20-year-old UK singer-songwriter Cavetown (aka Robin Skinner) has never been someone to hide things from his fans. He's all about interacting with his fanbase, which has led to his fans being some of the most devoted in the game, getting to know him through his YouTube channel, his music and his social media (including his Instagram, where he posts adorable pictures of his cat, Fig).
Despite his musical background, being the son of a professional flautist and Cambridge University's music director, he wasn't always intending to become a musician. Instead, he says, it's a bit of a happy accident. “I didn’t want to write and play music just to make people feel better, that wasn’t my intention. It was more to make myself feel better, initially but the fact that, along the way, my music has helped people is really cool.” The reason people can't help but fall in love with his music is best explained by him, too. “I speak about very genuine things and very personal things that I personally find hard to say. That’s why I write a song about it. I think people relate to that."
Talking to tmrw, Cavetown explains his writing process, and it's a very natural one - he doesn't like to force it, saying, “It just… happens. I never sit down and say ‘I’m going to write a song now’ and then it works. I can never do that, I can never just force myself to write a song. It kind of has to happen naturally. most of the time, it starts out with a chord sequence. I’ll think of something that I like and l'll play it in a loop, and then a tune will pop into my head that I feel like fits it."
He also went on to talk about his lyrics, which have resonated with people all over the world. “I also have a little notes folder on my phone of lyrics that i think of; single lines. They’ll pop into my head and l’ll write them down, and I can sometimes use that for inspiration if I can’t think of any words. Then, I'll write a song based off of that one line that I thought. When my mind wants to write a song, it kind of flows out.” Cavetown's lyrics feel like the way a close friend would write to you, and it's no wonder so many people can relate.
2019 has been a busy year for Cavetown music-wise, as he's released the mixtape series Animal Kingdom. The series sees him collaborating with close friends to release new songs, covers and re-imaginings of old songs. He's also released the singles Home, February 14 and Telescope, just a year after dropping arguably his breakout project, Lemon Boy. Cavetown's music is consistently excellent, and his ability to consistently release great music keeps his fans excited and engaged, no matter who he's collaborating with or if he's working solo. His website is also the coolest and cutest thing ever - check it out here.
If you're an Aussie fan of Cavetown, then you're in luck. He's set to visit Australia in January next year, with U18 and all ages shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. He'll be bringing along spookyghostboy, who features on Cavetown's latest mixtape - fingers crossed for an on-stage collaboration.
Given his close bonds with fans, we're excited for these shows - as well as seeing where Cavetown takes his sound in the future. Listen to his brand new song Things That Make It Warm now!
