Did you know that the devil wears carhartt? To Kaity this statement is true, and you will soon find out why. Kaity (They/Them) is a 22-year-old musician who grew up in Payson, Arizona. They were excited to leave their small hometown for Tucson, Arizona since there was not an active music scene In Payson. After Kaity moved to Tucson, they quickly realized that the music scene here is a welcoming community with a lot of talented artists. Kaity vividly remembers the first local show they went to here in Tucson, Arizona which was a “New Misphoria” concert at Club Congress. For them, this show was life-changing because while the band was performing, Kaity decided that they also wanted to be on stage performing their own music. This moment confirmed for them that Tucson is exactly where they belonged. Coincidentally, now Club Congress is Kaity’s favorite venue to perform here in Tucson.

Kaity plays guitar, piano, and sings, all while currently learning how to play the drums. They have been playing the guitar since they were 14, and it still remains their favorite instrument to play. For Kaity, music is their own personal journal. Kaity explained to me that creating music is the only way they can express themselves without having to put a filter on what they want to say. They tell me that they often have a hard time being honest with themselves and putting their thoughts and feelings into words. However, when they are eventually ready to release their emotions, they are able to create beautiful music that means so much to them.

Kaity’s solo project started in 2020 and is self-titled “Kaity”. All the songs they have released under “Kaity” were written from the age of 15 up until now. Kaity calls their genre “Southwest Emo” instead of “Midwest Emo” because they claim that they would “never step foot in the Midwest”. Other than their self-titled project “Kaity”, they also create music for a few different projects. Their other active project is their band named “Chick Adjacent”. They explained to me that this project focuses on “storytelling about religious trauma that’s wrapped up in the queer experience, and how these experiences can lead to feeling like an outcast”. Both projects take a lot of inspiration from different artists, including Blind Melon, Adrianne Lenker, Black Sabbath, Modern Baseball, and their favorite band Microwave.

I asked Kaity if there was any local artist they would love to collaborate with. They said that they would be honored to collaborate with New Misphoria. Being able to make music with the band that initially introduced them to the scene would be so special to them. Outside of Tucson, they stated that they would love to collaborate with the artist “Born Without Bones”. Kaity tells me that they have listened to and loved this band for a long time and were excited to tell me that they will be opening up for their headlining show on November 5th at Club Congress. Be sure not to miss that!

Kaity focuses their storytelling lyrics on writing about situations that have significantly affected them. They also enjoy writing their lyrics vague enough to where they can be up for the listeners’ interpretation. In April of this year, Kaity released their first EP called “Eighty-Sixed”. This EP consists of two songs: “drunk slobbering b!tch” and “the devil wears carhartt.” This EP mentions serious topics including domestic violence, abuse, and alcoholism. These songs are about the abuse they experienced in a romantic relationship with their former drummer. Luckily, they were able to leave that relationship and can now advocate against domestic violence both vocally and through their music. The song titled “drunk slobbering b!tch” was written while Kaity was still actively in an abusive relationship with their former drummer. They told me that they had been performing this song on stage together for 6 months, and during that time their girlfriend had no idea that “drunk slobbering b!tch” was even about her. Two weeks after Kaity left the relationship, they wrote the next song on the EP titled, “the devil wears carhartt”. They expressed to me that it’s difficult for them to write a song while they are still experiencing a difficult situation, and it is not until after they’ve had time to process it that they are then able to pick up the guitar and start creating music about it. 

The first time Kaity and their band played “the devil wears carhartt” live, was at a show in San Diego. They told me that numerous people came up to them afterwards and gave them positive feedback about the song. This moment was especially meaningful to Kaity due to the nature of how personal “the devil wears carhartt” is to them. It is important for them to not only be able to create art with their words, but also the cover art for “Eighty-Sixed” continues to highlight the story further. Kaity’s favorite photographer, Leo Paredes, assisted them in capturing a photo that highlights a sensitive matter in a delicate and artistic way, and it’s something they are both proud of. In the Eighty-Sixed cover photo, Kaity’s friend Emmet is posed in the photo as Kaity’s ex. They are wearing a carhartt shirt with their back away from the camera, drinking a bottle of Tito’s and holding a pair of drumsticks as Kaity is sitting right next to them with tears running down their face. Once you listen to the EP you can easily spot the meaning in the cover art.

Kaity revealed to me that their song “the devil wears carhartt” is the song that they are most proud of creating. They told me that despite the pain that they had to endure, they are glad that they can turn what happened to them into something beautiful. It is important to them that they can share their story with others through their music. Since leaving their abuser, Kaity now has a new drummer, Juan, and a bassist named Lizzie. Kaity is so grateful for their new bandmates, and states that Lizzie, and Juan are their number one supporters.

A common theme that Kaity’s music focuses on is queer experiences. For a long time, they had struggled with how they identify, but now they are in a place where they are most comfortable not labeling themselves. Kaity highlights how important it is for their music and shows to be a safe place for queer people, domestic violence survivors, or anyone who has felt ostracized by their community. The core of why they make music will always be to connect with their community and to make people feel welcomed.

What can you expect from Kaity and Chick Adjacent for the remainder of this year? Well, both bands are working on recording new music, Kaity has a new song coming out soon called “Nerf or Nothing.” Chick Adjacent is also working on a new EP that will hopefully be released by the end of this year. In the meantime, please stream Kaity’s EP “Eighty-Sixed” on all streaming platforms and please always remember that the devil does in fact wear carhartt.

Article written by: Sara Ramirez

Co-editor: Maya Ramirez