Interview: Composer/lyricist Kailey Marshall on music release of SONGS FOR SLUTTY GIRLS musical

Songs for Slutty Girls, the hit musical by New York-based composer and lyricist Kailey Marshall, has recently released five tracks on Apple Music and Spotify. We spoke to Kailey about her creating of queer, femme forward, pop-infused musical theatre.

How did you first get into writing music and musicals? When did you decide you wanted to pursue that as a career?

I started writing songs in college as part of a musical theater writing class I was a part of. I wasn’t very good and the instructor even told me that I probably shouldn’t move on to the second semester of the class. I don’t like when people tell me I can’t do something, so I kept working at it and got a lot better. As I started to see casting opportunities diminish for me, I started to think to myself that I could write better material than the songs I was auditioning with. That propelled me into writing full time. I also love the control I have over my writing; no one has to give me permission to do it. I noticed a gap that I could fill with material for queer, femme women with a pop bent and haven’t looked back since. Some days writing is really hard, and others it’s easy, but I’m staying in the ring for the long haul!

What was your inspiration for writing this musical?

I was 20 years old and went to a concert at Joe’s Pub for a male composer who wrote a lot of silly/funny songs about sex from the male perspective. I thought I’d could write something from the female perspective that might be funnier, and started writing Songs for Slutty Girls a few weeks later. I really took from my own personal life in this show, and it’s been so fun to continuously rewrite it as I learn more about myself. But looking back at some of those early songs, I’m really proud of 20 year old me for taking pain, heartache, and embarrassing stories and turning them into something I can be proud of.

How would you describe this musical in style? Who do you think it would appeal to?

Am I allowed to say everyone? I hope everyone walks away from this show feeling seen in some capacity. But I specifically wrote this for 20 somethings who wonder if what they’re going through in their sex and love lives is normal. I also wrote this show for people to have FUN at a theatre going experience, where it’s not too buttoned up and everyone can let loose and feel like they’re part of the magic. It’s so hard to access theatre as a young person and I want to make more shows that are accessible to more people beyond the old, rich, white demographic. The most rewarding part of writing this show has been people of all genders coming up to me and saying that my lyrics or music spoke to an experience they had. That’s what I believe music does best, is it conveys a feeling that is universally recognisable. If I’ve done that, I’ve done my job. I think there’s a lot of taboo around women writers really “leaning in” to their womanhood. I remember a male composer once describing Shaina Taub and admiring her because she didn’t “lean on the woman thing.” I for one, f**king love leaning on it. It’s honest to who I am, what I experience, and we simply don’t have enough representation for anybody to complain about women writing about women.

As a New York based artist, why was the UK the right place to stage this musical?

I honestly never considered bringing my work to the UK until I was given the opportunity; and I’m so glad I was given it by one of my old college roommates who had moved to the UK and said, “Kailey, I think you have to bring this here.” I’ve found that UK actors and creatives are some of the most kind, hardworking, and passionate people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, and I also think there’s a real hunger for new work that isn’t based on a movie or a book in the UK and producers are more willing to take a shot on new material, which really isn’t the case in NYC at this moment in time.

Is there a particular song you're excited to release digitally for audiences across the globe?

Again, ALL OF THEM! But ‘Bad Men’ holds a special place in my heart. I wrote it back in 2017 during Trump’s first term and I feel like it’s even more impactful today as we start to see the pendulum swing back the other way from the Me Too Movement. ‘Fine’ is also one of my favourite story songs I’ve ever written, and I feel so grateful that we got to record that one.

What are your hopes for the future of Songs for Slutty Girls?

I want Songs for Slutty Girls in weird theatre spaces throughout the globe. I want it to be the next Elegies or The Last Five Years for college students, because it will be easy to put up in a blackbox with no budget. I want it to have a life Off Broadway or in the West End, and I want it to become synonymous with a good time show that also makes you feel something. I want this EP on everyone’s headphones for years to come. Basically: I want everyone to access their inner slutty girl.

And what are your hopes for your future artistic career?

I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t want a Broadway run or a Tony or all the grants and accolades. But I think the most important thing for me in my artistic career going forward is to a) get better every time I write something new and b) help others feel seen through my work. To quote one of my favourite little shows that could, “I’d rather be 9 people’s favourite thing than 100 people’s 9th favourite thing.”

Songs for Slutty Girls is now available on Apple Music and Spotify.