“People say they see you, but I think they only see a version of what they want to see,” says rising star Cara Hart when asked about her first foray into music. A reflection that goes back to a very early age in which she experienced many unexpected changes that she was not able to fully digest, finding her best ally in music. “It's the ability to express a certain feeling without having to say much,” she explains about this artistic discipline turned into an emotional language – or better said, someone's personal version of that story to feel. She now releases her first single, Skin, capturing her purest essence. “It’s kind of a ‘just rip the bandaid off’ situation.”
Skin is a statement of intent. It is a letter of introduction with which the artist, who refers to herself as “Her” as a result of a process in which she felt trapped with the representation of a human that did not correspond with how she identifies herself. She tells us how her brain works: “I wanted to put something out there that embodied that type of darkness as a first single because if you start off with something a little softer or not as deep, you may never challenge yourself to explore deeper and beyond that,” she adds.
This first single, taken from what will be her debut album – on which she is now working from a studio in Wales – gives us a glimpse of Cara Hart's creative universe. Not only at the sound level (where she highlights her experimentation) but also in relation to her aesthetics derived from the images that she reproduces in her head while she creates. “I’m extremely visual, everything has a movie playing around it,” she confesses, quoting Arca, Nina Simone or David Bowie among her main influences.
You grew up in Madrid, and now you live in London where you work on your debut album. Cara, could you please introduce yourself to all those who don't know you yet?
My name is Cara Hart and I'm an artist, and that's about it.
When and how did your first approach to music take place?
It started at a very young age, I had a lot of things suddenly ripped away from me and lots of unexpected changes I wasn’t fully able to digest. No one asked if I was okay or if I was angry or sad, so I normally just smiled so no one would worry, and on my own, I would put into words and drawings the reality of what was going on inside me.
People say they see you, but I think they only see a version of what they want to see. I let ‘her’ come out in music. And it’s fucking great.
People say they see you, but I think they only see a version of what they want to see. I let ‘her’ come out in music. And it’s fucking great.
Some artists make music an escape valve from reality, a utopian place exempt from rules and worries. On the contrary, others express themselves on the issues that affect the world through their lyrics. What is music to you?
Music to me is the ultimate dramatised version of emotion. It's the ability to express a certain feeling without having to say much. Once it's out there it's no longer my emotion to carry, but somebody’s own personal version of that story to feel.
Now you release Skin, an avant-garde single taken from what will be your first album. And the first songs, turned into an artist's letter of introduction, tend to be associated with them throughout their entire career. Why did you decide to introduce yourself to your audience with this song?
Skin was such a hard-core song for me to write. It's vulnerable and captures in essence who I am, and the way my brain works. I wanted to put something out there that embodied that type of darkness as a first single because if you start off with something a little softer or not as deep, you may never challenge yourself to explore deeper and beyond that. It’s kind of a ‘just rip the bandaid off’ situation.
Death and love, two emotions that go hand in hand, are the pillars on which you build Skin. A song you wrote to release the pain you felt by the idea of death. What else can you tell us about this release? What has it meant for you?
When people hear me talk about myself as an artist, they will hear me refer to me as “Her.” I do this because for so long I was trapped in a way of being human that didn't really align with the person I actually was. So, in order to unveil my truest identity, I embodied my artist identity which nobody can judge the same way they do a normal day-to-day person. This release was so much more than just a musical release, it was more the release of myself. It was a take me as I am for she is who she is and she doesn’t really care. She’s pretty cool.
We notice a marked experimental style in this new track. The sound leaves no one indifferent, along with a surprising vocal capacity that brings a nostalgic note to the piece. Do you feel part of a specific musical genre? Who are your main references?
Thank you, I do feel like it could attach to specific musical genres, but there's so much more to explore that I wouldn't categorise myself just yet. I think the closest genre to place my sound in would be experimental, because I truly am experimenting with sounds, vocals, productions, visuals and art in general. I have quite an eclectic list of influences. Arca, Sevdaliza, Fka Twigs, Nina Simone, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Gessaffelstein, IC3PEAK, Judy Garland. I mean, I could go on forever.
From Henry Fuseli's painting The Nightmare, which you refer to when you talk about Skin, to the futurism and technology that we see in the images that you have presented on the occasion of the release of the single. How important are aesthetics in your musical project?
Aesthetics plays such an important part in all of this. When I create I'm just playing visuals out in my head. When I write a song, I can’t write without visualising the stage, the performance, the audience and how they are going to feel. I’m extremely visual, everything has a movie playing around it. Art was the only class I was actually passing in school, so there’s that.
How would you rate the current international emerging music scene? Is there enough space and support for young artists in this sector?
There's always going to be so much out there in music constantly, so it is really difficult to find your own space and support while growing. However, at the end of the day, I don't think it's up to anybody else but yourself to do the best you can do. If the work is authentic, different, inspiring, and overall good quality, there's always going to be space to grow and there will always be people who support and share that with others. Looks play an incredible part in all of this as well, but I'm a firm believer that if you want something you can make it happen no matter what. It’s all a mind game.
What can you tell us about your new album? When will it be released?
I’m currently at the studio in Wales with an incredible producer, working on this. I can say it’s going to be a sonic journey and that you’ll just have to tag along for the ride to see where this all unfolds; I’m excited.
And what would you like to be doing in 5 years? Any dream to fulfil?
In 5 years I'd like to spend a year in Japan, meet Elon Musk, and I’d really just like to buy myself a nice ass 4x4 (car, not the body part).
