Q&A: Katrina Weissman Aches for Alternate Reality in Newest Single “Wasted Space”

Q&AMusic

Aug 19

☆ BY Vanessa Valenzuela ☆

SOMETIMES HARSH TRUTHS CAN BE EMBRACED AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DETESTED — Who among us hasn’t spent all of our energy hopelessly longing for a reality that will never come true? Hailing from New Jersey, singer-songwriter Katrina Weissman incorporates this vulnerable and humanistic approach in everything she creates. In her most recent single, “Wasted Space,” Weissman draws on the desolate, lonely feelings she experienced during quarantine in her hometown.

Sonically, the track harkens back to a time of grittier alternative, conjuring up similar emotions one may feel when listening to artists like Fiona Apple or The Cranberries. Tinged with nostalgia, there is a disenchanted aura to her lyricism and an ever-growing melodic buildup that mimics unrequited, yearning desire for the mere presence of another person. Weissman’s smoky harmonies selfishly ask for one last chance at having a warm connection, and she dejectedly proclaims she does not want to be alone, knowing that it may be the only outcome after all has been said and done.

Weissman is currently a student at UCLA and plans on releasing more singles sprinkled throughout the year. With more hands-on control in the production process, she hopes to flourish on the foundation she has set for herself.

Read below to learn more about her musical background, artistic processes, and how her angsty inspirations of the past have shaped her persona into who she is today.

LUNA: How did you get started in music?

WEISSMAN: I’ve loved music all my life. I guess I officially started as a little kid with piano lessons, musical theater and things like that. In high school I joined the marching band and formed my own band from there. I’d always been writing songs and when I met other musicians who were interested in starting a band it was really exciting, because I was like, “Oh, I can really bring these songs to life now.” But I don't know, there's not one single moment I can think of that really set me into a path of music. When I started writing songs, it just felt like a creative impulse. Almost in a childish way — always making things. Then it stuck.

LUNA: It's like you want to get your hands on something, and if other people want to do it too, then you're like, “Okay, we'll see what comes out of this.”

WEISSMAN: Totally. And then when I got to college, it was even more amazing. I'm from New Jersey, so when I started going to school in LA, I couldn't believe how vibrant the music scene was here. And I know that it's like, classic. Of course the music scene in LA is amazing. I guess I always thought that New York was at least an equivalent, but it’s just not the same. And the amount of people at UCLA specifically who create music and who want to create music is just insane. I think the Westwood music scene is super underrated, and it's been killing it this year.

LUNA: You’ve stated that “Wasted Space” was created in a self-quarantine kind of environment. What was that process like?

WEISSMAN: I tried writing a lot during the pandemic. Sometimes it was impossible because it's just hard to be creative when you're in such a state of isolation and anxiety and all of that. But I did have a few great bursts of creativity where I could channel my emotions in a positive way. “Wasted Space” is definitely one of those songs.

It grew from a demo my co-producer sent me with some chords, a beat and a catchy synth line. It was in a difficult key for me and I couldn’t quite latch onto the tempo, but there was something I really liked about the melody and vibe of it. So I took the chords with my acoustic guitar and started writing the song from there. It’s always easiest for me to write alone with my guitar. After that we adjusted the demo to it and worked on Zoom and Audio Movers to figure out the full arrangement and scrapped whatever wasn’t working. We usually work online like that because we go to school on opposite coasts, but it’s from this process of writing and rewriting together that we’ve made some great stuff.

In terms of lyrics, I think it’s a relatable quarantine song of just — I really don't want to be stuck in my house anymore. I don't want to be alone all the time. This was my sophomore year of college, and I had had a pretty intense breakup coming off of high school. I think because of COVID, it lingered for a little bit, and that's really present in the song. The frustration and also the guilt of getting stuck in old routines and knowing that it isn’t good for you, but also knowing that you don’t want it to end and face up to the reality of isolation.

LUNA: That’s the vibe I was getting from it — you want to expend that energy even though you know it’s not going to lead anywhere at all. I think it's important to have songs like that because we spend so much time suppressing our emotions.

WEISSMAN: Yeah, this song is not optimistic. Some of my songs maybe are a little bit more optimistic, but this song specifically– it's not to make anyone feel better about anything. It's not to make myself feel better about anything. It's truly for wallowing and being pissed off and frustrated. But it's honest — it's definitely honest.

LUNA: Would you say that when you write lyrics, is it more so based on real situations and emotions or are you channeling inspiration from other things?

WEISSMAN: When I was younger, I used to play songs more off of TV shows and movies. But as I got older, they've definitely gotten a lot more real. Recently, I've been trying to take images of very emotionally intense times for me, and translating them into songs, which is more like a classic poetry technique. But I find it really helpful for getting words down the page, and asking, why does this image stick out in my head? And, why am I describing it in this way? And then looking for meanings from there.

LUNA: Speaking of movies, I did feel like I was in a ’90s coming-of-age movie when I listened to it. Do any movies from that era inspire you, or movies in general?

WEISSMAN: This is more 70’s but I think I found my new favorite movie– it might be a little too early to say “favorite” because I've only watched it once, but I just saw Harold and Maude and was like, “this is perfect.” I haven’t written a song about it but I do love the boardwalk pin scene. The one where Maude chucks a pin Harold made for her in the water and says “so I’ll always know where it is.” Maybe that’ll show up in a song someday. I don't think there’s any “Wasted Space” movie inspiration. But I totally feel the 90s in it. I love bands like Liz Phair and the Cranberries. Music like that is super important to me.

LUNA: What draws you to those inspirations? Is it their sound or the material they write about?

WEISSMAN: With Liz Phair and Fiona Apple — it's definitely the honesty that I'm drawn to. I think Fiona Apple especially is not afraid to be really self-aware about her fragility and [spill] everything on the page. It doesn’t seem like she's writing for anyone but herself. I really resonate with that, and I think that that can make a song really powerful. And for Liz Phair, it’s definitely the angst I’m drawn to. I love both of their abilities to put everything aside and really channel what they’re feeling, and not trying to think about how it's going to come off, or if people will like it. It's a very human impulse to be vulnerable in a creative sense that way

With The Cranberries, it's more of a sound thing. Especially “Linger.” I think the way that she uses her voice is so beautiful and I've been trying to echo that a lot with my own voice. And I love the jangly guitars and the kind of glittery sound that's coded throughout all of their work. I also recently added this amazing violinist to the band and have been relishing in a few “you remind me of The Cranberries” remarks we’ve gotten at shows. But yeah, I think The Cranberries is more my musical inspiration. And then artists like Liz Phair and Fiona Apple are more for my lyrics.

LUNA: Did anything in particular get you into singing?

WEISSMAN: I used to do musical theater when I was a kid, and I think that was the first time I realized that I had any semblance of musical skill. That definitely was helpful. But my mom likes to say that I was always singing in the house anyway. I think it's just something that comes naturally to me. It's the easiest way for me to express myself. I very much feel that I'm in a state of flow when I am alone in my room, playing guitar, probably pissing off my neighbors — it’s the most therapeutic and perfect thing for me.

LUNA: You can have dinner with anyone, dead or alive. Who is it and why?

WEISSMAN: I would love to get dinner with Phoebe Waller-Bridge. She would just make me giggle. I feel like she has a similar kind of honesty and rage as Fiona and Liz but coated in charm. There’s something really infatuating about those emotions being channeled into humor. She would certainly be the most entertaining dinner guest.

LUNA: What do you have planned for the future?

WEISSMAN: I'm planning a show on the 21st in Westwood called Crybaby Fest — that's just going to be a fun end of summer fiasco with some bands and vendors. I also have a UCLA Radio in-station performance coming up in the next two weeks or so. Beyond that, I’m just focusing on these other singles and, unfortunately, marketing myself on Instagram and Tiktok. I'm trying to be optimistic about it, even though it doesn't come naturally to me. My most popular TikTok is actually me talking about how much I hate making TikToks. So I guess honesty works.

But yeah I’m mostly working on the music. I took a lot of audio engineering classes this year, which is something I was super fortunate to do and totally fell in love with it. It’s allowed me to record and mix new songs myself which has been super helpful to the whole process. It also gives me the language to communicate more with my co-producer.

LUNA: That work, I think that's the type of stuff that helps people grow.

WEISSMAN: Definitely. It's something that I never thought that I could do until I had these wonderful teachers put the pen in my hand, and say, “it's for everyone. You can do it, and you can be good at it.” It’s been a very empowering experience.

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