We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cailin Simpson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Cailin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is the release of my debut single this past March. I’ve been writing couplets, poems, and songs for as long as I can remember but I’ve never released anything officially. I was fortunate to have gone to an international school in Beijing that valued the arts just as much as academics which inspired my love for performance. Being a part of musical theater productions in High School gave me the courage to perform my original music but not enough to release anything yet. I graduated high school in 2020. The beginning of Covid, in China. We can all agree that year, we were not okay, far from ok. The next year for me personally was one I didn’t expect at all, even more so than the sudden spread of COVID-19. I went through something that no one should ever have to experience yet every woman I know has experienced it or knows of another who has.
My debut single is called Daughter. It’s not the first song I wrote after what had happened but it’s important to me as it was originally a letter. It is a letter to my mom after I told her what happened. I told her right before I left for NYC to go to college. I have horrible timing, I know. I’m an only child, my parent’s only daughter. My relationship with my mother has evolved, changed, and grown, especially after I left. I finally decided to release this song as I have just finished school and have met such great people in the music scene in NYC. This project is dedicated to my mother and was released on her birthday March 20th, 2024. I hope this song reaches whoever needs it, especially mothers and daughters.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born and raised in Beijing, China, and grew up in the expat community as an American citizen. My mom is originally from Taiwan but grew up in the US from the age of 7 and my dad is from a small city in Eastern Washington. My mom is an entrepreneur supporting women-owned businesses, and bringing American companies into China. My dad is a cameraman for a big American news network. Both have lived in China for over 20 years. They are big inspirations to me.
I’ve always struggled with my identity as a mixed person growing up in a different country other than the one written on my passport. I’ve been walking in between two very different cultures and trying to experience what it means to be Chinese or American. This constant change in perspective and perception has led me to love the art of storytelling. I found a deep connection to films and writing songs and poetry. I craved to combine those two passions, I wanted to make music videos. My parents were big into music and movies so it was a no-brainer that I was drawn to stories and storytelling.
I decided to go to college in NYC to study media and filmmaking in hopes of producing my own someday. While in school I continued writing and eventually discovered a wonderful community within the music scene. When I decided to make music videos, it was for other artists, not my music. That has all changed. In my Junior year, I created a recurring rooftop show called The Indie Series to support independent musicians, having them share their music in an intimate and welcoming environment.
Since finishing school I have released my debut single, continued to play live venue shows, and worked with local businesses such as Leesta Vall Records in recording my very own Direct-to Vinyl record.
My dream and goal is to create a multi-media production company. I want to collaborate with other artists in mixing mediums and creating new and innovative ways of telling stories. Whether in the form of a longer narrative music video, a concept album project, an experimental audio-mixed visual arts venture or simply playing with multiple genres of music or film. I want to create a space where the relationship between audio and visuals is highlighted and challenged.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is collaborating with creatives. The creative community values connection a lot more than other fields. Collaborating, sharing ideas, and inspiring one another is fundamental to creating art. When I started working on projects, I was proud that it would be solely my creation. Although this way of approaching art was not sustainable, I struggled to finish anything and felt completely burnt out. I found that especially while working on film projects it was almost impossible to achieve the outcomes I had had in mind for that project without help. It’s tempting in this hustle culture to compete and compare your work with other artists. At the end of the day, this may do more harm than good. When I finally decided to ask for help and input, it was then that I found a new profound respect for and relationship with art and the human condition. We not only create for ourselves but for each other, why take away one of the most important aspects of art from the creative process? Working together on something you are passionate about, driven, and inspired by is one of the most rewarding feelings anyone can have, artist or not.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Advocating for women’s rights and mental health has always been a huge part of my work. I hope to create more projects where relationships and womanhood are the focus. A huge goal of mine is to work with more women in their respective creative fields and to take the opportunity to listen to their stories and ideas.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cailin.hope/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cailin.simpson.52/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cailin-simpson-54100a9b/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF0FPMKBe2XlICnL1PfoEDA
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/GhVd9UHHivNK9sk36