Kaytee Chat - 5/23/01

YAHOO CHAT TRANSCRIPT
(5.23.01)

Kaytee: Hi, it's Kaytee! How is everyone?

wishingiwasspider: How did you get into writing songs?

Kaytee: I really picked up the guitar and from there, I just started creating my own things. It rolled into this place I am now, where I'm writing more seriously. And have found that I have a passion for it.

neo_arc: How do you keep from cramming too many ideas into one song?

Kaytee: I'm not very smart? :) I don't know. I try not to think about too much when I'm writing. I just let it come out. Whatever I'm feeling at that moment tends to come out. It's pretty raw emotion, since a lot of my best songs come in just thinking about something and writing it at that time. When it's raw emotion, you try not to overanalyze. You try to write really what's just down in there.

ray_2jcj: What’s your favorite song you’ve ever written and why?

Kaytee: There's a few. The first one that comes to mind is "Paris," which I don't think I sing on the show. I sang it at my gig that I played that you saw tonight on the show. And I like that song because it's got a groovy feel and it's ... fun to sing. It never really gets boring to me. I think it encompasses a lot of what I want my music to be. It's ironic. And funny in a way, It's about love, and I like it. I also like, "The Town's Not For Me," which I think was on tonight, and is on the American High site right now. I like it because it came after .... it has sentimental value. It came ... it was a different song. I felt I was getting to a higher step from where I was before, and that was exciting. It still is, and I like to sing it.

liamking22: Where do you find your inspiration to continue music?

Kaytee: What a hard question!!!!! Especially now that I'm in this writer's block. I feel bad. Like I don't know how to answer that question, because I don't know. Somehow it just finds me and I sit down and write a song and it surprises me. And I just keep writing from there.

rmdog5: What advice do you have for those getting ready to try to make it in the music bizz?

Kaytee: I'm not IN the music business, so any advice you can offer me would be nice!

chewy1kev: Did you get any other coffee house sessions besides the one on tonight’s show?

Kaytee: Not recently. But I haven't been looking for them, really. I've been trying to write lately, which is a tough process lately. I've been going through a block. Once I start rolling on the writing again, and trying to get the CD out...I'm definitely going to look for more gigs. Try to play some more.

Aalyara: I have found your singing comparison to Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, and Maggie Estep. How do you feel about those singers and how do you feel when people compare you to them?

Kaytee: Tori Amos? I've never heard anyone say that before. I don't play piano nor sound like her. Not that that's bad! She's cool! I really like her lyrics. I don't really listen to Ani ever. And Ani DiFranco is the one I get the most. I never have. It's not that I don't like her, just that I don't get into her. I can sort-of see a comparison. Sort-of in the guitar playing style. Not lyrical. She strums hard and is aggressive in her guitar playing. But I don't see much else. Of course, I don't really listen to her .....

steids03: I read somewhere that you may have a CD coming out. Do you have any idea when that will be available?

Kaytee: Actually, you can go to my website and sign the guest book. I'm going to put one out myself. The website is http://members.tripod.com/kayteebodle

Johnno1011: This might sound like a kinda dorky question but...what are some of your favorite guitar chords? :) I really like the sound you get sometimes but they never film your hands.

Kaytee: I like jazz chords. In a kind of aggressive guitar-style. I like minor chords, but jazz minor. I can't describe the shape I use on a keyboard. I also like major 7th chords a lot. I've been playing around with open tunings lately which is a lot of fun because you can build your own sound and chords, etc.

perseo1441: Who are your musical influences?

Kaytee: Let's see ...Definitely Joni Mitchell. Tom Waits has been a big inspiration lately. Bob Dylan. Jazz singers. That's as of right now.

wesleyelvis: What kind of guitar do you use? Do you play electric too?

Kaytee: I do play electric, though less often. I have an Epiphone. It's a Les Paul model. Which I play when I play a jazz band or jazz music. Usually I play my Martin. I have a J30 Martin acoustic guitar which I love to death. His name is Jas and he's big and beautiful and wonderful.

Johnno1011: I’m a starting songwriter. How do you overcome the difficulty in transition between an initial idea for a song and expanding it to an entire piece of music?

Kaytee: That's tough. Or a poem, where I have a concept and then expand on the concept and write it into a piece of work. The piece of work develops out of itself. Songwriting comes to me ... I'll get the tune or a lyric in my head. I don't quite ..... writing a song for me isn't like writing a short story. It grows out of the song. The concept grows out of this strange melody or strange lyric in my head.

babz_16033: Is someone typing for you, Kaytee?

Kaytee: Yeah, do you think I could type this fast?

bennyphanichkul: Are you a vegetarian?

Kaytee: I love meat. I'm sorry, but I do. I didn't think about that.

indigoartemis: Kaytee, I have visited your web page. Will you eventually include some poetry?

Kaytee: I'm not writing as much poetry lately. I'm working on a short story/novella right now. If I start writing more poetry and people are interested, perhaps! That's a good idea. Thanks.

patiff: Who do you think is scarier to teen girls now a days: Kate Moss or Britney Spears?

Kaytee: Kate Moss dated Johnny Depp. By FAR, Brittney Spears. By FAR! Being scary as a representation of what the general public wants in music. What people will buy into. Pop music is pop music and that's fine. But when it seems like the whole world is listening to it and accepting it and saying that this is all they want out of music .... that's a little scary.

paganinny: Tonight on the show, in the bit about recording in a studio, they said that you avoided music at first. Being a young singer-songwriter myself, I'm interested to hear about what changed in your attitude. Could you explain about that?

Kaytee: It was scary at first. Trying to figure out what I wanted to do in music, if I could "make it". What my role was in the music business. I think just a lot of encouragement really really helped me, people saying that they liked my stuff, encouraging me to play and sing them songs. From that, these things fed off of each other ... and my own passion for singing and performing and playing and writing.

bbraemer1: Will us Chicagoans be able to see you live before you're off to school?

Kaytee: If I have any upcoming gigs ...Check my website. Any gigs I'll have will be posted up there. As of now, I don't have anything, but we'll see in the summertime.

pressedrat83: What are your favorite Tom Waits and Bob Dylan songs?

Kaytee: I'm so happy! "Lay, Lady, Lay" OOOH, good question! "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" "Just Like A Woman" Oh, and that song on free wheelin .... "Talking World War II Blues" "Diamonds on my Windshield" "Grapefruit Moon" and "I Don't Want To Grow Up" To name a few! Very important question!

cookanera: Another dumb question....Can you describe the buzz you get in performing live? What do you like (love) about the experience?

Kaytee: That first episode you saw was really great because I remember feeling really buzzed and charged. Great question. The adrenaline would not die! You know. I can't explain it, but it was just a great feeling. Sometimes when I perform, I'll sing and do my performance ... and afterwards I feel sort-of drained and kind-of sad. It depends. Either I'm really charged and the adrenaline doesn't go away or I crash and get really mellow and depressed. Sometimes I get in a little bit of a mood.

crackerjackgrl16: I'm a local punk crazy girl and you're cracker jack song really inspired me. Where could I go to get some more of your lyrics?

Kaytee: Oh, I've got lyrics at my website!!!!! http://members.tripod.com/kayteebodle. And you can see gigs as well as sign the guest book for future CDs. :)

miskeda8: Who's your favorite boy band?? Come on, you have one.

Kaytee: That's funny. I really don't have an answer to that ... I really don't know. Menudo!

skidkicker: What are some of your favorite TV shows?

Kaytee: Of course, The Simpsons. I like the old Behind The Musics. The newer ones .... eh.

tandia_peekay: Have you ever had voice lessons?

Kaytee: No. Not like classical lessons. I used to sing musical theatre when I was younger, but I never had classical voice training.

yesteryeartomorrow: To Kaytee: Bob Dylan wrote: "let me forget about today until tomorrow" in Mr. Tamborine Man; most people seem to have adapted such an escapist mentality. What do you think it takes to fill the void, so people can face reality and avoid this infatuation with oblivion?

Kaytee: LOL! What I try to do for myself .. it's a cliché ... but to try to live each day at a time. Open your eyes to what's going on around you. But to try at least to open your eyes and be aware of what's going on around you day by day. It's cliché, but it's true. I'm not totally a believer that you can live in the world that you're in. That's a good question!!!

gemsing: Who’s your favorite Simpsons character?

Kaytee: Hands down .... I've given it a lot of thought. I like granpa Simpson. He's soooo great!!!!!!! He's like Homer. But older.

Host: What's your favorite book?

Kaytee: Oh, that's an incredibly difficult question. I'll answer with some books I really like. I recently read a book called "Door Wide Open. Letters between Jack Kerouac and Joyce Johnson. And I recently read "High Fidelity" which is an amazing book for a musical snob. And I like a lot of Hemingway and a lot of beat authors. One thing I liked about High Fidelity a lot is that I'm obsessed with making mixed tapes.

skidkicker: What would be your top five songs to listen to on a Monday morning? I kinda ripped off the question from the movie High Fidelity.

Kaytee: Oh, that's so hard! Top 5? Anything by G Love. (and the Special Sauce0 I Can't Wait To Meet You - Macy Gray, Ice Cream Man - Tom Wait I Paid My Money - Ben Folds

goddamntheyrealltaken: Seen any good concerts lately?

Kaytee: I've seen a few jazz concerts that I really liked. Obscure jazz guys. But no concerts lately. But this summer, I'm going to see Lyle Lovett, which I'm really excited about.

patiff: Who scares you more: Eminem or Marilyn Manson?

Kaytee: Hard question. Marilyn Manson. I don't know why.

gleasel: Are you a cat or a dog person?

Kaytee: I'm a dog person. We used to have 5 dogs in my house. I've always been. And I'm allergic to cats.

prp134: How do you feel about this whole issue with Napster?

Kaytee: I looove Napster. I love it. I got great music. If I wanted to buy a CD or heard of some artist, I used to buy a lot of CDs from having Napster. Then I got kicked off. It was a very hard day when I got kicked off of Napster. A very hard day.

gleasel: Would you ever wear skimpy outfits if it would sell your CDs?

Kaytee: No! I'm all into comfort, baby. I'm not into skimp.

liamking22: Favorite Movies?

Kaytee: My favorite movie that I've never got another feeling from a movie ... I see it at least once a month ... is Manhattan. I just love it. I can't explain why. I love anything with Audrey Hepburn in it. I really like Apocalypse Now. When I saw it, I was taking American Studies, and I loved it. I loved it. I also saw "A Perfect Candidate," which I really liked as well.

violetjules: What's the silliest thing that makes you happy?

Kaytee: That's such a sweet question! It's a random thing. Every once in a while, my friend David and I have to go to "high tea" in the city. It's very very decadent. A bunch of old women and business men and debutante girls are there. We sit around and eat fingers sandwiches and we chat and listen to the harpist and eat our pastries. And it always feels very over the top and silly. But we literally - if we don't do it for a couple of months - we literally go crazy. It's a nice drive down Lakeshore Drive. It makes me very very happy every time we do it.

dso201: Do you think the particular breed of fame one gets from a show like this is helpful or harmful when you're trying to become a real artist on your own merit?

Kaytee: Interesting question. Hmmmmm. You know? I don't know yet. It's too soon to answer. Sometimes I think it's helpful. I have a response now and know that I sort-of can maybe make a career for myself out of this music thing. But sometimes I think that I'm going to get stereotyped. A lot of my songs that people have seen are songs that I'm not going to keep around for that long. They're premature. I'll grow out of it and make new music. I'm sometimes scared that people will request a certain song. But I don't know yet! We'll see what happens!

Host: That's a great note to end on!! Thanks so much for joining us Kaytee.....

Kaytee: Thanks a lot. Those were really great questions. Some really hard ones! You guys didn't mind challenging me. Thank you!

Host: Thanks Kaytee! And thanks everyone for your great questions. Goodnight!