With a fresh degree in music and a debut EP titled the trials and tribulations of a twenty two year old teenager, Caylie G. is becoming a voice for those navigating the turbulence of their early 20s.
Caylie’s love affair with music began at Suzuki Charter School, where the curriculum was a harmonious blend of academics and music. “I started with the flute, but quickly realized I couldn’t play the flute and sing at the same time,” she says, “so then I started playing guitar.” This switch marked the beginning of a musical journey that’s grown from a childhood passion into a promising career.
After years of honing her craft, Caylie recently graduated from MacEwan University with a Bachelor of Music. “I kind of went into it with the mentality that going to school is how you get a job, which is ridiculous, because going to music school, you get no jobs,” she laughs. “But the biggest thing for me was meeting a whole bunch of cool people. A lot of the people I work with now, I met through the program. Without them, I don’t know where I would be.”
Caylie’s music is full of raw, emotional honesty that is especially evident in the track “Nauseous from Existential Dread.” Initially created as a fun, unhinged queer love song, it evolved into something much deeper and more personal during the recording process. “It could not have felt more wrong,” Caylie explains. “Something that I find with my songwriting, whether I like it or not, is that if I’m feeling any type of sadness or indifference or sorrow, my songwriting picks up on that first before it picks up on anything else.”
Caylie’s committed to truth in her music. “If it’s not authentic, if it’s not vulnerable and honest, whether that be sad or happy or whatever, it doesn’t feel like me, and it doesn’t feel like it has a place,” she says.
With an EP under her belt and more music on the way, Caylie is embracing the challenges of the industry with a mix of excitement and resolve. “It’s always going to be scary. Very rarely are you going to feel comfortable, and if it does feel comfortable, I think something’s wrong,” she says. “So know that it’s going to be scary, and know that it’s going to push you, and do it anyway. Do it because you love it, and if you nurture something with love and care, it’s gonna go well.”
