Caiti Baker facts for kids

Caiti Baker is an Australian singer and songwriter. She also works as a music producer, helps arrange harmonies, and engineers vocals for songs.

Caiti Baker's Early Life and Music Start

Caiti Baker grew up in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Her dad was a blues musician. Because of this, Caiti listened to many types of music when she was young. These included gospel, jazz, big band, rock & roll, blues, and soul music. As she got older, she also loved R&B and hip hop.

When Caiti was 12, she got an 8-track digital recorder. This helped her learn how to write and record her own songs. She was inspired by famous singers like Aretha Franklin, Big Mamma Thornton, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Etta James, and Little Walter.

Caiti Baker's Music Journey

Starting with Sietta (2009-2014)

From 2009, Caiti Baker teamed up with James Mangohig, also known as Kuya James. They formed a music duo called Sietta. Sietta released two albums and two EPs (Extended Plays). They toured around Australia and other countries before they stopped making music together in 2014.

Solo Career and Zinc Album (2015-2019)

In 2015, Caiti Baker signed with Perambulator Records in Darwin. That same year, she toured with and supported the famous musician Dr. G Yunupingu on his The Gospel Album Tour.

In 2016, Caiti was featured on the A.B. Original song "Dead in a Minute." She then released her first solo song, "Heavy On My Heart," in August 2016.

Her first solo album, Zinc, came out in October 2017. Music critics from Rolling Stone and The Music gave it great reviews. Zinc was named Album of the Week by Double J and ABC Darwin. It was also number 44 on Double J's Top 50 Albums of 2017. In 2017, Caiti won the Northern Territory Best Live Voice of the Year at the National Live Music Awards. She also performed at big music festivals like BIGSOUND and WOMADelaide.

In 2018, Caiti continued her tour for Zinc. She also released a collection of three songs called B6. These songs were left over from her Zinc album sessions. That year, she performed at the AIR Awards ceremony.

Caiti won the NT Song of the Year in the Blues and Roots category in 2018 for her song "I Won't Sleep." She also won Best Live Voice of the NT again at the National Live Music Awards.

In 2019, Caiti released an EP called Dust (Part 1), which won an AIR Award. She also performed at Bluesfest, a festival she said she "kinda grew up at."

Music in 2020

On March 8, 2020, which is International Women's Day, Caiti released the song "Worth It." This song was also the title track for a podcast called Birds Eye View. The podcast was made with women from the Darwin Correctional Centre. It shared their stories from inside the prison. The podcast later won the award for best Australian podcast of the year in 2020.

Caiti also created a live show called "The Settle Down Sisters." This show featured six female artists and was performed at the Darwin Entertainment Centre. They even supported the famous singer Jimmy Barnes. The Settle Down Sisters is a group of women from different backgrounds in the Northern Territory. They come together through music, laughter, and food.

On June 19, 2020, Caiti released her album Mary of the North. She dedicated this album to the Northern Territory and its special people. The album was produced by James Mangohig. It included a new version of the Sietta song "Carry You," now called "Carry." Caiti said she was inspired by the "amazing humans" in her community in the NT. She wanted listeners to hear the unique "textures, colours and tones" of her home.

Even though many live shows were canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Caiti still performed. She had a special show at the Nannup Music Festival in February with guest musicians and James Mangohig.

Caiti was also an artist-in-residence on ABC Radio's Double J. This meant she shared her music and thoughts on the radio.

In September 2020, Kuya James released a music video for his 80s-inspired song "Rewind Our Love," which featured Caiti Baker and Serina Pech.

Caiti's EP Dust (Part 1) won the Best Independent Soul/R&B Album or EP Release at the AIR Awards. She also featured on, produced, and engineered vocals for two songs, "Wirrimu" and "Buddy's Lullaby." These songs were part of the ABC's children's album, The Moon, The Mouse & The Frog: Lullabies From Northern Australia.

Music in 2021

In January 2021, Caiti released an acoustic version of her song "She's Cruel," featuring Ben Edgar.

In May 2021, Caiti traveled to the Gold Coast for her first performance after the pandemic. She played at the Blues on Broadbeach festival.

Her song "Worth It" reached number 10 on the "Territory Sounds Countdown 2021." Caiti donated some of the money from the song to the "Women of Worth initiative." This group helps prisoners and former prisoners in the community.

Caiti's music video for "Gone," directed by Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore in 2019, won Best Music Video at the 3rd Capricornia Film Awards. This was part of the Darwin International Film Festival.

Caiti Baker's Music Releases

Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Singles (Main Artist)

Singles (Featured Artist)

Awards and Nominations

Caiti Baker has won and been nominated for several awards for her music.

AIR Awards

The AIR Awards celebrate the success of independent music artists in Australia.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards recognize great achievements in Australian music.

National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA)

The NIMA awards celebrate excellence in the music industry, especially in the Northern Territory.

National Live Music Awards (NLMAs)

The NLMAs recognize contributions to live music in Australia.