Get ready to step into the enigmatic world of Cara Knox, a South African singer-songwriter redefining dark pop with her atmospheric and deeply personal sound. Now based in the UK, this artist blends introspective storytelling with experimental production, crafting music that feels both intimate and cinematic. In this exclusive interview, Knox takes us behind the scenes of her hauntingly beautiful single ‘Ronda’ and her debut EP, I Dance with the Dark So She Loves Me. From embracing darker themes to balancing minimalism with grandeur, Cara Knox shares her creative evolution, inspirations, and the transformative journey that shaped her bold new artistic direction.
Welcome to Unrecorded! For those who aren’t familiar with Carla Knox, can you introduce yourself?
Hey and thanks so much for taking the time to get to know me and my lil song baby. I’m Cara, a South-African singer-songwriter based in the east of England. I’ve been writing and releasing music for a few years, but my dark and delulu EP really came alive over the summer, with ‘Ronda’ being the first track I sat down to write.
Let’s dive right in and talk about your new single ‘Ronda, what does this release mean to you?
‘Ronda’ is a pretty significant song for me. I hadn’t written anything for a while, call it lack of inspiration or maybe getting lost in the fine print of being an unsigned artist, so I lost my way a little bit. When I sat down to write ‘Ronda’, she almost just came alive, and pulled me out of my hibernation. The song also epitomises my own self-discoveries, and is inspired by real-life events that definitely mark a change in my artistic and personal expression.
The song blends dark pop with your signature minimal yet grandiose sound. How did you approach balancing these elements while creating something distinctly Cara Knox?
So my releases before this were more of the commercial pop vibe; tons of instrumentation and soundscapes packed in. With ‘Ronda’, I wanted to totally flip that and keep it fairly stripped back, largely so the vocals would be front and centre, and to give us more space to play with harmonies and quirky, subtle sounds. We took it to production with that in mind, and Greg Madge – the producer – homed in on only a couple live instruments to form the main body of the track. We loved the moody, trancey feel of the track, and so we stuck with that while retaining the distinct Cara Knox lyrical style and soft, textured vocals.
From acoustic sets to bold, genre-defying music, your sound has evolved significantly. What prompted you to embrace this darker, more atmospheric style?
I think the evolution began when I fell into a Lana Del Rey wormhole, where I had her music on repeat pretty much all the time, for a solid two weeks. I formed this great appreciation for the songs that illuminated her vocals, while doing something interesting but definitely under-the-radar with the instrumentation. I’m thinking ‘Dark Paradise’ or ‘Blue Jeans’ here. I also adore her lyrics, there’s an almost delicate, intense feel about them. So after fangirling a ton, I called my friend and producer one night and we drafted a few ideas for the EP, reflecting some of the Lana themes. It just felt exciting and a natural progression, so we went with it.
What role does experimentation play in your songwriting process, particularly as you explore this darker sound?
My absolute joy in making music lies in the experimentation process. Music was always a form of play for me, and I spent a lot of my childhood in music stores, having the time of my life making noise. The shiny drumkits and electric guitars were always my target – not the most subtle choices. So I guess my origin story with music is one of exploration, and I can’t really help but tap into different sounds and ideas when I write. It just feels very innate to me, albeit it quite confusing for listeners to interpret, but hopefully fun for them, too.
You’ve been compared to artists like Christine and the Queens and Lorde. How do you feel about these comparisons, and in what ways do you aim to set yourself apart?
Artistically, the ideas and themes behind the EP fuelled me to get creative and progress my musical style into what it is today. I was quite literally sitting on my kitchen floor, in the dark, when I started writing these tracks, so it was almost a spiritual experience, and it was pretty special. On a personal level, I had met someone who would later become ‘Ronda’, and she was a testament to the power of embracing dark femininity. She inspired my intrigue in exploring this, at a time when I really didn’t have a connection to that part of myself. I really found a sense of confidence and liberation in that process, so I just kept tapping into that energy when I sat down to write. As for the comparisons, I’m super chuffed! I love both artists, each for their respective styles. The main elements that I think set me apart are the very DIY nature of my tracks, which we recorded in my producer’s home studio, as well as the more synth, jazzy vibes that give the tracks a bit of a dated but still modern feel.
As a South African artist now based in the UK, how have your roots and current environment shaped your music?
Some of my earliest childhood memories of music were singing around the bonfire (what we call the ‘Boma’) and making improvisational instruments. I also grew up listening to a few South African artists, including Johnny Clegg, who my dad was a massive fan of. So music formed a large part of my more rustic upbringing, and definitely helped me out during the move to the UK as something I could turn to for self-expression. I have toyed with the idea of incorporating elements of South African culture into my music, and it’s definitely something I’d consider for the future, but being that a large part of my teens and early adulthood was spent in England, the songs have tended to focus on navigating those experiences.
With ‘Ronda’ paving the way for your debut EP, how does the track set the tone for the rest of
the project? What can listeners expect from the EP?
‘Ronda’ is actually a bit different to the rest of the project in that she is more stripped back, but the track very much sets the tone of a moody, experimental EP. The other three songs maintain a charismatic, mystical feel, but their depth in lyricism and focus on darker themes develops. ‘I dance with the dark so she loves me’ is out now, pretty please go check it and discover the twists and turns for yourself.
You can also listen to ‘Ronda’ in our Shades of Pop playlist.
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