It’s always a happy day when my favorite Welsh songstress Caitlin Lavagna returns with a new song to grace our eardrums, and today I’m pleased to share her electrifying new single “Gold“. Her fifth in an unbroken streak of outstanding singles that began in 2021 with her wonderful debut “How Not To Start A Fight”, “Gold” speaks to, in her own words, “Changing the narrative, owning your feelings, being brutal and upfront, not taking yourself seriously and not catching feelings.”

I adore Caitlin’s vibrant and sophisticated vocal style and honest, relatable lyrics drawn from personal experiences and heartache, and have liked every one of her songs. In addition to “How Not To Start A Fight”, I’ve also reviewed “Night Bus” and “We Lost Track” (You can read those reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.) Both “How Not To Start A Fight” and “Night Bus” appeared on my personal Top 30 chart, the latter spending 20 weeks and peaking at #2, and also finishing at #28 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list.

Born and raised in the picturesque Rhondda Valley of South Wales with familial roots in Gibraltar, the multi-talented and lovely singer-songwriter, musician and actress has had a life-long love for music and the arts, with a special passion for percussion and drums, as well as singing and dancing. Her music and vocal styles are heavily influenced by some of her favorite artists like Sting, Biffy Clyro, Stevie Nicks, Florence Welch, P!nk and Adele. 

In addition to writing and recording music, Caitlin is also an accomplished actress who’s performed in numerous stage musicals. Over the past year, she’s performed in the Rock and Roll Panto at Theatr Clwyd in North Wales, was invited to sing on Radio Gibraltar, and nominated for Best Female Artist at the Radio Wigwam Awards in London. She also performed in Turning The Wheel, a new musical by Kieran Bailey, and will be starring in the UK tour of Operation Julie, a prog rock psychedelic musical set in the 1970s and based on the biggest LSD drug raid in British history.

“Gold” was co-written by Caitlin and Otto Aday, and produced by Joe Rodwell. Though she often plays drums on her songs, for “Gold” they were played by Harry Ariyoshi-Pope. Caitlin recently shared her thoughts behind the song on Instagram: “This is my fifth single I have released as a solo artist. I wanted it to represent changing the narrative from being heartbroken to making a decision not to catch feelings in the first place. It’s sassy, quirky, fun and powerful. Beneath that though, it’s about being confident in making decisions for yourself and being honest about them. I added some Spanish into this track to honour my Gibraltarian roots. The phrase means ‘Life is simple, don’t complicate it’ and I think that’s a message I am taking into my life and therefore songwriting. I’m extremely proud and excited by this track and hope listeners can bop along and look forward to the many other tracks I have planned for release this year.“

While the song could be generally classified as pop, the brilliant arrangement features exuberant funk, jazz and trip-hop elements that make for a thrilling listen. I really love those wobbly, funked-up guitar notes and Ariyoshi-Pope’s spirited drumming. With her winning combination of colorful theatricality and powerhouse vocals, Caitlin lets loose with a bold and brassy delivery that occupies a sweet spot between sultry and playful, exuding a strong sense of unrestrained confidence as she sings “Gold that tastes like silver on my tongue. When all is said and done, this is only fun.” “Gold” ends with a self-satisfied laugh from Caitlin, leaving us utterly satisfied and more.

Follow Caitlin:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

Find her music on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Soundcloud