Self-made musician and UW junior Kaaden Anderson, known by his performance name Kaaden A, is chasing his dreams while using music production to express himself.
Anderson, who grew up in Casper, Wyoming, began teaching himself to produce music when he was 13 years old and describes his music as “a broken come up,” referring to the emotions he hopes to invoke.
“I write about a lot of love and a lot of heartbreak, a lot of relationship stuff, and, you know, not only those types of problems, but also anxiety, [and] substance abuse,” Anderson said.
“I want to put out music that makes people feel out of their normal state of mind, you know? Makes them actually feel something.”
Many of Anderson’s songs are focused around issues he’s dealt with in his own life, and Anderson hopes to channel those emotions into his music.
“I feel like [recently] I’ve made the best music I’ve ever made because my lowest point was earlier this year,” Anderson said.
“My mental health and just everything along those lines was just not good, and I think that’s why I’m able to put out so much music and, you know, put out those certain types of emotions.”
For Anderson, music is a means of expressing emotion that he’d be unable to articulate otherwise.
“I feel personally I’ve always struggled with expressing my emotions and expressing how I feel. Normally I’m just kind of a type of person that goes with the flow, but music has helped me a lot with expressing my feelings and what’s really inside my head,” Anderson said.
“I’m thankful that I have something to turn to rather than, ‘Oh, I need to go slam a bunch of beers and hang out with my friends.’ No, I can just put my pencil on a piece of paper or put my thumbs on my notes on my phone and start writing music and that helps me out.”
Beyond employing music as a means to heal himself, Anderson also strives to make an impact by connecting with those who listen to his work. Positive interactions with his fans, who he prefers to refer to as family, is his favorite part of making music.
“It got to a certain point where people would message me and they would say, ‘hey, I’ve been severely depressed but your music has been really helping,’ or ‘I have had terrible anxiety, but your music’s really helped,’” Anderson said.
“That’s another part of it I fell in love with, was just people contacting me and saying, ‘hey, I love this about the song’ or ‘this part helped me.’”
Anderson hopes to graduate with a degree in finance, move to a city, and use his talents to make it big. No matter his fame, he hopes to eventually return to Wyoming and strives to always be approachable.
“If anyone you know is struggling with things such as anxiety and mental health issues or substance abuse, just if anyone is struggling, even with school– I don’t want anyone to think I’m some sort of celebrity or I’m too cool for them,” Anderson said.
“If anyone needs any help at all, or just someone to talk to, or any advice whatsoever, reach out to me on my Snapchat, my Instagram, or anywhere. I’m always here for anyone, and I’m always more than happy to help. I don’t think I will ever get to a point where I’m too cool to talk to anyone.”
The belief that his music can make a difference has motivated Anderson through hard times, and Anderson is committed to making music, even if only a few hear it.
“I want to always try and give back to the people that have supported me regardless if it’s three people or 20,000 people.”
“I just kind of realized, ‘well, even if I don’t get a hundred thousand, a million, or even a hundred streams on a song, I still get to put it out. There’s still a few people that will listen to it, which I appreciate, and I’m doing it for my passion and for love. If I’m still helping one person, I’m happy.”
For his 21st birthday on May 12, Anderson will be releasing a new EP called Pack 21. The EP provides a deeper look into the pains and lowest points of Anderson’s life.
