Caity Baser at Reading 2023: "It's amazing to have a full-circle moment on an even bigger stage"

Of all the popsters with potential around at the moment, Caity Baser might be the most fun of the lot. With a big serving of personality and the bops to match, she's been building up a catalogue of should-be-smash-hits over the last year or so.

Twelve months ago, she was smashing her set on Reading's BBC Introducing Stage - an introduction to festivals that has continued into 2023. This year, she was back for a bigger slot on the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage, and as you might expect, she did it again.

We caught up with her before her performance for a quick festival catch-up.

You Loud London lot have absolutely smashed festival season to bits this year.

We really have, and it's so nice to have a group of girls doing the same shit that you're doing. They understand everything you're going through, all the highs, all the lows. It's just nice to have people that you actually get along with that are doing what you're doing. 

It feels like you've done every single festival.

I really feel like I have. It's amazing. And it's almost over. I'm just gonna be super, super mega sad when it's over.

And this is like full circle, was this the only festival you did last year?

Yeah, it was the first festival I did last year, I was on the Introducing Stage. I genuinely thought nobody was gonna turn up because I'd never done a festival before, and then as I'm getting ready to go on, I hear the crowd going "Caity! Caity!" I said to my manager, what's that sound? And she goes, take your ears out Caity. And I was like, 'Is that all for me'? It's amazing to have a full-circle moment on an even bigger stage.

You're gonna pack it out.

I have to pack it out. I have to do it. I must do it. And I feel like I will.

You have been quite consistently releasing throughout festival season?

Oh my god, yeah, it's been studio sessions plus festivals. Plus, like testing stuff online and seeing what works. But today I'm actually debuting another single for the first time in the world ever.

Can you tell us about Disco Shoes?

I can tell you exactly about 'Disco Shoes'. It's all about me having a problem going out and having so much fun all the time. Because I remember I texted in the group chat saying, 'Let's go out. Let's go out again tonight'. And one of my friends was like, 'You've got a problem Caity'. And I was like, 'No, I'm just 20. I want to go out and have a dance'. And all my friends were like, "eah, let's do it'. But that was one that was not on it. So I made a song called 'Disco Shoes'. And now whenever they don't want to go out I say, 'Put your disco shoes on. We're going out'. Mine are always on, I must say.

You're wearing some quite extravagant shoes. 

Oh, they are. 

What else have you got coming up for the rest of the year?

I'm going to Australia. I'm also going to be announcing something really cool. Really, really cool. Around October-ish time, and then I'm going to Australia.

Does it start with "a" and end with "lbum"?

It rhymes with "shalbum".  Definitely big shalbum. I have to say, twist my arm, album. It's only right. I'm just announcing it. I don't know when it's going to come out, but it's almost finished.

Who have you been working with on it?

Just the usual boys. Whyjay & Litek, they're very cool. Tom Mann, Gracey, I worked with venbee a bit.

What can we expect from your show today?

Lots of surprises. Lots of fun. Lots of giggles. Lots of leaping and jumping. Maybe some splits, maybe a cartwheel. Maybe a snog?

Were you a gymnast in a past life?

I was, I did gymnastics, and I did dance for like seven years. 

Can you still do the splits? 

Yeah, it's one of my favourite moves.