We had a chat with rising singer-songwriter and guitarist Kristen Castro about her alluring and dreamy new single ‘Malibu’
Armed with a soft, dreamy allure and a thoughtful and a vulnerability and charm that feels both intimate and inviting, latest Kristen Castro single ‘Malibu’ is a track that does a great job of highlighting the multi-faceted, personable appeal of the artist and her sound, making for an endlessly engrossing listening experience that gently ushers you into the artist’s lush sonic world.
The track is the first taste of Kristen’s upcoming debut album Capricorn Baby, a release that will continue to flesh out some of the themes like reflection and intuition and the things that have led the emerging artist onto the path that she is on right now. If the rest of the album is anything like ‘Malibu’ it promises to be a captivating and immersive time that is packed full of neat sonic quirks and alluring instrumentation, and we had a chat with Kristen to find out a bit more about the new single and what we should expect from the artist and the new album as a whole in the near future.
Hey! We love your new single ‘Malibu’, what more can you tell us about it?
Thank you! Malibu is a really special song to me. I wrote it during a time when I was seriously considering giving up music altogether. I was out in California thinking of desk jobs, thinking maybe that was a safer path. But somewhere in the middle of all that confusion and heartbreak, this song came through.
It was actually after a reading with an astrologer, she told me to follow intuition for a week. So I did. And that’s when ‘Malibu’ started unfolding. It became the beginning of me believing in myself again. It was the domino that knocked everything into motion.
What was the process like putting it together?
One of my favorite parts of the process was scrapping all the polished acoustic guitar takes and using a raw iphone voice memo instead, that’s what you actually hear in the final version. It felt more honest. The whole thing came together through a mix of chaos, intention, and so much love.
Writing, producing, and mixing ‘Malibu’ was the beginning of a wild musical journey. The song has traveled with literally being in Amsterdam, Italy, Nashville, Las Vegas, and California.
I wanted to give up so many times along the way. My two friends, Duncan Ferguson (The Voltage Exchange) and Devon Eisenbarger (Katy Perry) helped me co-produce and take it to the finish line. Duncan and I mixed it together and he mastered the song.
What were your biggest influences when creating it?
My biggest influence was ‘Boyhood’ by The Japanese House. I remember the first time I heard those guitars, it made me want to cry. I was driving around Las Vegas with my friend and felt like I was remembering who I was as a musician. It felt like I was listening to myself in a song. That sound, the emotional frolicking acoustics covered in chorus effects unlocked something in me. It gave me permission to be more vulnerable and lean into that dreamy, bittersweet sonic and lyrical space. It reminded me how music can hold grief and beauty at the same time.
What should we expect from your upcoming new album Capricorn Baby on the whole?
Capricorn Baby is the most honest and raw version of me I’ve ever put into music. It’s a journey of the pain I felt in both heartbreak and healing, from needing validation to finding real freedom. Every song is a little time capsule of growth.
There are dreamy textures, oceans of guitars, intimate vocals, and moments that feel like a sunrise after a long night. I let go of trying to be perfect and focused instead on telling the truth, even when it was messy.
As a true Capricorn, I poured all my ambition, emotion, and quiet resilience into this record, it’s structured chaos with a soul. It’s a record about becoming. Owning who I am, standing in me emotions, and not being afraid to feel it all. If you’ve ever had to let go of yourself and discover your worth, I think this album will speak to you.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
I’m also really excited to be launching the Dumpster Cat Collective and Podcast. Dumpster Cat is all about the inclusivity and carving out space for people in Nashville, especially those who feel insecure, overlooked, or out of place. It’s about uplifting each other by educating, empowering, and creating community through creativity.
The podcast is an extension of that mission. I’ll be interviewing different people in the industry and highlighting their resilience, their kindness, and the paths they’ve taken that don’t always get talked about. Because to me, making it means so much more than our successes, it;s about how we show up for each other, how we create space, and how we stay true to ourselves along the way.
