Catching Up with CADE
Tampa-native Ultra Music/Sony recording artist and BMI songwriter, CADE, has accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time. Recently turning 23, CADE has already accumulated hundreds of millions of streams for his songs on Spotify and collaborated with the likes of Cheat Codes, DESIIGNER, Jennifer Lopez, Lauv, Lil Aaron, and more. He’s performed at music festivals around the world and has opened up for artists such as Mike Posner, Jeremih, Juicy J, and Kesha. BMI’s Associate Director, Creative, Los Angeles David Streit had the opportunity to sit down with CADE to learn more about the electronic musician’s journey through the industry. Here’s what he had to say.
Breaking into the music business can be hard, especially when you’re not in a major music city. How did you break into the industry as a young artist from Tampa, FL?
Being in Tampa, I focused all of my time and energy on writing and producing in the studio. I would lock myself in the studio for days on end, making as much music as possible. I started music-directing for touring bands in an effort to meet more of the industry outside of Tampa, and on my first tour, I met Trevor Dahl of Cheat Codes. We bonded over music and how we both loved spending all our time in the studio. He invited me out to LA, I packed up and moved in, and the rest is history.
What advice would you give other aspiring artists and songwriters who are trying to break into the business?
Use social media as a tool to connect with other artists and collaborators. More importantly, spend the majority of your time and energy on mastering your skill sets as an artist or songwriter. Put the extra time in and don’t get distracted by “how” everything is going to happen for you. If you’re working hard and you want it enough, it will.
You’ve achieved some impressive streaming numbers on your music before signing with ULTRA last summer. How have things changed since then?
Thank you! Signing with ULTRA has opened so many doors and given me the ability to take my music to the next level. I’ve been able to work with better artists / songwriters / producers than ever before. The best part about working with ULTRA is they allow me to keep the creative control that I had as an independent artist, while assisting me in bringing my vision to life with a great worldwide team of hard-working individuals.
As a singer, songwriter, producer, and artist, you’ve collaborated with Cheat Codes, Lauv, Jennifer Lopez, Lil Aaron, and most recently DESIIGNER on one of your latest tracks “Home To You.” What is more fun for you: collaborating with others or making music on your own?
Collaborating with others is always really exciting to me. It’s dope being able to bounce ideas back and forth and push yourself out of your comfort zone. At the same time, I’ll always appreciate the freedom of making music on my own, as that’s what I fell in love with in the first place.
You’ve played some amazing festivals around the world with some incredible artists. What was your favorite show you ever played and why?
My favorite show yet has to be We The Fest, which I actually just played in Jakarta. So many people showed out for my set, and I was able to play my latest single ‘Yours’ before it was released. The crowd’s energy was insane and I can’t wait to get back
What is something you want people to know about you that they might not already be aware of?
My first EP collection with ULTRA, Wolf Blue, is coming later this fall. I wrote, sang and produced on every record, so it feels really honest and authentic to me. I poured everything I have into this music and couldn’t be more excited for everybody to make it their own.
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