"Wings": A Conversation with Kadhja Bonet

Interview by Imani Busby

Photography by Sofia Snook (@sofiasnook) and Nautica Simone (@nauticasimone)

Kadhja Bonet is an incredible singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist whose music blends elements of soul, folk, classical, and experimental production into a sound that feels both timeless and serene. With a background in classical violin and film, her artistry is shaped by discipline, cinematic vision, and a deep desire for authentic self-expression. 

Kadhja Bonet gave a captivating performance at It’s OK* World on August 16th, 2025 in Toronto, ON. The crowd sang, danced, and swayed to her music and joined in singing covers like “Remember The Rain” and “Dreams”. 

In this conversation, Kadhja Bonet reflects on her creative journey, the role of collaboration, and the liberating process of making music entirely on her own terms. 

Could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your introduction to making music?

I grew up playing violin, and I found it incredibly difficult in a social context. I think the expectations for what classical music is are a lot of times at odds with individuality and self-expression. It's really more geared toward replicating things exactly as they were intended. And so because of that, I found it to be an incredibly stifling environment.

But that's where I started studying music. And then as soon as I could, I moved out of the house, went to film school, stopped playing violin. And then halfway through film school, I found my way back to music – but on my own terms.

And so that time around was much more cathartic and a more liberating experience because it was on my terms. That's when I started playing guitar, singing, and producing. And then I just kept going from there.


Have you found that your background in film has played a part in your creative expression as an artist in music?

I would say that it hasn't played as much of a role as I would have liked it to. I think going forward, you'll see more of it from me now on.

Because I went to film school, I had this certain standard of quality that I was unable to meet because I didn't have the funding for what I thought was a professional-level quality of work. Being an indie artist, I was never given real budgets for music videos. And I think I really let that get in my head, wanting to show this certain quality that I now don't even necessarily believe in anymore.

So going forward, I've learned through that experience of constantly cutting off my own creativity because of what I didn't have. I've learned that what art really is is just how you use the resources you do have. It's not about how many resources you can acquire. So even if I'm just shooting on my phone from now on, I will be putting out much more video content.

I've got four music videos coming out over the next few weeks that are super low-budget. And I honestly couldn't be happier about it. They're just so silly. And I'm like, “I'm just for this.” This is a new era of art-making for me now, which is that I don't care how many resources I have. I'm going to do something.

I find your music to be very serene, calming, and beautifully orchestrated. And I was wondering, can you tell us a bit about your creative process?

I usually start songwriting on guitar, and then I go in and layer a bunch of other things. I don't think I could do what I do today back in the '70s, for example, before we had audio editing capabilities on a computer. It’s really facilitated my workflow because it's tons and tons of editing and overdubs.

I play strings, so those sometimes appear on my projects as well. But I also love to collaborate with other musicians. So I get the arrangement as far as I get it with what I contribute to it, whether that's guitar or vocals and strings or whatever other production elements. Then I oftentimes bring the musicians into the studio.

“Remember the Rain” is such a stunning song, and it's one of my favourites of yours. Can you share a bit about what went into creating that song and the process?

Well, that's a cover. The original is written by Marvin Smith for 21st Century. One of my biggest influences—I don't think this would be a surprise to anybody—is his music from the late '60s and '70s.

And I just was so in love with the track. I just had to do it. I just couldn't stop singing it, I couldn't stop playing it. So I just recorded my version of it. And so on that track, I'm playing guitar and the violin and viola and the flute and the voice and all that. And then Tyler Sweeney is playing drums. And I don't know. That's how that song came together.

I feel like I have to stop myself from just releasing a bunch of '70s covers because I love that music so much. And I know that it's important for me to put my own work out. But I have a ball singing those songs.


You also have a song “On Sight” with The Free Nationals and JID. Can you share a bit about how that collaboration came about?

I love everybody in The Free Nationals. They're a great group, an ensemble who I met when I was working with Anderson .Paak. Actually, it started because I was singing background vocals for Anderson .Paak, and that's how I met everybody.

I think it's not a super glamorous tale because it was all recorded individually. Everybody's recording their parts on their own, and then they come together. So I feel like it's not a super glamorous story or anything.

But honestly, I love working remotely with other artists because it really gives everybody space and room to try things and take risks. And sometimes when you're in the studio with people, there's this pressure to do things quickly, and you don't always find the best version of what you could have contributed, or you don't necessarily find the most organic path to take. It's a more speed-driven process or people-pleasing process. I actually think the process of recording separately can be really empowering and give everybody an equal chance to give their best. So, big fan of remote work.

How does it feel to be performing at It's OK* World? What are you excited for? How are you feeling?

I am so excited for this show. I'm playing with incredible musicians who have really, really dedicated their lives to their crafts, and I think it really shows.

And it's the kind of event that's my favourite type of event to play: where it's free for the public, but it's funded. And that makes it so satisfying for me to know that everybody has access to this show.

They’ve also made efforts to make it accessible. There will be a sign interpreter there. There are accessible restrooms. And I feel really good about being part of it. And It's OK* World does such a good job in trying to bring community together—a very great organization.

And I think it's a great opportunity for me to learn more about community building.

If a listener could only hear one song from your catalog, what would you recommend and why?

While I would rather it be three, I would say if it's just one, for me, of the things that are out right now at this moment, it probably would be “Wings”. Maybe I should have put it on the show tomorrow (laughs).

That song is about people who have had the wool pulled over their eyes and have been going through the motions of the life that they were taught to live through various forms of propaganda and maybe unwittingly contributing to climates of oppression in other places. And then coming to a new awareness of, “Oh, actually, what I am doing is contributing so much pain to the world, and I wasn't even aware of it.” But it's told through the lens of metaphor and a child in the woods, and the arrangement is very lush. So if you're looking for my big string and vocal arrangements, it's one that has that, too. So I just think it's relevant to the conversation that we all are having recently around the political climate.


And are there any upcoming projects or drops that we should keep an eye out for?

Yeah, I'm currently in the process of releasing an EP. The first single came out a couple of weeks ago, and the full EP will be out September 18th. All the singles are trickling out until then, and it's a different tone than the rest of my music, in that it's more punk-focused. It's more minimalist. It's more rage-filled, as I think suits how I feel right now.

I'm also moving away from streamers. It's going to be mostly available through Bandcamp, Patreon, Substack, those types of outlets until I figure out a streamer that works with me both politically and financially. Because, yeah, I think Spotify has become so obviously amoral that I'm just trying something new over here.

For the last question, what message do you hope to share through your music?

I hope to activate people, to find hidden parts of themselves. I hope that that activation cultivates outreach and community. I hope that people find joy in their own creation process and are inspired to create for the joy of creating. And that we all learn to appreciate each other and respect each other through the way that we learn to appreciate and respect ourselves.

That's very profound. Thank you so much for speaking with me. I'm so excited to see your performance tomorrow. I wish you the best of luck at the show.

Thank you so much.

BACK

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.