Q&A: Cee Blu

Born & raised in South Auckland, there’s no doubt R&B songstress Cee Blu has a contagious light and energy which shines through in her music. She’s collabed with the likes of Sweet Mix Kids and Rei, and most recently on EDY’s track “Let Me In” alongside Hiiata, Sam V, Mikey Mayz and Bea Moon with almost a quarter of a million views on their epic music video!

She chats to us about her latest string of catchy, uptempo singles we’re obsessed with like “Simple”, “Used To” and soon to be released “Trying”, as well as her biggest inspirations, her other huge passion of being an illustrator/animator, and more. 

You surprisingly started your musical journey in the country music scene, with your dad being in a country rock band! Can you tell us a bit about that and how that’s inspired you to get to where you are today?

I did! I would pack all my outfits in a bag and hit the road, travelling around the North Island with my family entering competitions. It was ridiculously fun and I always look back on these memories to remind myself how I started out and how far I’ve come since.

Where did the name Cee Blu come from?

When I first started to pursue a career in music a few years back, I would go by the name “Carolyna Blu” but then decided to strip it back to Cee Blu. It just seemed more modern, easy to remember and just felt right :)

Tell us a little bit about your writing process - do you have the same process for each song or is it different every time?

I always start with a beat! I let it play on repeat and just vibe out to it, singing melodies and random lyrics over the top, hit the record button and just have fun with it! When I listen back, I keep all the parts I like, take out the rest and keep building the song from there.

Congrats on getting over 100k Spotify plays on “Tell Me Twice” ft. Rei - that’s such an amazing achievement! Can you tell us a little bit about how this song came about?

Thank you so much! I’d had a few sessions with Rei as he had just produced my previous single “Wave” and we were in studio listening back to “Tell Me Twice” (which he also produced) and we were like, “this would sound dope with a feature”. I said “How bout you Rei? You should jump on it!”. He recorded his verse and it was absolute fire!!! It’s one of my favourite tracks to date.

We’d love to know about your new single “Trying” to be released soon! What’s the main theme of this song, and is it a similar vibe to the music that you’ve previously released?

“Trying” has definitely got the relationship vibes going on! It’s a smooth, chill RnB track and the vocals really pop. A little more stripped back compared to other tracks I’ve released but it’s a total banger! It also rec’d funding from NZ On Air which I’m stoked about! So a super dope music video is in the works for this one.

Sounds so exciting, can’t wait! Who would you say are your biggest inspirations in music?

I would have to say Aaliyah, Kehlani, H.E.R. and Kiana Ledé. They just radiate this down to earth, sweet, kind, genuine energy and I’m living for it! There are also many more but I wouldn’t have enough space on these pages to write them all out! =P

You’re not only an amazing musician, you’re also an incredible illustrator & animator! Can you tell us a bit about that including creating lyric videos?

Aww thank you! I’ve always had a passion for art and about 2 years ago I taught myself how to illustrate cartoon characters. I did a cartoon of Rei and I for the “Tell Me Twice” artwork and that was where it all began. I then wanted to bring the characters to life and spent hours teaching myself how to animate so I could get my characters to move. Eventually my muso friends would also ask me to do art for their projects and from then on lyric videos, illustrations and animation has become a pretty sweet side gig! :)

Who are some of your favourite NZ artists right now? Are there any songs in particular that you love or connect with?

Definitely Rei, EDY, Sam V, JARNA, Villette, TECHNICLR and so many more! JARNA has just dropped a mixtape which is killa and the TECHNICLR girls have just released their debut single “Take It Or Leave It” which is an absolute bangaaa!!

What do you love most about living in New Zealand? Do you have any favourite places to travel to or local spots to visit?

Love that it’s one of the safest places in the world to be right now =P Haha but not only that, it is just an incredibly beautiful country. It is rich in culture, the lush nature, the people are so friendly and so damn talented! 100% Mangawhai, Raglan & Waiheke, I have so many amazing memories at these places and they are just the best for a getaway or a party! You just can’t go wrong!!

How was the lockdown for you and what’s one of the biggest lessons you learnt during that time?

I honestly loved the lockdown.. I am a total home body and it takes a special occasion to get me out of the house! Usually if me or my friends are performing or if it’s a celebration of some kind you might catch me out! The biggest lesson for me was learning how to just slow down, enjoy some downtime and to not burn myself out. I hadn’t realised how full on life was until lockdown really got me to take a step back and chill :)

What are some of the main things you’ve learnt over the process of writing & recording your own music, and what advice do you have for new artists out there?

If there is anything I have learnt along the way it is to take a deep breath, enjoy the process, stay determined and positive! But above all else, be yourself 120%.

Some great advice! And to wrap things up, what’s next for you? We hope you’ll be releasing your debut EP soon!

I have a few singles to release first but I sure do have an EP otw and all I can say is the wait will have been worth it! Every minute ;) Thank you so much for having me Hype Medium! <3 xoxo

Make sure to keep up with Cee Blu on Instagram (@msceeblu), Facebook, Spotify and Apple Music! Plus, check out her illustrations and animation on Instagram (@ctooonz).