Kady-Z at the Grammys
Kady-Z is one the brink of something big. After attending the Grammys earlier this month, the daughter of Grammy nominee and Golden Globe winner Pia Zadora is setting about the world of pop music.
With her second single ‘Crashing Down’ breaking cover in the UK this February 25th and her popping over for London fashion week, we talked to the American singer and songwriter about her time at the awards ceremony, fashion and Robbie Williams
So ‘Crashing Down’s’ coming out soon, what can you tell us about it?
Crashing Down is a song I wrote about perseverance and putting on a brave front during a hard time. We’ve been doing a lot of radio promos for it right now and touring around the States and its picking up momentum, so we’re really excited about Crashing Down.
There’s a bit of a Taylor Swift vibe to your music. Is that intentional?
It’s funny you say that. I love Taylor Swift, particularly her older stuff. So when people asked whether I was ‘Taylor Swifiting’ I thought that was awesome. I mean, she’s huge and I just take it as a compliment.
So who are your musical influences then?
I love Robyn, she’s one of my biggest inspirations. I love her early work like ‘Show me love’ and it’s so hard to come back when you left the top for a little while. Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys have had a real hard time coming back but Robyn’s done it so well and she was just even better. I just admire that.
What can you tell us about your upcoming album?
It will be out in April, it’s my first full length album. We had my first EP came out last year, from which my single Beautiful Disaster hit number 53 in the US Billboard charts which was amazing. Now to have the full album coming out, I just can’t wait. The EP did so well, I got so many great responses from that and with Beautiful Disaster going to number 53, which puts the pressure on Crashing Down, but I’m really excited.
You’ve been working with Tone Def on this album, what’s he been like?
Tone Def is awesome; he makes the process so easy. You come into the studio, your sharing you innermost ideas and maybe there’s so self-conscious moments thinking whether you should say what you’re thinking and even if it makes sense. He’s so easy going though and we work so well together, he takes the experience to the next level and makes it so fun. I love working with Tone.
So, how was attending your first Grammys then?
Oh my gosh, the Grammys were a dream. I’m still honoured to have been a part of the Grammys at this stage in my career. I had goosebumps, butterflies in my stomach and I’m just so glad the pictures turned out well. That’s one thing you don’t want. I was just so excited to be there, but I’m glad they were good.
You’ve been working with Herbal Essences, how did that come about?
Well, I was told they liked me a lot because of my hair, but whatever the actual reason, I was just so pleased to be a part of the Grammys as the ‘Fresh Face’ of the Grammy foundation. I represented Herbal Essences in the behind the scenes documentary and I was just so flattered to be asked to be a part of this.
Your mum’s a Golden Globe winner and Grammy nominee. Has she been a help to you?
She has been very supportive. You always look up to your parents, especially if they’re doing what you want to do and it just means so much that she’s proud for me and excited for me. It makes it all so much easier.
You’re over here for London Fashion Week, what are you going to be up to?
It’s been so exciting. We’re performing at the Nico Didonno fashion show Friday night. I got to meet him and he’s so awesome. He’s actually dressing me and Tone for the event and I’m so excited, the dress is amazing and I can’t wait for it. It’s even in my favourite colour; green. We’ve got a lot of other shows lined up. I mean, I love fashion but who doesn’t?
Any plans for more UK shenanigans?
We’re releasing the song in the UK and the remix should be out now. I hope to be able to do more over in the UK, I love it so much.
You often upload little cover versions of songs. Why’s that?
We just want to keep the music flowing. I love music, so any chance to sit down and do my own version and take of popular songs that I love and everyone loves, it’s just fun in the downtime. We can just sit there and see how things sound and hopefully other people connect and relate to it.
Speaking of covers, you also got a Robbie Williams cover on your album. We never thought Robbie did that well Stateside, so how did that come about?
I have a lot of friends from Europe and the UK and they’ve always said I should do a Robbie Williams cover and at first it was ‘Angels’. Then Jessica Simpson did that and brought it over to America. It’s so hard to do Robbie Williams covers, I think he’s so good. His voice is amazing and the lyrics to most of his songs are so good.
When I first heard ‘Feel’ for the first time when I was younger, I was really connected to the words. It’s such a haunting song , but there’s such a current of hope, I’m obcessed with that song, it’s one of the my favourite songs of all time. It’s scary to do a proper cover of it because it is so good, but maybe you want to hear a song done in a different way.
Like Umbrella, there’s so many different versions of that song that people love. So we tried to give the song justice, but give it a different angle. It was so fun, scary and amazing all at the same time.
You want to do it justice, but not just do the same thing over and over again.
Exactly! Songs are such inspirations and they have such an importance in everyone’s life. It keeps us going and if I hear a song that I love done differently and it’s still awesome, it makes my day and gets me all excited all over again about the song.
So what’s the plan for you then?
Basically, we have the video coming out, we’re doing these performances for Fashion Week and a whole lot of radio tours in America. We’re going to be in LA doing a lot of acoustic shows in May, which I’m excited about because I really like the idea of taking these songs, which are electronic and translating them into an intimate guitar setting.
Kady’s latest single Crashing Down hits shelves February 25th.
Click here to download Crashing Down by Kady-Z
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