Running with scissors: growing up, taking risks and learning to be seen.
With more than a decade building one of the most sensitive and honest alternative pop communities on the internet, Cavetown It has become an emotional refuge for an entire generation. With the launch of Running With Scissorstheir new album, Robin Skinner You are in a moment of transformation: opening your creative process, letting go of control, and allowing yourself to grow, even when that means discomfort. In conversation with Indie Rocks!, Cavetown He reflects on the risk, the community where he was born, his relationship with Mexico and the meaning of this new album.
Indie Rocks!: Robin, it's a pleasure talking to you. You're about to release a new album in about a month. Tell us a little about the inspiration behind this new album, which is released on January 16.
Cavetown: I started this album quite a long time ago, it was a long process. I wanted to force myself to write in a different way. I've always worked very alone and been quite stubborn and protective of every aspect of the process: the production, the writing, everything. This time I wanted to do it differently, let other people into my world and allow myself to learn from them, leave behind a bit of that ego of wanting to control everything.
I entered the project with the intention of doing something different and taking risks, although at first I didn't know that this would end up being the central theme of the entire album. I worked with incredible producers and some writers who made me feel much more supported and accompanied than I imagined. The whole album ended up being proof that taking risks opens you up to learning new things.
For a long time I tried to stay “safe,” both in music and in life. Avoid pain, avoid risk. But I understood that, although that protects you, it also denies you the possibility of growing and making the mistakes that they teach you.
The metaphor of Running With Scissors It comes a lot from my childhood, from hearing “don't run with scissors, you'll get hurt.” I carried that very literally into my life for years. But when making this album I understood that people I admire also take risks, make mistakes and move on. I've seen my family do the same thing over the years. It may seem like a bad idea at first, but everyone learns and grows. That was the true inspiration of the album.
GO!: Something very interesting about your career is how Cavetown grew within the internet, on platforms like YouTube or TikTok, something unthinkable 20 years ago. Was it something planned or did it just happen?
C: The way things can grow uncontrollably on the internet is something very particular. I practically grew up on the internet, I spent a large part of my life on Twitter. I didn't have many in-person social connections, I've always had a hard time making friends, even now.
That helped me understand the internet ecosystem, but I still never thought something like this could happen to me. I started when the internet was still in a more “innocent” stage, it wasn't as intimidating to share your work because it wasn't as saturated.
It wasn't intentional for it to grow so much. I'm deeply grateful, but I owe it entirely to the audience. The communities that form around music grow on their own. I have been more of a spectator behind a screen for almost 10 years.
It all became really tangible when I started to spin, when I saw the crowds grow and the people grow with me. It's something incredible. It wasn't calculated, but now I feel like I owe them everything. My greatest hope is that you continue to feel seen and welcomed, even as the project continues to grow.
At first I stayed hours after the shows to meet each person. Over time that became impossible, but I'm glad I did it, because I understood who the people were who were making my dreams come true.
GO!: Speaking of shows, you performed in Mexico in 2023 and then in the Crown Capital. You have a very strong fan base here. Are there plans to return to Mexico with this new album?
C: I can't visualize it in my calendar right now, but in my heart I definitely want to carry this album everywhere. I want to take it as far as I can, and that includes Mexico and South America. I don't know exactly when, but it's going to happen. I want it to happen, so it will happen.
IR!: For someone who is reading this interview and doesn't know your music yet, what song would you recommend starting with?
C: I would love for people to start my new music, like “babyspoon” and everything that comes with Running With Scissors. I am very proud of that work and I feel that it is the best I can offer right now.
Sometimes people just listen to my most played songs and I think, “No, that song is 10 years old, it sounds terrible.” I still have a bit of ego with my past music. But I also understand that those songs are the basis of the community that was formed around Cavetown.
songs like “This Is Home”, “Juliet, Boys Will Be Bugs”, “Devil Town” either “Sweet Tooth”They are essential to understand where the project comes from. Although I no longer see them the same, there is something there that connected deeply with people and that says a lot about my story. I hope that those who love those songs can also join me in this new stage, because I am very excited about it.
GO!: In closing, if you had to describe Cavetown in just three words, what would they be?
C: Community, definitely, kindness. Learn to be kind to yourself, have patience. And bravery. This process has been very brave for me: growing, changing and letting myself be seen, when in reality I don't like much attention. Cavetown It has been bravery for me and also for the people who come to the shows, many times it is their first concert. That seems incredible to me.
