Today sees the release of the empowering new single by Alt-Pop songstress, Kitty Montague, whose essential anthem, ‘Bad Boy’ offers a melodic middle finger to toxic relationships and any notion of second chances.
Filled with affirmations of self-belief, Montague sings about putting your worth first, taking yourself by the hand and not looking back. Using dynamic productions, angular melodic patterns and beautiful layering, she fuses savvy pop sensibilities and vocal melodies with soul influences. Her honest, open and provocative writing poetically exposes an empathetic understanding of the human condition – universally relatable situations, emotions and complexities especially those regarding feminism. FMS caught up with the singer-songwriter to get the story behind the new single, dealing with everyday sexism, and more.
“We all have someone that has messed us around, only to come crawling back when they think there is a possibility that they could be missing out. ‘Bad Boy’ is about that, those exes that take their relationships for granted; they neglect their first chance and expect you to be waiting with a second one. I wrote the song during an extremely significant shift in my life. I had just left a very male orientated company, which completely opened my eyes to the everyday sexism and objectification that women face. I started questioning everything, including my relationships. I realised how much of myself, and my worth, I had been compromising for the sake of having someone around.
“‘Bad Boy’ was one of the first songs I wrote during this pivotal period, and the narrative of my writing changed from being heartbroken, to being empowered. The song represents a huge transition in me, where I began to value myself, and genuinely believe my worth; I stopped giving second chances to the people who didn’t respect me enough in the first instance. I want the song to be a ‘go to’ anthem for others, as much as it is for myself; advocating for women to put themselves first, rather than buying into false promises and empty words, simply to avoid being lonely.”
As for the video, “It’s out now and I am so excited for you to watch it! It’s a homemade video that I spent hours (and days and weeks) putting together with the help of my wonderful, very patient, sister behind the camera. I wanted to have a bit of fun with the video without deterring from the meaning of the song. The idea was to create a celebration of self-worth, and celebration of being single, which is often portrayed in a negative light! I hope the video captures how much fun it was to create, as well as providing some wholesome lockdown entertainment and a few cheap laughs!”
“The song represents a huge transition in me, where I began to value myself, and genuinely believe my worth; I stopped giving second chances to the people who didn’t respect me enough in the first instance.”
“I have created a really diverse space around me full of empowering and educating voices, from the literature I read, to the people I follow on social media, and of course a great network of friends and family. In a society that so often rejects to acknowledge the sexism that women face, I think it is so important to have a community where you can process and validate your experiences. I also try to learn as much as I can about the imbalances that exist, so I can assert and articulate myself when I need to call out sexism. I’m definitely better at writing than talking though, so I have been trying to address these issues through my songs. I hope that my music can provide a powerful source of empowerment for women.
Speaking of how her songwriting has evolved, “I have always written from my experiences and emotions with a want to connect with people, but felt that my writing lacked purpose. However, as my views and interests have developed, I have so much more to say. I think that music can be incredibly inspiring and has the power to dictate your mood. It can also help people identify and articulate their emotions, which is the reason that I do it. Among friends I’m often the go-to for advice, or a shoulder to cry on, which is what I want to provide through my music.”
“Discovering new artists, and writers, always sparks creativity. Lyrics are my favourite part of a song; I have a playlist of songs full of empowering messages and intricate word play, which is my go-to when in need of inspiration. Currently, I’m loving Jezzie Reyez, Caitlynn Scarlett, Joy Crookes and Easy Life. I am in awe of their writing and ability to articulate such raw emotions. I’m also incredibly inspired by strong female voices and activists; Chidera Eggerue, Florence Given, Munroe Berdorf and Rupi Kaur are a few favourites. I’m always inspired by people who don’t conform to social standards and pressures. I admire the activists that have created movements and campaigns in aid of their beliefs, despite how controversial the mainstream may find them. It’s incredibly hard to stand unphased by others and remain unimpressionable, I admire those who go against the grain (for a good cause). Particularly those who are the first to do so, I am in awe of those people!
“I always associate music with being in the car when I think about my early influences. My grandad was a huge Jazz enthusiast. There was one particular mixtape that he had in his car full of female artists like: Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee, which I loved! I would always skip to play the last track first; a cover of ‘My Favorite Things’ which I think was sung by Betty Carter. My mum too, she had a little red convertible, we’d go on long drives memorising the words to Desree, Sheryl Crow and Dido, belting them out off the roof. These artists definitely rubbed off on my vocals, however Lily Allen and Kate Nash were the first artists that I remember notably impacting me. My teenage years were spent trying to shock people and generally being disagreeable, I think without knowing I was already discovering the feminist in me. I fell in love with their attitudes, they were loud and crude and very real!”
‘Bad Boy’ follows on from ‘Yellow Lines’, which drew the attention of BBC Introducing, Sofar Sounds, The Dominic King Show for BBC Radio Kent, and This Morning’s Ben Sheppard. With the promise of more sophisticated, empowering tracks alike, the budding artist is already turning heads in the music space. “I’m working on a lot of new music! It has been a very overwhelming year and there is a lot to write about, a lot to take in and process. Equally, I am also really enjoying getting creative while becoming more DIY savvy, I loved creating the Bad Boy video so there will definitely be more where that came from!”
Her arresting talent has led her to recent accomplishments such as supporting Gabrielle Aplin for Banquet Records. Though the live music scene is currently paused, it has not stopped the London-based artist from connecting with her audience as she continues to serenade through virtual gigs and live streams sessions, teaming up with the likes of DiscovrTV, The Sunflower Lounge, Write Like A Girl and TalentBanq. “As much as I have enjoyed all of my virtual gigs, I can’t say I’ll ever get used to playing to four walls and a phone, I’ve really missed interacting with a live audience! I’m excited to get back onto a stage, and hoping it will be worth the wait when venues reopen. Despite this I have really enjoyed performing live streams with artists across, and outside of, the UK!
What’s next for Kitty Montague? “I’ve got more new music coming very soon!”
‘Bad Boy’ is out now.
