Interview: Lee Gutoskie
Canadian artist Lee Gutoskie, primarily known as SAG-nominated actor Kristen Lee Gutoskie, has been making music since she was a child, and finally, it has been released to the world. Her first single, “Stardust," and live performance video came out in January 2025, and her second single, "Tunnel Vision," dropped on Friday, March 14th.
With an impressive resume acting on shows like “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu), “Narco’s Mexico” (Netflix), “Chicago Fire” (NBC), and the “The Vampire Diaries” (CW), as well as playing Natalie Suleman in biopic “I Was Octomom” and starring musical film “The Dust Storm” (Normal TV), her music is now sitting on center stage. Her debut EP will be arriving this summer.
The tracks on her upcoming EP are produced and cowritten by Grammy-winning producer Itai Shapira (aka BIAKO) and music legend drummer/producer Homer Steinweiss (El Michels Affair, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, Holy Hive), who released his solo project HOMER with Big Crowne Records in 2024.
Lee Gutoskie's sound takes you to another planet entirely while calling listeners back to themselves. It’s vibey, cinematic, meditative, and soulful, and it takes you to a vintage era with whiskey honey vocals and harmonies that haunt and provoke the heart and mind. Lee Gutoskie has performed in Toronto and Los Angeles over the years and plans to tour her EP later in the year.
How has music evolved as part of your artistic identity, and what led you to start releasing it publicly as Lee Gutoskie?
Music has been a part of who I am since I was a wee one. For as long as I can remember, I have been singing and finding solace and connection through a song or by tickling a piano key. It has taken me a very long time, however, to finally release music to the world, as it is so personal and private in a way. I have written countless songs and even made a music video that I never released. Now is finally the time I chose to release music as I feel I finally have a sound that represents my inner world, and the music is something I enjoy listening to.
I decided to release music under my middle name, Lee, rather than my first name. It allows me to express my gender fluid identity and is also a neutral palate for me to create a new form of expression on. So releasing the music to the world and under my middle name feels like I am finally outwardly expressing who I am in a way I never have, and it feels really, really good. I feel reborn.
Can you tell us about your latest single, "Tunnel Vision"?
Tunnel Vision is more of a ballad compared to my last single Stardust. It is very intimate and raw and cinematic. It is quite stripped down to mostly piano and a beautiful string arrangement my producer created, with a lot of raw vocals and ethereal harmony sections. The amazing Joseph August graced the track with his magical synth cocktail. It’s definitely meant to be listened to with headphones and some time for introspection, maybe staring at the stars or driving alone at night, but to each their own with how they enjoy it.
What was the inspiration behind the song, and what do you hope listeners take away from it?
I wrote it when I was alone in quarantine in Toronto during the pandemic on a little piano at my Airbnb. I was super lonely and facing some inner ghosts and maybe even outer ones. I think the place was haunted for sure, haha. I was reflecting a lot on the collective and individual pain we were all experiencing at that time in the world and our desire as humans to connect with each other when we physically could not. The song is timeless in a way–as it is released today, it still tracks whatever we are going through in this human experience. The song is meant to tell listeners: You’re not alone, so keep climbing, keep learning, shed skins and try on new ones. When you’re down in the dirt, in the tunnel, look beside you, and you’ll see someone else is there too. We’re all in this wild human experience together and will eventually emerge into the sunlight. And then do it all over again.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences—past or present?
Gosh, my influences are definitely from another time. Nina Simone, Dusty Springfield, Linda Perhacs, Etta James, Billie Holiday, Sam Cook, Bonnie Raitt, Van Morrison, and the list goes on. Namely, these artists' storytelling and ability to evoke so much depth with their voices inspires me, and I also just love the nostalgic simplicity of a full real-life band. I tried to have a majority of the musical parts in my songs played by live instruments; even the synths were played live in the studio. Fiona Apple and Erykah Badu, who aren’t afraid to say something with their art, are true artists who have definitely influenced me. Add in Sade, India Arie, and Tracy Chapman to that list.
I also love and am inspired by contemporary artists like Khruangbin and Nils Frahm for the feeling they evoke with their instrumentals. I love me a little Cleo Sol, whose vocals are absolutely divine, and I love the romance in the sound of Durand Jones & The Indications. You’ll hear more of that influence in my upcoming single, Buzz, produced by Homer Steinweiss from El Michels Affair—another incredible band. Lastly, I honestly geek out over some Enya- those vocal harmonies and the visual landscapes her music takes you to are wonderful. I think maybe some of the cinematic elements in my music could have been influenced by her.
How would you describe your sound for someone hearing your music for the first time?
I would say the music is soulful yet folky, ethereal and cinematic, and at times vintage romantic. It can be meditative at times, too. I think it crosses a lot of different genres and is hard to peg into one category, which I like. I think as a human being, I often don’t feel I fit into any one category; I think we are all often bleeding the lines. A song on my EP called “Grey Area” talks about that. Not fitting into a neatly tied box. That’s my motto.
Do you see any parallels between preparing for a role and writing or performing a song?
I think I approach acting and songwriting quite differently, but yes, there are a lot of parallels as well. The music is often a blank canvas. I start a song, usually with an improvisation, and when the vessel is properly open, usually the song channels through pretty quickly, and then you build on it. With an acting role, you already have a set of parameters you are working with - sometimes that makes it easier as it serves the foundation, and other times it is harder, as there are other voices in the mix. What I love about writing a song is it is my own words, and when performing, it can be euphoric. What I love about acting is I get to be a total nerd in the preparation of a role and learn an entire other human being, colour code my script pages, and then hopefully, if I can let go of the prep while performing and be present- it is equally and yet differently euphoric. Where both parallel is really getting out of your own way, opening yourself up, and being in the moment when creating and performing.
Are there any collaborators who’ve helped shape your sound or this current chapter of your music?
Yes absolutely. I think every person I have ever worked with in music has helped shape my sound in this current chapter—my first singing teacher, Juliana Hope, for starters. I wouldn’t have arrived here without each and every person. I recorded an EP with Scott Welch at Blakeslee Studios years ago that I have not released. He was wonderful to work with and spent hours with me creating, playing, and experimenting. Maybe the songs will come out one day, but I don’t think I knew who I was yet as an artist; I was still a work in progress. It was one step up the ladder to where I am now.
Producer Itai Shapira was very instrumental in helping pull out my strengths and influences and shape my sound. He produced and co-wrote many of the songs on my upcoming EP. I think he could really hear what was in me and helped bring my strengths out into the music, and we also shared similar musical tastes. Homer Steinweiss, who produced a track on my EP, lent his amazing vintage sound, and that really matched well with my vocals and deep love for old-school romance. My amazing mixer, Peter Steinweiss, knew exactly how to engineer the sound to bring it to its best expression. Joseph August, who cowrote “Stardust” and played synth and other instruments on the EP, helped me tap into the music's meditative elements. Hope Brush did the vocal production on one of my EP tracks, and she really knew how to find the strengths in my voice and help me build great harmonies.
What are you most excited about sharing next?
I am really excited to share the next single, “Buzz”. It’s definitely the most romantic and sorta catchy song on the EP. I wrote it about my partner when we were falling in love before we had a child together. While we were recording the song, I was actually pregnant with my son while singing it at the studio (Revival LA). In the final mix, we added some of my son’s baby coos into the song, so the song is really special and sort of reaches a full circle moment. It’s about wanting to build a hive with someone you love. The birds and the bees definitely did their part—we not only brought our son into the world, but into the song itself. This track is very special to me.
The larger project will be the EP release in the summer. The overall theme of the EP is beginnings and endings and all the in between. I think it’s goal is sort of to remind people of who we are at our core. I personally think we are expansive spiritual beings having a human experience. I think we are made of love, and cannot be squished into the limited boxes that society wants to place us in. We are so much more than we know and constantly in a state of learning and unlearning, and all truly in this together.
How can your fans and our readers best support you right now?
I would love people to just enjoy the music. And if they do enjoy it and feel called to, I would love to see where and how they are listening. So maybe if someone likes to listen to a song while they cook, post a video of that and tag me and the song. If they enjoy a track while hiking a mountain or laying out at the beach, share that with me. I am so curious to hear how and where people connect with it.
