_{By Keira Zoumadakis} 

Cutie is a Salt Lake City indie band that effortlessly blends eclectic sounds with soothing melodies. Their music not only uplifts your spirits with upbeat rhythms, but also delves into deeper lyrical meanings. With this unique blend, Cutie creates a musical experience that resonates on a profound level. Get ready to be captivated by their heartfelt tunes and thought-provoking lyrics. 

Diving deep into Cutie’s latest single, I sat down and asked frontman Dylan Squire about the production and inspiration of it all. The song is called “Back in Time” and dropped on November 10, 2023.

How did you feel before the new song dropped?

I’ve knew it was going to be out on November 10th for two months and it freaked me out. I don’t know, just waiting, you get super self-conscious about it and you start asking yourself questions like “is it going to be cool enough?” or “are people going to like it?” It’s nerve wracking but really exciting as well.

When did you finish this song, and how long did it take you to create from start to finish?

I finished it on July 29th. It took me a day to write and another day to mix and master it. It never, ever turns out like that. It always takes at least a week or two of sitting on it, but this one just came so fast and it all just kind of pieced itself together. It was really neat.

Was this song a full band production or was it all you? Did you have any other musicians track with you?

I just did it all myself in my room. That’s how everything I’ve made so far has come along.

Earlier you said the song pieced itself together, but was there something significant in your life that inspired it?

Yeah, 100%. A couple weeks prior I had gotten out of a relationship – a pretty long one. The longest one I had ever been in. That’s not what the song’s about – I mean it’s not a sappy love song – but it was right after that where I started having thoughts and feelings that I wasn’t doing anything with my life and feeling like everything was way too complex, like paying bills and stuff.

I started to think about how nice it would be to just be a kid again, not having to deal with any of this or have these big worries. That’s what this single is about. I was down on myself already because of the ending of my relationship. I mean overthinking kind of comes with that, but it just turned into creating this beautiful song reminding me of what it felt like to be a kid again. 

Does this song bring clarity to that time of your life – listening back to it?

Yeah for sure. I think most of the time I listen to it I kind of know that I’m still feeling a lot of those feelings in the same way, but it cleared a lot up for me too. I now can talk about that time of my life and I’m actually able to understand those feelings and talk through them. It is a lot clearer in my brain. I’m not just overwhelmed with feeling these things all at once. 

What are you most excited about for listeners to experience when they hear this song? 

Sometimes I listen to a song and I think, “Woah, I’ve never thought about it like that!” I guess I want people to refuel that nostalgia from being a kid. Looking back and just being more grateful for the time of their youth.

I think this is probably the most “me” song I’ve ever written. It’s exactly what I want to sound like as a musician and I have tons of influences. The goal isn’t to sound like someone else – it’s to sound like me, but how I want to sound. It’s a very large combination of a lot of different artists. So this is probably what I want my music to sound like the most. 

Do you think that youth ever expires? 

I think it does to a certain extent. There are tons of people that we can examine in their 70s and 80s and realize that they do have that young playful soul. I’ve seen many videos of the older people going skydiving, and I love those. Because you can get old and yeah, you can’t physically go back in time and do those high school sports because your knees are starting to give out. That physical youth definitely does expire, but as long as you keep having fun and experiencing the things you love, you’re always going to feel young and hold onto that part of youth. 

Who are your biggest influences?

Boy Pablo. He is kind of the reason I started making music. I’ve been listening to him since freshman year of high school. That was the first alternative artist that I listened to, and it kind of just stuck in my brain. You don’t have to be Sam Smith or a John Legend-like kind of singer to do this. I started singing way too late compared to everybody else in the industry, but that doesn’t really matter a whole lot. It’s  more about the story you’re telling.

Personally, I find Boy Pablo’s music to be fun, upbeat and dancy. Do you feel like that applies to this song as well?

I don’t think I would necessarily call it dancy, you know, but definitely groovy and upbeat for sure.

How does this new song compare to your older music?

A common theme I have with all of my songs is horribly depressing lyrics behind an upbeat happy chord progression. If you don’t listen to the lyrics, then you would be like “Wow this song is so neat and uplifting!” But once you start listening you would be like, “Oh, is this guy okay?”

Moving forward, do you think this is a new sound you will be sticking with?

I think so. It’s definitely still new to me. I’m still working on creating the things I want to and trying out everything, but this one turned out so well that this might be what I’m supposed to be doing. 

As you are a newer artist, how has it been finding other musicians to play alongside you? 

I thankfully met some awesome people while going to music school at Utah Valley University. When getting a band together though, nobody really came to mind so I did what most would do and posted on Instagram. And so many of those talented musicians all texted me about helping out with recording, producing, playing alongside me. It was really nice having so many people reach out. It kind of blew my mind how many people from other bands reached out asking if I needed any help. There’s such a great community in Provo and Salt Lake. Truly, the music scene here is a really special place. It’s really welcoming. It really is incredible – the community around music in Utah.

Is there a plan to collaborate/cocreate with the musicians that have been playing with you live?

Eventually yes, but for a while it will probably just remain me solo recording, producing, mixing and mastering. I really like having the creative control. I always imagine exactly what I want it to sound like. I don’t want anyone touching it for the most part. I’ve had the dreams to create music since I was like 10 and now I’m finally making that a reality, so I think that comes alongside creative clarity and wanting that control over what I make. The dream has changed a lot since then but the idea has always been the same.

But honestly if anyone in the band or outside of the band were to come to me and say, “I love what you’re doing but I think I could make it better,” I would not take that as an insult one bit. I would love to create, improve, and grow together as musicians.

It was a pleasure diving deeper into Cutie’s production. Cutie’s new sound is a refreshing treat. It’s a delightful departure that brings a fresh perspective and a unique flavor to their musical journey. This new single has a different vibe, showcasing growth and experimentation while still maintaining the band’s signature charm. It’s an exciting evolution that will keep fans intrigued and eager to hear what they’ll create next. 

Make sure to follow Cutie on Instagram  and Tik Tok, and check out “Back in Time” below.