Having appeared on recordings from Cassandra Jenkins, JG Thirlwell, and mmeadows, Brooklyn-based harpist and singer/songwriter Rebecca Kitba Bryson El-Sale began the songwriting process for their self-titled debut album as Kitba with a song-a-day project that featured other friends and musicians. Eventually they hit the studio with co-producer Zubin Hensler, who also worked on Kitba’s 2020 EP Break Through Arrive Here, and they assembled a band that includes drummer Jason Burger, upright bassist Carmen Q. Rockwell, guitarist/bassist Ryan Weiner, and guitarist Gregg Belisle-Chi. Ryan also played in Alena Spanger’s band Tiny Hazard, who Kitba cited as an influence on this album, and Zubin has worked multiple times with Half Waif, who Kitba says is “a northstar for me when writing and making music.” Kitba’s classical training comes through in their chops on this record, but they also know that sometimes less is more. The album ranges from fuzzed-out indie rock to gentle folk music to intricate art pop, and Kitba’s soaring voice and contemplative lyricism ties everything together.
We asked Kitba about the influences behind their new album, and they made us a list that includes Half Waif, The Weather Station, Kristin Slipp,, Tiny Hazard and more. Read it, along with their commentary, and stream Kitba below.
Influences behind Kitba’s debut self-titled LP
Tiny Hazard – Greyland
Multiple track references for my record were songs from Greyland. Though I didn’t discover this record until 2020 (regrettably after they stopped playing together as a band), it is absolutely by a mile my favourite record I have ever heard. The world is expansive and exciting and Alena Spanger’s voice breaks my brain. I was lucky to have Ryan Weiner (the guitarist) in the studio for several songs on my record.
Half Waif
The Caretaker came out while I was writing the record and Mythopoetics came out during the recording process. Nandi is a northstar for me when writing and making music. I remember dancing in my kitchen to The Caretaker during some of the heaviest moments of the early pandemic and it helped me move through the haze and feel excited about making art in the unknown.
Zubin Hensler
My collaborator, co-producer, engineer, mixer, and bandmate. This record would be nothing without Zubin’s influence. I’ve never worked with anyone that’s seen me the way he does, and he knows how to guide/unpack/distill things into a true expression. Making music with him is when I feel the most alive and in my body.
David Lynch
I was deeeeeep into my first watch of Twin Peaks and fully dazzled. Lynch was someone I clearly thought about when working specifically on the song “Peel Away the Rind” as he’s so good at making something appear totally normal but feel totally unsettling. A true guide on the undercurrent.
Kristin Slipp
My voice teacher and friend, incredible musician, and part of Cuddle Magic – their record Bath was recorded entirely in a bathroom with everyone crammed inside at the same time. In the early days of the pandemic it was a buoy and evoked the feeling of being in the room creating music with others. But Kristin’s mark extends beyond this – she helped me find my voice for this record and heard most of the songs in their infancy. She’s embedded in the fabric of the songs.
The Weather Station
“Ignorance” was another pandemic buoy and I can hear its influence on moments of my record. Tamara Lindeman writes equal parts gentle and impactul music. I identify very much with the patient unfolding paths that the songs take.
Song-a-day challenges
I was able to write the bulk of this record through songs that began while doing song-a-day weeks with friends. I was inspired by the vulnerability of the friends I was sharing with and felt safe being vulnerable myself. I cracked open and the in-the -moment, day-of pressure to be present allowed me to write some of my most honest songs.
My high school English teacher Ms. Ballard
I think of her words often when creating. She encouraged us to write with “brilliant brevity” — an absolute economy of words. As someone who wrote fairly floridly growing up, it helped and continues to help me hone in saying what I want with focus. The lyrics on this record are the closest I’ve ever been to paring away anything that doesn’t serve “brilliant brevity.”
Martha Graham letter to Agnes de Mille
Early on in the writing process, a friend told me about this letter Martha Graham had written to Agnes de Mille. He remembered it being taught at school and the words had rooted with him. I began reading it every time I went to write, at this point I can recite it by heart. I needed the words about not judging my work and just keeping the channel open. It allowed me to work from the least judgemental space I possibly could. I still read it regularly, especially when I need to shake myself out of a bad creative headspace.