was introduced to her,” Bounds said.
From that initial meeting, Bounds and Simon, alongside other collaborators, formed a music collaborative.
“It was a group, we were experimenting with our sounds, our tastes, having a lot of adventures together which influenced our music and stuff like that,” he said.
The group, Last Hope, featured Baby Cate and Lbs., as well as Dimitryus, Sai, Omarvelous and Vintage Robb.
“Cate being able to not only engineer and produce, write, sing her own music, like it was fantastic having her there cause she had a lot to add,” Bounds said. “She was just very talented and also was very driven, knowing exactly what she wanted to do.”
Last Hope made a few songs and performed at school events together. Now after graduating, the members live in different cities across the country but remain in contact, Simon said.
Bounds said he is “inspired” and excited to hear his friend’s new track and see her progress.
“Seeing my contemporaries come out with music only makes me happier,” Bounds said. “You’re working towards what you and I said we were going to do, so I am happy and inspired, and inspired by everything that she does.”
Bounds said he particularly values Simon’s musical authenticity.
“What I appreciate most about Cate’s music is her honesty,” he said. “She is honest in exactly how she feels, in exactly on what she’s saying.”
Simon said she hopes her honesty translates to an audience that will care to listen so she can create full time.
“Honestly, the main goal is to be able to do this and be able to just earn a living off of it,” she said. “Whether it be songwriting for other people, just producing or my own music. That’s the goal. That’s the number-one goal.”
In a conversation Bounds and Simon had a while ago, Bounds said she told him she’d love to one day sell out a stadium for her own concert.
“I think she can do it,” Bounds said.
For both artists, music is an essential part of themselves: Bounds said without music “I just wouldn’t be the man I am today.” Simon shared a similar sentiment.
“I think music is kind of involved in my everyday life at this point,” she said, “whether I’m just listening to it or just making it myself, I think it’s just a part of me.”
Above all, Simon said she wants her music to reach people.
“I just hope the music that I make impacts people in some way, shape or form,” she said.
For Bounds, Simon is already the perfect example of an independent artist — someone who is hard-working and driven.
“Cate has been working full time and in her spare time producing and recording as much as she can,” Bounds said. “She really exudes what it means to be an independent artist.”
