Page 23 - BiTS_01_JANUARY_2021

taught the band. It was exciting to watch his mind work and it was great how he really understood
my crazy ideas. He and Guy gave me the reins in the studio and allowed me to be me on this record.
I appreciate that so much!

LL: The title track “Cry Out” is a timely reflection on social injustice happening in America and
around the world. Within the lyric you write, “Cry out for the little boy who hasn’t had enough.
Shunned and rejected for calling himself queer, Cry Out little boy, till somebody hears”.

As a gay, African-American woman working in a male dominated profession and genre, how do

you experience the need to cry out?

KR: It is imperative! I represent 3 different minority groups, all of which are significantly
underrepresented, undervalued and underestimated. It’s said that as artists, we are meant to be a
light in the dark. I take that responsibility seriously. If I really do hope to motivate people to be
better people, then I MUST cry out.

LL: On the track titled “Heavy” we hear
children’s voices in the background.
Who are they?

KR: The voices you hear are those of my

niece, nephews and my Godson (ages
2yrs-16yrs). In writing this song I was
thinking about them. Their future is what
we teach them by the examples we set.
It's what we leave behind of the world
that God made for us. What we do
today... who we are, how we treat each

other, how we treat this planet... that all
falls on them when we aren't here
anymore. THEY'LL be left to carry the
load. We can give them an edge by
lightening the load and leaving a better

legacy... or we can keep up current
KAT RIGGINS BY PAUL DEVRIES
behaviors and leave them on a dying
planet occupied by hate. Those sweet
voices at the end of "Heavy" are meant to
remind us of who we really hurt when we think we're only hurting EACH OTHER.

How about the musicians who play on “Cry Out”?

KR: I was blessed to have some killer musicians leave their mark on this record! I had Mike Zito on
rhythm guitar and lead on every song except for ‘Wicked Tongue’. That’s where Albert Castiglia did
his thing! On bass there’s Doug Byrkit. Brian Zielie held us down on the drums. We had Lewis
Stephens on keys, Johnny Sansone on harmonica, Eric Demmer on sax and Fernando Castillo on

trumpet.