Vancouver-based singer-songwriter and folk rock/modern country recording artist Kate Yahn sweetens our speakers with an empowering anthem for self-growth in her latest single, "Just Good Enough."
Kate Yahn's debut EP was a trio of carefully curated covers as her big introduction to Vancouver's diverse music scene. With her forthcoming EP, she's ready to combine the glamour and strength of rock n' roll with sophisticated storytelling and danceable rhythms.
Yahn proudly wears her heart on her sleeve for listeners to connect with, and her latest single, "Just Good Enough," is no exception. This song feels like home—Kate Yahn serenades us with deeply introspective yet uplifting lyricism while the heartwarming instrumentals feel like a sonic blanket of comfort.
She says it's a song "that captures the exhale after holding your breath for a very long time," and you can feel that with every beat, breath, and melody. The instrumentals are as radiant as ever, blessing the speakers with a warm folk rock/country atmosphere while Kate Yahn examines a past relationship and the turmoil this person caused.
Although the lyrics are deeply emotional and peek into Kate Yahn's diary, the song feels like this refreshing sigh of relief where you can finally move on from what (or who) is no longer serving you. The earworm melodies make this song a pleasure to listen to, and Kate Yahn's powerful, clear, and gripping vocals are the succulent cherry on top.
Don't fall—fly above all that's beneath you with help from Kate Yahn's uplifting new single, "Just Good Enough," now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Kate Yahn. Kudos to you for overcoming past relationship troubles and making a comeback with singles like "Just Good Enough." When did you first feel inspired to create this confessional piece?
Hey, thank you! This was my first experience writing, and when I walked in the room, the first question my collaborator asked me was: "Okay, Kate, who broke your heart?" My first instinct was to not confront that time/person/ but to instead take a detour and write about something easier for me to talk about. The song we wrote that afternoon had the same form but different lyrics, a different title, and told an entirely different story. After trying over and over again to connect with the original lyrics and not being able to, I felt inspired to change it. I knew it was about something deeper and more painful.
So, I called up a female collaborator of mine, and we just chatted about who we are today and questioned what our lives would be like if we were still with the people that shaped our ideas of what it was like to be in a relationship. It was a beautiful conversation, which eventually lead to the idea of having empathy for your past self, especially when you were in a situation where you couldn't see clearly, and moving forward knowing that sometimes it's okay to be "Just Good Enough." And it's also okay to want more than that for yourself.
Why did you choose to provide such danceable and uplifting instrumentals in "Just Good Enough," even though your lyrics were rather emotional? Did these instrumentals help represent that exhale after holding your breath?
It just happened naturally. Like I said, this song has changed and evolved countless times — my band likes to say this is version 7 — and we gave it that uplifting sound when it was still in its original form. When we rewrote the lyrics, I wanted to avoid dwelling too much on the negatives of the relationship to match the tempo and feel of the melody we created. I wanted to save space in the song to dance and celebrate the mistakes that make us human.
Speaking of the instrumentals in "Just Good Enough," what sound, style, or genre did you envision? Did you have any influences in mind when in the studio?
On the first day, we all thought it sounded like a Joni Mitchell song, with lots of folk and storytelling elements, then it went a little too country, ha! I was really inspired by modern influences like Maggie Rogers and Kacey Musgrave and (of course) my absolute favorite band, Fleetwood Mac.
How do you want "Just Good Enough" to impact listeners? What do you want them to feel and experience?
During the lyrical creation of the song, my friend/collaborator Michaela and I really wanted to drive the point of having empathy for ourselves. I want a sense of relief and exhale to come from this song. For people to dance, connect, and sing their hearts out.
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