by alex grainger
photo courtesy of katherine li
Katherine Li recently released her debut EP Crush(ed). Self-proclaimed sad girl, Katherine Li takes listeners through the shattering experience of a “crush that stayed a crush.” From the first encounter to the last stage of acceptance, the EP explores polarizing sounds to either “sob uncontrollably to, or have a dance party to.” Being a bit of a Tik Tok sensation, Li turned to her digital community of hopeless romantics during the creation of Crush(ed). Her followers not only heard the original snippets of songs which would turn into the EP, but also helped her decide which tracks were best to tell the story of Crush(ed). Read more about Katherine Li and Crush(ed) below!
Can you tell us what your debut EP Crush(ed) is about? Are you telling a story through the EP?
Katherine: “Crush(ed) takes listeners on a journey of unrequited love. The crush that stayed a crush. The EP outlines the 5 stages of having a crush: 1.) The Encounter 2.) Realization 3.) Denial 4.) Hate 5.) Acceptance. In other words, my love life [laughs].”
What’s the meaning behind the EP title, Crush(ed)?
Katherine: “The EP title is suggesting the ‘double-meaning’ behind having a crush. A crush can be seen as exciting, fun, but more often than not (in least in my experiences), you learn that it’s called a ‘crush’ because you get crushed by them.”
What was the creative process behind the EP?
Katherine: “This EP consists of the very first songs I’ve ever made, so finding ‘my sound’ was a huge part of the creative process. I was lucky enough to work with (the very very very talented) Joe Avio, who produced all the songs on Crush(ed). I feel like him and I were on the same wavelength while making these songs [laughs], I think they all turned out amazing and I’m in love with every single track.”
How would you describe your sound? Since this is your debut EP, how important was it for you to develop a sound that represented who you are as an artist?
Katherine: “My sound definitely lives in the ‘sad girl’ space, BUT it’s also spiced up a bit with very cool instrumentals and other elements (thanks Joe!!!). I think most of my songs are ones that you can either sob uncontrollably to, or have a dance party to [laughs]. With Crush(ed) being my debut EP, it was super important for me to find the perfect sound. After the process of finding the sonic space of my first single, ‘We Didn’t Even Date,’ the sound for the rest of the EP quickly followed!”
The EP takes listeners through the stages of having a crush. Was there a specific stage in this journey which was most difficult to articulate? One which was the easiest?
Katherine: “The most difficult stage to articulate was ‘Hate.’ For me, the ‘Hate’ stage of a crush happens very quick, so I had to dig up ALL the negativity I had in me and spill it into three minutes worth of song. The easiest stage to write about was ‘Realization.’ This is when you realize you never had a chance with your crush. Most of my time is spent in this stage so there’s A LOT for me to talk about, maybe even an ENTIRE EP’s worth of songs…”
Is there a song off Crush(ed) you are most proud of? One that was the most challenging to create? One that was the most fun to create?
Katherine: “I’m proud of the entire EP, I don’t think I could choose just one song! Every track means so much to me. The most challenging song to create was ‘I Don’t Care,’ more specifically writing it. It was a bit more difficult for me to write openly about how I felt about watching everyone around me fall in love. The most fun song to create was ‘Happening Again.’ This was the first track that Joe and I made together in the same room! I loved watching the whole song come together piece-by-piece, it makes the final product super interesting to listen to.”
How have you grown as an artist through the release of Crush(ed)?
Katherine: “I always thought that the songs I wrote would mainly be slow piano ballads, but the release of Crush(ed) has pushed me outside the usual ‘sad girl Katherine’ comfort zone. There are some tracks that are more on the upbeat vibe which is different from the sound I usually fall back on. But I’ve fallen in love with trying new things and I’ve been keeping that in my back pocket for the new songs that I make!”
What role did TikTok play in the creation and release of Crush(ed)? Did any of the EP tracks originate as a simple TikTok video?
Katherine: “TikTok played a huge role in the creation and release of Crush(ed). I’m quite the indecisive person [laughs], so I turned to TikTok to figure out which songs would make the EP. Four of the six songs from Crush(ed) started out as short clips from TikTok videos. It’s crazy how 15-second snippets of songs can eventually turn into a fully produced project!”
What are you most proud of upon the release of Crush(ed)?
Katherine: “I’m most proud and thankful to have started to build a little community of fellow people going through unrequited love, and get heartbroken over crushes. It’s been surreal and comforting reading messages from everyone who can relate to the songs on Crush(ed) and going through the same thing as me. HOPELESS ROMANTICS UNITE!!”