Crafting KAGE's Debut Album 'Shadowsong'
ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴠɪᴇᴡ ʙʏ ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʟʟᴇʀʏ
Kage! An honour to speak with your talented self again, Good Sir!
Congratulations on your first full length album, I would love to know all — the inspiration behind it, what you learned along the way and why create a full length album vs a shorter EP!
Let's begin with the inspiration, can you walk us through the creative process for this glorious album? Why create an album and not more EPs? How did you start and how did the pieces come together?
KAGE
Always a pleasure, Jake! Thank you for having me. Shadowsong has been a very different approach for me. I really wanted to tell a story and felt like an EP would be too short to really put in all that I wanted.
For those who don’t yet know, I’m a fantasy-nerd. I actually started by making music for my Dungeons and Dragons campaign. One song, meant to be an introduction in a gladiator setting, ended up becoming the album’s Epilogue. I was inspired mostly by Nightwish, a symphonic metal band, specifically their album ‘Human. :II: Nature.’ in which they have an entire segment of orchestral music versions of their songs. Another big inspiration is the opening to Lord of the Rings, Galadriel’s narration. Thus, combining Kage and epic fantasy storytelling.
The album is in three parts, Act I, II & III, what inspired this and how did you decide which songs went into which act?
KAGE
Novels often have a three act structure, so why not for albums? In reality, I just wanted a way to not release everything in one go. I had written a plot outline for Shadowsong as a reference for what I wanted the order of songs to be about.
Sonically, how does this album differ from your previous work in terms of style or theme?
KAGE
I think it’s a journey from my old sound towards the new. Not quite there yet, but there’s definitely a shift. The first half of the album is close to the ‘classic Kage’ sound, where the second is slightly more experimental.
What new production techniques or technology did you explore for this album? Also, what was your primary hardware & software setup for the production of this album?
KAGE
Not necessarily a production change, but more a workflow change. Making a whole instead of just a few singles combined was a fun production challenge. I also wanted to have every song transition into the next, which is something I’d never done before. As for setup, it’s the same as always: Me, my macbook and some headphones. I did record vocals in a different studio with Femmy, an incredible singer and friend from my hometown. Her narration really brought this idea to life.
Were there any particular challenges you faced during the production of this album?
KAGE
Well, there’s one big challenge in particular. About 90% in on the album, my macbook crashed. The motherboard burned and somehow also took my external hard drive. An unfortunate lesson in backing up. Hence the album’s subtitle ‘The Lost Saga’. Repair managed to save 3 of the 15 projects and, by miracle, the folder with the latest master exports. Honestly, it was a huge blow to my motivation and I didn’t want to release it anymore. I got reminded that art is never fully finished, that I had to just get it out there. Both because of the hard work that went into it, but also because it was such a big part of me– as a person and as Kage. The story still needed to be told!
Is there a track that was particularly difficult to produce? What made it challenging?
KAGE
The Prologue! I had a few very different versions. Like a novel, the opening line or chapter often is very important. I wanted something that set the tone of everything and summarized the entire album. Loss and hope, hand in hand.
How did creating this album impact your release schedule & social media roll-out compared to a single or EP? My condolences again on Instagram’s decision to adjust the tile aspect ratio, ruining your beautiful layout, that wrecked is, too! 💀
KAGE
Thanks, it truly is an awful decision haha. I’ll adjust soon enough. The only big difference is that I got to pick my own release dates and schedule, create my own art, animations and everything. Having control over that is pretty sweet. No more last minute creative choices you don’t really want to post on your socials.
Have you considered a physical release for this album & what are your thoughts on the current state of physical media for music?
KAGE
I actually did consider, alongside a physical copy of the short story for those who would buy it. There was a lot of work in there that unfortunately also got lost in the crash. I’ve never been into CDs or Vinyls or other physical music media, so I don’t give it all that much attention.
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How do you integrate feedback from collaborators or fans into your music?
KAGE
Short answer, I don’t. Haha. Most feedback is just a matter of taste. The more music I make, the more I just want to create something I truly love, not something for the record labels or the masses. Ofcourse, when collaborating it is a different story, it has to fit both artists.
How do you feel about the evolution of house music, and where do you think it's headed?
KAGE
Very cliche answer, but it’s the truth: I’m not a fan. Bass house in particular, has had some of the most uninspiring music come out in the past two years. It is always interesting to see how genres shift. Always a push and pull, action and reaction. Short form content is and will be in abundance, so I will be making longer songs to counter that.
After this album, what's next for you? Are there any new directions or projects you're excited about?
KAGE
The album is both an end of the old Kage and an omen of what’s to come! More orchestral, darker, harder, but also melodic and beautiful.
How do you keep yourself inspired for your future projects?
KAGE
Writing! I actually gave a masterclass on how to incorporate writing as a source of inspiration, to make music by thinking less on the music itself. For example: grab a movie synopsis, take in consideration the genre, the setting, the characters. What would the theme music for this sound like? This on its own can be a great exercise, but imagine creating your own stories and turning those into songs.
Do you have any suggestions for artists wanting to take the leap into creating a larger body of work, as you did with this album?
KAGE
As Shia Labeouf once said, “Just do it”. Haha. It can be scary and intimidating– All the more reason to overcome and take that leap of faith.
Thank you again for your time, always an honour to chat with you, Kage! Where can people go to keep updated with your creativity?
KAGE
Thank you for these incredible questions! Likewise, Jake. I’ll be sharing more of the story at my IG, as well as teasing what’s next: @Kagemusik
