Name: Kaleida
Members: Cicely Goulder, Christina Wood
Interviewee: Cicely Goulder
Nationality: British
Current release: Kaleida's third full-length album In Arms is out via Embassy One.

If you enjoyed this Kaleida interview and would like to stay up to date with the band and their music, visit the duo's official homepage. They are also on Instagram, and Facebook.



What I gathered from the press release is that you almost put Kaleida to rest at some point. Why did you consider ending the group and what made you decide to continue it after all?  

We were in a period of post-pandemic soul searching. Making music comes with challenges – mostly financial! – so we really had to dig deep to find a way to keep going.

Your new album is programmatically called In Arms. Can you talk a bit about the struggles behind this release – whom are you in arms against, and why Joan of Arc was an inspirational figure for it?  

In Arms is both nurturing and maternal but also battle-ready.

Making music feels like that: inherently creative but challenging. We kind of feel we have to be armed and ready to keep focused on what we’re trying to say.

Jean D’Arc armed herself to fulfil her mission. Sometimes music feels that way.

“Seagull Nun”, one of the pieces on the new album, was, the way I understood it, the very first track you made. What do you still remember about the way that came together?

Yes, it was one of the demos Christina sent me from the Indonesian jungle back in the days. I loved the dark feel of it and quickly put some beats to it – it has a mantric, wild feel which contrasts to Christina’s pure voice.

It sat on a hard-drive for nearly a decade before getting a final polish and added to In Arms.

How would you describe the creative process, including production, for In Arms? If you compare the songwriting to “Seagull Nun” and the first record, what have been changes in the way you're working together (if at all)?

For this record we bought in a lot more musicians on this record plus we worked on 4 of the tracks with producer Johan Hugo.

We absolutely loved working with him – he is technically very sharp and we learnt a lot. He’s bold in his approach and I think we can be tentative sometimes.

Do you still write most of the songs on the piano?

We write in all sorts of different ways, sometimes with the piano, sometimes a baseline and sometimes with beats.

Each track seems to come in its own way, sometimes inspired by a story or event. The most important thing is to be open to it when it comes to you.

I was under the impression, though, that the music sounds a bit richer this time, has a warmer glow to it What were your production goals – and how did you set about realizing them?

Yes, so definitely.

A friend, Tom Mason, who is an incredible Jazz Bassist really added a lot of soul to this one. I normally sketch out the bass on midi but having a talented musician to bring it to life really changes things. Johan Hugo also souped up the beats and mix on this one and just made it all feel a bit brighter and less grunge!

We consciously wanted to bring more people into the creative process and that’s where I think the warmth comes from.

As always on a Kaleida album, the vocals sound incredible. Part of it is of course purely down to the beauty of the voice. But how do you capture that beauty in the studio?

I think vocal approach should be minimal – let the voice shine through.

I never use autotune, only Melodyne and sporadically. I love hearing different intonations in the notes – it’s so boring and predictable to have everything in tune. Listen to any amazing jazz singer and it’s what lies between the notes that brings the character, the human, the story.

Thankfully AI will never be able to achieve this!

It has often been claimed it's because electronic music sounds cold and humans add warmth to it … But Kaleida's music doesn't sound cold at all and still the combination between the instruments and the vocals makes for a combination I don't think an acoustic or electric band could ever achieve …

Ha, I already answered your question! That’s kind of you to say. I actually don’t think electronic music does necessarily sound cold but there’s definitely an interesting interplay between the human and mechanical with voice and electronics.

It’s funny because analog gear now sounds very warm so perhaps it’s all relative and digital will feel warm in comparison to what’s made in 50 years from now?

You mentioned AI. Are there trends in the current music landscape that you feel are worrisome?

I mean, not exactly in the music itself but some aspects of pop visuals are pretty depressing, pretty depressing for young teens and children. Porn culture and exploitation for one.

Should we all be worried about AI?! Probably… but from what I’ve heard so far I can’t say I’ll be jacking it in just yet.

How and for what reasons has your music set-up evolved over the years and what are currently some of the most important pieces of gear and software for you? Have there been technologies which have profoundly influenced, changed or questioned the way you make music?

Hm. Yes, so we use a combination of digital and analog but also acoustic. We use Ableton, which is mission control, and everything flows from there.

I still mainly work from my home studio, even though I know it’s terrible to mix in, it’s just comfortable and I like to get lost there.

I sometimes feel embarrassed that our set-up is so simple and that I don’t have the most complicated plug-ins etc. But I’m not sure any of that matters – I think it’s the love you put into it at the end of the day.

Already as a little kid, I was drawn to all aspects of electronic/electric music but I've never quite been able to put a finger on why this is. What's your own relationship to electronic sounds, rhythms, productions like – what, if any, are fundamental differences with “acoustic“ music and tools?

I’m not sure there are any, they are all just evolving technologies, I guess. At one point the piano was a huge technological invention.

What I like about electronic music today, however, is the freedom. Coming from a classical world, music-making can be quite inhibiting, but in electronic music there are no rules – you go out searching your own sound.

Late producer SOPHIE said: “You have the possibility with electronic music to generate any texture, and any sound. So why would any musician want to limit themselves?” What's your take on that and the relevance of limitations in your set-up and process?

Again, I think I answered your question! I love the freedom in electronic music but I think the human aspect will always be fundamental to music making.

I think the pandemic gave us a quest to re-connect with other humans again and why this album has a lot more colour to it: it’s the interplay of the amazing musicians in combination with the electronics that has brought it to life.

In an earlier interview, you've talked about believing in the power of music. Could you expand on that a bit? What is it about music that gives it this power?

Faith. You have to have hope. I genuinely believe music can heal and it is the space that connects us all, regardless of any man-made boundary.

You've described making music as dipping into a different realm for a while. What do we take from that world into our daily lives? What changes can music bring about?

Music makes us know ourselves more deeply; it roots us. Where would we be without it?

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

Yep, I do not think music making is at all like making a cup of coffee! Coffee I must consume - but music making is something I must look for, I must seek out.

I know it’s out there …

On one of your recent Instagram posts, you asked for feedback on listeners' favorite tracks off Tear The Roots – and I could sense real gratitude no one (save one!) picked “Think”. Was there a sense that the success of that track was getting almost too much – that that track was getting bigger than the band?

We love that people connect with “Think” – it maybe has a special quality – but of course we’re happy to know that our other songs don’t always live in its shadow!