Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is an American electronic musician and composer whose work sits in ambient pop, electronic, experimental and related dreamlike forms. Born in 1987 and originally from Agoura Hills, she grows up on Orcas Island in Washington state, and later describes that environment as a major influence on her music. Her recordings often reflect the sense of nature, vitality and calm she associates with that period of her life.

Early life and education

Smith spends her formative years on Orcas Island before leaving to study at Berklee College of Music. There she studies composition and sound engineering. She initially focuses on voice as her main instrument, then moves on to classical guitar and piano.

Ever Isles and modular synthesis

Before her solo work becomes central, Smith performs in the indie-folk band Ever Isles, where she draws on the skills she develops in college. A turning point comes when a neighbour lends her a Buchla 100 synthesizer. She becomes deeply engaged with modular synthesis and stops work on the next Ever Isles album in order to explore sound-making on the instrument.

Musical approach

Smith’s music develops from rhythmic patterns and melodic pulses into dense, immersive electronic pieces. Her style is grounded in modular synthesis, and her broader output is associated with ambient pop and electronic music, with experimental and psychedelic qualities often present in descriptions of her work.