Getting coffee with CAUGHY: Q&A

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Getting coffee with CAUGHY: Q&A

By Scott “Beans” Belzer

There’s music you sing to, music you dance to, music you headbang and mosh to, and music you simply vibe to. Music in the latter category allows time for introspection, self-love, self-reflection, and even some healing if you allow yourself to let the grooves overtake you. Singer/songwriter Aidan Caughy’s project—simply titled Caughy (pronounced Caw-Hee) provides such a tapestry of sound.

Wielding a wide array of tools—ranging from a keyboard to a tenor saxophone—Caughy is a “bedroom produced” project from right here in the good ol’ ATL. The project is a groovy electro-indie project that’s great for many occasions, including a cozy day in, a night out dancing or simply vibin’ while drivin’. 

We caught up with the dance-pop maestro to see what it’s all about. 

  1. CAUGHY! What’s up?

    Hiiiiii!
  2. What is Caughy? What’s the project’s origin story?

Caughy is my solo musical project. It’s also my last name. It’s always been bedroom-produced work by me, and I started it in 2018 while I was in high school. By 2020 it took on a dance-ier feel that leans into tranquil house. The project I’m currently working on (titled “TV Dinner” to be released in 2025) has an even more electronica feel. At times, not as dance-pop oriented as my previous work, but more relaxing and focused on atmospheric elements. I’m very excited to share this!

  1. I’ve always been enamored with the songwriting process for this kind of dreamy electronic indie. Do you begin with a melody? A beat? Lyrics? Or is it deeper than that? 

I typically start with instrumentals. I start with sounds that I like and develop chords. Over time I’ll write lyric ideas down in my notes. Once I have an instrumental, I’ll pick out the lyric that I think best resonates with the emotion of it and I’ll build out from there. 

  1. How does a song like your new single, “That Lizard,” come together and evolve?

“That Lizard” started with the instrumental. I started it when I had a whole day to myself. I switched off between working on it and watching The Twilight Zone while drinking tea. I started with the chorus and then I wrote the verses. 

  1. Caughy seems like a project that certainly takes advantage of many instruments and several types of sound. What’s your most prized instrument in the arsenal? What’s the most important?

My most prized instrument would have to be my tenor saxophone, but the most important would by my Yamaha DX7. The FM sound is really the backbone behind a lot of my production. 

  1. Along the same lines – what was your first instrument? What was the first love that kicked this whole thing off?

My first instrument was the saxophone in middle school band. My first love for music in general was when I joined the school’s jazz band and we started to improvise. At the same time, I was also discovering electronic music. I can remember being on the bus listening to Daft Punk and Deadmau5.

  1. What’s your relationship with that instrument like now that you’ve explored other avenues of expression?

By the time I graduated high school I was really burned out on the saxophone and leaned far more towards synthesizers and electronic instruments. Since then, over the past few years I’ve rediscovered my joy of playing it and actively incorporating it more in my work. 

  1. What’s the secret to successfully producing music in a bedroom, without the typical studio and help from a producer? Is there a schedule you adhere to? A certain process? An order of operations, if you will?

It can be really overwhelming when you first start. But it’s important to be comfortable in that and take each point of confusion step by step. It can be really lovely for an artist like myself to have complete control of each part creating the music. I’ve worked with mixing and mastering engineers in the past, and it really does change the process.

Being completely independent, the schedules I form for projects are completely made by myself. This can be both helpful and tiring. It’s nice how adaptable timelines can be but also it can be hard to keep on track when I’m the one holding myself accountable.

  1. How do you know a song is ready to be shared with the world? What secret sauce must each track contain before you, personally, absolutely know it’s ready? Do you ever truly know?

This is honestly really hard, even for the music that I’m currently working on. Especially with being so involved with all the aspects of production and engineering, it can be very difficult to know when to take a step away from it. At what point have you gotten it to as good as it can be? By the time I’m working out the kinks of the final master I’ll listen to it a lot, many times too much. Usually after enough time goes by and I still feel great about it, I call it a day.

  1. Many artists have a certain aversion to vulnerability. It seems organic in Caughy and at-one with the general vibe of the project. What’s the trick to really letting go and bearing your soul? Does your production process lend itself to this?

I really appreciate this! I’ve always gone for this type of vibe. I think the bedroom style helps create this intimate feeling, and I think the songwriting has followed this energy as well. The Caughy project has been huge with me coming of age, as I’ve worked on it since I was 16 and am now still working on it at 22. When I listen back, I hear myself come to terms with my identity. I hear the changes around me and confusions that came with them during these years. It may be cliché, but I think for artists to do this successfully, their work needs to reflect their truth. 

  1. What sort of unique offerings does Atlanta have for musicians like yourself? Does it offer anything special to this blend of electric indie pop?

Atlanta really is special! You can find like-minded and forward-thinking people here. I’ve met such talented folks with insane amounts of ambition. You really can find your crowd. Though Atlanta is very trap- and punk-oriented, there are all sorts of sounds going on here. It’s a great place to be for collaboration. Atlanta very much so has a hustle culture and people want to work. They’re excited and pushed to create together.

  1. Along the same lines, what venues should Caughy fans be scoping out for this type of sonic experience?

I recently played Star Bar for the first time and found the crowd very welcoming! There are lots of places you can go to for more chill atmospheric vibes, such as The Waiting Room on Tuesday nights when they have jazz jams.

  1. What can folks expect during your show at Boggs?

People can expect a nice blend of dance percussion and atmospheric instrumentation. It will be synthy and it will be jazzy. It won’t be the highest energy show they’ll see this month (or even likely that night) but it will be very groovy and soothing.

  1.  What sort of advice do you have for aspiring musicians?

Stay true to yourself and make art for whatever reason feels best to you. Don’t forget to have fun.

Caughy performs live at Boggs Social & Supply on Tuesday, November 19th with Nelward, Luxtress, and V Love. Tickets are on sale HERE.