Kalamity Kills On the Making Of “What's On Your Mind? (Pure Energy) (Feat. Kiarelly Castillo of Conquer Divide)”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "What's On Your Mind? (Pure Energy) (Feat. Kiarelly Castillo of Conquer Divide)" and the story it tells?
I have always loved the song! It's a cover from a band called Information Society. They are a fantastic pop group. I heard it as a hard rock song in my mind, worked out the song, and shared my production ideas with the producer, Jamey Perrenot. After we had the track started, I heard a song by Conquer Divide on SiriusXM's Octane channel and fell in love with Kia's voice. I tracked her down on social media, connected, and got her to do a feature! The results are pretty stellar in my mind.
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for this song to life?
Jamey is one of my best friends, and we have always had great working chemistry. He is an incredible multi-instrumentalist and an amazingly versatile guitarist. It was pretty natural to get the sonics in place. Having JR McNeely mix and Brad Blackwood master was the icing on the cake. Both are GRAMMY-winning engineers.
What did you enjoy most about making this song?
Honestly, just being a fan of the original and getting to do my interpretation of it was the best part. I still enjoy it as a fan not because I'm also the artist.
How do you continuously grow and evolve as an artist?
Just allowing myself to experience new music. It can be pretty easy to put your musical preference in a locked box and never venture outside of it...but I like great music and great production regardless of style. I allow it to influence my own music.
How do you approach collaborations with other musicians and maintain creative synergy?
I have a vision for what I want before anyone else is involved. I fortunately have access to a-list musicians here in Nashville. I have had success seeing them catch the vision and deliver their performances in line with where I want them to be. I don't work with poor attitude individuals. I'm fortunate in that respect.
