Do you have a story behind your artist name?
My artist name is a play on my given name Cate O’Brien. I got Kit from my great-grandmother’s nickname “Kitty.” She was a renegade. I liked being able to nod to her, and take a page out of her book. I liked “Orion” because I feel a bit otherworldly when I get into a creative space, and I feel that it translates in my artistic identity as well.
Tell us a bit about your music journey. How has it shaped you?
Music has been a consistent way for me to process and communicate raw emotions from a young age. It became an intense fixation that hasn’t ever left my system. I was trained as a classical vocalist in my youth, I would steal my parents’ CDs to hide away and absorb whatever I could and participated in many community based music opportunities until I finally started to write and share original music in the last few years while also developing a career as a DJ. It sits in every corner of my life.
How would you describe your sound to someone unfamiliar with it?
I would describe my music as indie-experimental pop. I create soundscapes with samples and sounds that I find interesting or inspiring and write lyrics and melodies over them.
What drew you to the genre /instruments you’re playing right now?
A whole slew of different artists inspired me to write the way I do. A few artists to name would be Björk for her raw, experimental style; Fiona Apple for her lyrical and melody styles as well as her album production. Tame Impala for his vibey-beat driven style.
What inspires you to write music?
I have found that writing music is a way for me to translate thoughts and sounds that don’t have a clear way out of myself. I have ADHD, and think that because I have so much rushing around my head all the time, that writing music has been a cathartic and clear channel for me to focus on and set these feelings free.
Would you tell us about your current project, album/EP, or song you’re promoting?
This album feels like a series of sonic journal entries to me. A lot of the lyrics in this album are a response to complicated grief. During the time I was writing these songs, I experienced abundant loss. I lost multiple pillars in my life, one after another over a short time. I was not able to have the space to grieve each person before another one was gone, so writing these songs was an acknowledgment of my people, their existence and their absence as a form of catharsis. The lyrics are also an observation of how the experience of covid and the heavy political climate affected mental health, morale, and interpersonal relationships personally and collectively. It was a time that I felt like I had no choice but to contemplate how upside down everything felt, and channel it into something.
What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your music?
I hope that by sharing my experience, lyrically or musically, directly, or abstractly, that listeners can find moments of healing, inspiration or curiosity. I like the idea of broad strokes or the intention behind impressionism leaving space for people to have their own experience.
Who are your top three artists right now? If that’s not a fair question, what’s your favorite song right now?
I have a pretty eclectic taste and rotation, but I honestly can’t get enough of Chappell Roan… and I have been returning to A Tribe Called Quest (I love their samples and their phrasing) and Andrew Bird (for the ethereal yet grounded space he provides) recently.
What’s the easiest way for fans to connect with you?
Either via my website www.kitorion.co. Or my instagram @kit_orion_ where I am trying to consistently share my creative goings on!
Homepage: https://www.kitorion.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kit_orion_/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kitorionmusic/
Bandcamp: https://kitorion.bandcamp.com/
What’s next for you?
Once this album is set free, I will be scheduling some more shows regionally and beyond, as well as trying to get in the studio again to get rolling on some new songs.
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
My album Bottle Grin was released on 10/24/24 and there was an album listening party and a music video premiere for my new single “Like Honey” at the Capitol Theatre in Arlington.
Bio: Introducing Caitlyn O’Brien (she/her/hers), a Cambridge-based singer-songwriter, musician, producer, and DJ. Caitlyn became dedicated to her exploration of music and musical community starting with studying classical voice at a young age, and later, getting involved in her local music community performing in original projects, bands and studio sessions.
She has only just recently started publicly writing and producing her own music under the name Kit Orion with her first EP released in February of 2021.
The majority of the songs from her self-titled EP and upcoming record Bottle Grin, scheduled for release in October of 2024, were written as responses to personal loss and exploration of self, through prompts given in a songwriting club led by dear friend and collaborator, Jessica Kion (Justice Cow).
The creation of the album Bottle Grin strived to sonically collage her self-produced bedroom soundscapes to the live musical contributions of friends and collaborators in the studio.
“Like Honey,” the first single released from the new record, hit all streaming platforms in August.
