Caylie G is Writing the Soundtrack for Queer Joy, Heartache, And Every Feeling in Between

Caylie G at Eastern Slopes Music Festival. Photo by Dianne Miranda (@lya.shoots).

Caylie G’s music is for anyone who knows the strange comfort of crying to the perfect song in the middle of summer, then turning around and blasting another to transform your bedroom into a dance floor. Caylie G’s music is for her younger self, who they imagine playing the tracks “Brenda Heather Kelly” or “Gravitron” on repeat — who never gave happiness a chance, choosing instead to loop the saddest songs that are colliding with the most upbeat rhythms all day, every day. 

The queer artist, living on Treaty 6 Territory (colonially called Edmonton, Alberta), makes what they describe as “queer sad-cowboy pop.” Growing up listening to a wide range of genres, with a soft spot for pop, Caylie G speaks on having been influenced by both the classic-rock and country tastes of their parents, while also navigating the Canadian music scene’s heavy focus on genre. 

“It’s hard for me to sell myself as folk to folk people, and pop to pop people,” Caylie G says. “So sad-cowboy pop is where I’ve landed, and it kind of describes it perfectly. People can interpret that as folk if they want to, or country if they want to, or pop if they want to. It gives me the most freedom as an artist without having to explain myself.”

Caylie G is one of the 14 artists featured in the second year of the Eastern Slopes Music and Arts Festival. Their performance on August 23 marked their Calgary debut and the second-to-last show of their summer tour, which included earlier stops at Edmonton’s Downtown Pride Block Party in June, and the Winnipeg Folk Festival and Folk On The Rocks in July. 

She shares how much they have loved touring with vocalist Amanda Penner, drummer Carter Hill and guitarist Mark Maclure all (with the exception of two dates) summer long.

“They’re some of my best friends in the whole world and just being able to do that with them feels so special and wonderful,” they share. 

When asked what some of the other highlights of touring are, they mention the power in continuing to build community. 

“Also, just meeting other artists and other people in the music community, and broadening my web of music people. Everyone is so friendly and amazing. It’s been nice to meet different audiences all over the place. Everywhere is so different. What I love about the places I’ve been so far is everyone is so willing to show you around and tell you about their favourite coffee spots and their favourite spots to take a walk,” they continue. “People make you feel really at home immediately and that feels really special to me.”

Caylie G at Eastern Slopes Music Festival. Photo by Dianne Miranda (@lya.shoots).

For this writer, Caylie G’s music was a happy discovery, first spotted on a friend’s playlist earlier this year. From my very first listen to “ohio” and “The Butchers,” it was impossible not to be drawn in by this captivating combination of honesty and vulnerability. Often finding solidarity in music made by queer artists, these songs, among many of her others, immediately resonated with me with their raw emotion, authenticity, and in how their true self truly shines through every note and lyric. 

“When I’m writing songs, sometimes I try to shut certain things off, or there will be things that I don’t want to write about just because they’re not comfortable feelings,” says Caylie G. “It never works, the uncomfortable feelings or whatever I need to talk about always show up in my music — it makes itself known. So, I’ve just decided to carry that with me as much as I can.”

“Queerness specifically: what I love about being queer and what I love about our community is that it shows up in everything we do. I’m learning that more and more. Chosen family is something that I’ve been thinking about a lot over the last couple of years. I’ve realized that all the people I love, that’s all chosen family. Everyone that I write about is chosen family. The people that come to my shows — that feels like chosen family. A lot of queer artists have changed my life just from listening to them like Leith Ross, Phoebe Bridgers and Chappell Roan, and being able to do that in my music feels like a really special thing that I feel really grateful to be able to emulate.”

Looking ahead, Caylie G will be releasing their third EP on September 26 and then? “I’m starting to write my first full-length album, in the really early stages of recording it. I’m kind of shifting gears towards writing and recording the album, which I think is what I’m going to be focusing on for the colder months. And, who knows? I’m kind of in a phase right now where I have no idea what is going to happen next, which is the most exciting place to be in because anything that comes in is just so exciting!”

Caylie G’s EP “girls” will be out on September 26.