Unmasking the Lyrical Clown: An interview with Beatrix on her musical journey and upcoming LP Vertigo

Beatrix Kasnetz is a multifaceted singer-songwriter, already known for her evocative and introspective music. The C Word Magazine is her first-ever interview, so grab your exclusive front-row seats and get swept up into the world of this incredibly down-to-earth and talented musician, who enjoys everything from Debussy to Charli XCX (relatable).

Nicolle: Hi, Beatrix, why don’t you introduce yourself and your music style to our readers and any new potential fans?

Beatrix: Hi, I’m Beatrix - I like to share my deepest darkest thoughts cloaked in the obscurity of songs. I’m from the suburbs of New Jersey and moved to LA about two years ago - I started writing as Beatrix post-college. My background is in classical music, and my music is inspired by 90s alt-rock, indie singer-songwriter lyricists, and chamber pop. I love psychological thriller movies and the colour chartreuse.

Nicolle: What song made you fall in love with music and want to be an artist?

Beatrix: “Over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz. My brain chemistry was permanently altered by that song. It completely unlocked my imagination. Judy Garland also has the best voice ever… they don’t make them like that anymore. I cry almost every time I hear it. 

Nicolle: At what age did you write your first song? What was it about?

Beatrix: I wrote a song when I was in elementary school called “Come Back To Me” about an imaginary boyfriend. I guess I wanted him to come back. I didn’t write anything for ages after that until college!

Nicolle: Who would you say are your biggest influences? 

Beatrix: I love alt-rock bands like Radiohead and early Coldplay. Some of my favourite singers/songwriters are Mitski, Fiona Apple, and Andy Shauf. Lyrics are really important to me. I do listen to everything, though. In college, I studied classical and jazz music - I love French composers like Messiaen, Ravel, and Debussy. Phillip Glass is sick. I tend to like music that leaves me sort of, unsettled. But also, Charli XCX.

Nicolle: What are some of the most recurring themes in your songs?

Beatrix: Whatever I end up writing about is usually what’s at the forefront of my subconscious. I write a lot from this liminal space where I’m wondering, “What happened, what is, what comes next?” I take scenes from my everyday life and use them as my centrepieces. For example, I write a lot about my anxiety around love. In my song “Skeletons”, I was writing about a time I was dancing with my boyfriend in his kitchen and how I was terrified because it was right then that I knew I loved him and wanted to stay there forever. Dramatic, I know.

Nicolle: If you could pick anyone to write a song with, who would it be?

Beatrix: I feel really lucky that I did write a song with that person - it’s my friend Georgia Parker. She’s an incredible artist, and the first time I listened to her verse on our song, I couldn’t breathe. She just has a way of cutting right to the centre of you.

Nicolle: In your music video for Vertigo you styled yourself as a Clown - any particular reason for that?

Beatrix: Yes, the song is about me being an acrobat trying to avoid falling in love. I tried to convey that with the lines “walking a tightrope with both of my feet on the ground” and “I can spin plates on the tallest of stakes, anything to keep my heart from you”. Vertigo is the name of the album because it’s about the disorientation I experienced during the period I wrote those songs (my early/mid-20s). I feel like a clown in the circus of my life, trying to perform for everyone - including myself. The clown also embodies the facet of my personality that dramatises my life and makes it into art. Also, clowns just look cool. 

Nicolle: Do you have a songwriting ritual? If yes, what does it include?

Beatrix: I usually write in my room, and I’m always alone. It’s like writing in my diary - very private. I don’t usually show anyone a song until I’ve finished writing it. I start on piano or guitar and play until I find a progression or a melodic idea that sticks with me and loop it while I improvise over it. I try not to think too hard about the lyrics at first, and just say whatever comes to me or use vowels. Once I have the basic structure of the song and the melody, I go back in and revise the lyrics. One exception to that is my song “Vertigo” - I wrote the lyrics to that one first, and then set it to music. 

Nicolle: Your new LP Vertigo is coming out this July. What was writing it like? Did you get to work with any of your favourite people?

Beatrix: Making Vertigo was the hardest and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I wrote the title track in October of 2022 and it was the first time I had written anything I loved, and I got addicted. I was working full-time as a nanny until the New Year and that’s when things really picked up and I wrote the rest of the record. I recorded the majority of it with Charles Myers in his basement studio in Brooklyn. Charles is an insanely talented guitarist/producer. I knew of him because of his work with Yebba - they’ve been a huge inspiration for me, so I was stoked when he wanted to produce the record. It was his first time doing a full album and mine too, so we learned so much together. He asked Jason Burger to play the drums, which I was so excited about because he played on one of my favourite records of all time - Masterpiece by Big Thief. I DMed Tyler Chester because I was such a fan of his work with Madison Cunningham and love what we made together so much. I could literally go down the list of every single person who contributed to the record how incredible they are and how honored I am that they played with me. It’s insane. I also got to work with Ryan Lerman, which was very special. He’s my favourite person and musician. We were both working on our own albums at the same time, and it was really inspiring and motivating. Philip Etherington mixed the record and I swear I’ve been manifesting working with him for like 4 years so that was pretty crazy. So yes, I got to work with all of my favourite people!

Beatrix’s debut LP Vertigo is coming out on July 12th and you can presave it here. Follow Beatrix and what she’s up to on Instagram

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Nicolle Knapova is a 30-year-old young adult writer and freelance blogger from the Czech Republic. She has a master’s degree in Creative Writing and Publishing at Bournemouth University. She loves to write about music, books and tv shows. If she’s not writing her fan fiction, she’s writing her poetry and sharing it on her Instagram @elisecaverly