4 minute read
Bastette
Bastette exploded onto the scene in 2019. The band which is fronted by Caroline Eve Kenyon was named after the Egyptian Goddess of Protection. The latter is a character which Caroline embraced as part of her on-stage persona.
Besides a busy year on the road, and line-up changes to boot, the band recently unveiled their latest EP, which is rather poignantly titled Awakening. “I suppose if you listen to the tracks, it’s about waking up to the reality of different situations and getting rid of the negativity in your life,” said Caroline. Or as the artist more eloquently put it, making sure there is “no more negativity in my aura.” Caroline adds that the EP is about “Waking up to and accepting situations and accepting where you’re at in life as well.”
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The latest track to be released from the EP is titled Fiction. A song about falling in love with the wrong person. “Fiction is about falling for someone who doesn’t exist. It’s about falling for a rock star,” said Caroline. “Rock Stars do exist. However, their persona is not how the real person is.” Perhaps you would agree that an artist’s stage persona is a front. “I have met quite a few musicians throughout my time. I understand that when I step on stage - it’s different,” explains Kenyon. “I met somebody who wasn’t necessarily what they seemed.”
Bastette’s latest single perfectly underpins the rest of the EP. “It’s all very much about - okay, I’m awake now. This is the reality of the situation. But also taking back control of situations where I wasn’t in control, or the person that song about wasn’t in control,” said Caroline. Putting down these feelings in a song can be a cathartic release for the artist. “Sometimes music can be a bit like therapy,” she said.
With her new EP in the bag, the Lancashire native is focused on a bigger release for her next project. “This is the final EP. There will not be another one. The next thing will be an album,” she said. ”I don’t want to put pressure on myself with it. I’ve not got a label or anybody going, I need this right now. So, I’m not going to do that at this stage. When I put an album out, I really want to be proud of it.”
As a band, Bastette are not afraid to push the boundaries of the rock music genre. “I’ll come out with a heavy rock song, and then I’ll write the most pop banger, catchy, cheap thing you ever heard in your life. So, it really does depend on the song. The song will be what it wants to be. You can’t dictate it, so to speak.”
With her focus on the debut Bastette album, Caroline is giving herself some creative space in the coming months. “I’ve deliberately made it not busy so that I can focus on writing a little bit. Because I have noticed when a band comes out with an album, you would expect if it’s been planned correctly and the album’s done ok, they would have to do tour after tour after tour after tour. And then it’s like, I need the next album again. So, you don’t get that breathing space,” concludes Kenyon.
Of course, the group have toured considerably throughout the year. “Going back out there and seeing the fans and seeing this need for live music is the reason that musicians do it,” said Caroline. “If you are wanting to be a performer, you live for the gigs. That is the best part of what you do. So yeah, it’s been exciting.”
If you’ve seen Bastette perform live recently, perhaps you noticed Laurie Buchanan (The Hot Damn/ Aaron Buchanan and the Cult Classics) on guitar. Speaking about Laurie’s involvement in the band, Caroline said: “It’s been fab, but Laurie is taking a step back from the Bastette camp now because things are busy with The Hot Damn, and that was always going to happen. She never led me to believe that she was going to join or be a permanent member. But she’s been so great, and a breath of fresh air, if I’m honest.” Caroline adds: “She’s very calm and very chilled, and you can see the difference in the dynamic; we just gelled. I suppose that is because we are opposites. She’s a very talented musician, and she’s been fun to work with. We will continue to work together; it just won’t be as much - as she gets busier.”
Rounding out the year, Caroline intends to focus on working on new music. “We are writing and getting in the studio to try and record some tracks that may or may not be on the album,” said Kenyon. “We have a couple of gigs around Christmas time, and then we go into the new year.”
Awakening, the new EP from Bastette, is out now.
