French alt-pop / RnB artist Naël Kaced is pleased to announce a brand new release with the arrival of ‘When The Catch Me’, taken from the upcoming EP due later this year through naïve / JAZZTRONICZ.
A complex, intriguing sonic marvel, melding an understated, timeless quality brought to life through Naël’s vividly stunning vocal delivery, all the more extraordinary given the artist’s hearing difficulties. The track is accompanied by a visually stunning music video directed by up and coming visual artist Esteban SANCHEZ DEL RIO
With wild curly hairs, black charcoal eyes and a gem earing, it’s easy to imagine him as the hero of a fairy tale. It goes without saying: Oscar Wilde’s pen, ancient Greek myths and religious texts have always fed Naël Kaced’s imagination. He discovered Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, D’Angelo and Erykah Badu at a very early age, then developed a passion for Amy Winehouse and Franck Ocean’s poetry.

One evening, in the middle of a jam night in Paris, Naël was invited to take the stage. He wasn’t used to singing in front of a crowd but didn’t shy away. This moment was a revelation for him. “I’ve always sung, in my bedroom and bathroom, and I never imagined I’d be able to do it in front of a crowd… that night, I had confirmation that music was the only thing for me. I knew I could do it,” says Naël Kaced, before adding: “Nothing was impossible for me, despite my handicap.”

Tell us about your new song ‘When They Catch Me’ and what inspired it?

I have a very dramatic brain that gives me never ending thoughts about death, and “When They Catch Me” was a way to confront that. I wrote about dying and “something” (they) coming to get me. I have a complicated relationship with faith, so I wanted to leave a doubt regarding the nature of this “something”. Also I love anything weird and magical so I love to imagine it could be something extraordinary.

Tell us how you prepare yourself for a live show?

Again, my brain likes to play tricks on me so I try to forget I have to go on stage. I drink a lot of water, and I warm up as much as I can. I also know the performance is going to be good if I’m feeling myself in my outfit, so I make sure to get that right.

What advice can you give to artists who are also hearing impaired, looking to break into the music industry?

You have to know how to be comfortable on stage or in the studio. No one else is going to understand precisely your needs. So you have to get familiar with your environment, and know exactly what you need to be able to talk about it with your sound engineer, musicians etc. I have specific requests regarding the sound that comes from left or right. Right now, I like my voice to be louder on my right side and drums louder on my left side. The positioning of the amps matters too, if I have to work with an amplifier system.

What are the current TOP 5 songs on your Spotify playlist at the moment? (Please provide Spotify links

Right now I’m listening to a lot of Caroline Polachek (https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/album/2cwOa6RStGRanie22to0NO), Laura Mvula (https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/track/1SQMYA7cISWamKpRP3UqnH), I always go back to Frank (https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/track/3xKsf9qdS1CyvXSMEid6g8), D’angelo is always there (https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/track/2RcanAJpudPNDkyIe9DzKS) and some Brandy (https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/track/7wFbVnsH6tPigN9yAqmmVY)