It wasn’t initially Kitty Rae’s idea to enter their own original track into the International Songwriting Competition.
Their music producer and partner, Ryan Mangold, was the one who pushed the notion, even though the emerging pop artist thought nothing would come of it.
“And then one day, I checked my emails and got an email saying that I was a semi-finalist out of 15,000 applications worldwide!” Kitty says, hours before playing a set at Monash University's Wednesday Sessions at Clayton campus last month.
The International Songwriting Competition is one of the most renowned and reputable music industry competitions, with current judges including Coldplay, Joe Hahn from Linkin Park, Jeremiah Fraites of The Lumineers and master-of-whistle-tones Mariah Carey.
Kitty’s song, "Swim with Sharks" (produced, mixed and mastered by Ryan Mangold), made it into the next round for the ‘Pop/Top 40’ and ‘Unsigned’ categories – an impressive feat, considering the high volume of applicants each year.
“It was just a massive ‘Woah',” Kitty said.
Underscored by the hums of electric guitars and a steady kick-drum beat from the Teenage Dads' sound-check nearby, Kitty opens up about the meaning behind their shortlisted song.
Growing up in the regional town of Bacchus Marsh (about an hour and a half from Clayton campus, if you don’t take toll-roads), Kitty was always told that, when they grew up, they would have to be prepared for cut-throat environments.
“I actually felt that when I moved to the city. I really felt it was a lot colder and I was working a lot of jobs to try and keep me on res at university and I was studying something that I didn’t feel particularly passionate about … It got really dark for me,” they say.
“It was a point in my life where I was kind of like, ‘I need to change something and I need to do something to actually make life feel a lot better'.”
Around this time, Kitty decided to pursue their passions more actively, swapping into the music course at Monash and writing original songs.
“I started to realise that we might feel like a little fish in a big sea, but we don’t have to be cut-throat. We can actually get places by being kind and just working towards things that actually spark a passion within us,” Kitty says.
“And if you love something, do it. Don’t be afraid to swim in those waters.”
A few hours later, Kitty is dancing across the stage in white high-platform boots, their electric-pink hair catching patches of sunlight on a mild afternoon. Some students splay out on picnic rugs watching the performance, while others have gathered to dance in front of the stage.
Ryan Mangold stands behind the crowd at the sound desk, making sure the band is balanced and the tech is running smoothly.
The Melbourne lockdowns ("which we’re not meant to talk about,” Kitty jokes) provided an opportunity for Kitty and Ryan to pursue their creative interests.
“Ryan really delved into audio and production and just got lost in it," Kitty says. “And now [he] works as an audio tech … He mixes and masters, he produces – and he learnt most of that off YouTube.”
They are an impressive duo, with Kitty often writing and producing demos then collaborating with Ryan, who further produces, mixes and masters the tracks in their home studio.
Both have been busy this year, having performed at the Brunswick Music Festival, Knox Festival, Summerwave and Moomba Festival – one of Kitty’s biggest gigs to date.
“It was amazing. I have never looked over a crowd like that before,” Kitty says. “It was a gig that I felt I was ready for and finishing it felt like, ‘Yeah, this is what I’m meant to be doing'.”
After the performance at Moomba, Kitty had the opportunity to meet with their fans from TikTok – a platform they have seen a lot of success on. Their profile, which has attracted more than 18,000 followers, shows a mixed grid of musical snippets, vlog-style videos and funny TikTok trends.
“I find the biggest thing on TikTok is just like letting go of that feeling of feeling silly. People actually connect with the weird stuff that’s happening in your life,” Kitty says.
“I’m just really grateful that it’s connecting me with cool people.”
When asked about what projects are in the works, Kitty answers with a smile.
“I’m still in secret mode … I can’t say anything yet, but it’s going to be a big year,” they say. “I’m really excited about my upcoming work and I just can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
Check Kitty Rae’s website for details on upcoming performances. Their music is on Spotify.