PREMIERE: Wild Fire Debut Their Emotional ‘Cut U Off’ Music Video
We've adored country sister duo Wild Fire for a long while, and with each passing track, they're only getting better.
Kayla and Kelli Iutzwig's latest single, "Cut U Off," is proof of that. With its jangly, driving beat and emotional lyrics, it's a relatable yet empowering song about navigating your way out of a bad relationship, designed to help us all find our way out of difficult times. And we consider ourselves so lucky to be able to debut the music video here on Sweety High first.
Keep reading to find out what the gals had to say about the track and its fabulous new video—and watch it first here!
Sweety High: What was the songwriting process behind "Cut U Off"?
Kelli Iutzwig: We wrote "Cut U Off" with one of our favorite co-writers in Nashville, Annika Bennett. Kayla came to me with the song idea and some lyrics. I put a melody to it on the piano and we developed the idea that night. We brought it to Annika soon after that and collaborated to create the song.
SH: What inspired the song, and why is it meaningful to the both of you? Is it based on a true story?
Kayla Iutzwig: The song was inspired by a bad relationship and breakup I went through. In my case, I didn't want to be the second choice in this relationship. The idea of the song is that there are some relationships we just need to let go of. There are toxic people that do not truly care about you. They will use you when they need you and that's it. They don't respect you and are typically only in it for themselves. We have to get over the emotional aspect of so desperately wanting to make something work that simply will not. We have to cut people like that out of our lives.
It's meaningful to us because I went through it and Kelli saw the effects of it and learned from it. We want to ensure that others don't get into a similar situation. The underlying message is that we have to learn to love and respect ourselves enough to recognize these situations and remove ourselves from them.
SH: Any fun stories or trivia from the music video shoot?
Kelli: Filming music videos is always so much fun! A fun fact about shooting this video was the neighbors' reaction to it in the location that we filmed. We rented out a cute townhome in a very trendy area of Houston called The Heights. The owners were musicians, so they were totally cool with the idea. When we pulled in the driveway with a huge van full of equipment, and actors and actresses coming in and out with their wardrobes and props, the neighbors were trying to figure out what was going on. They never asked us, they just looked on in wonder.
SH: Do you have any advice for fans on getting through heartbreak and coming out stronger on the other side?
Kayla: I think that getting through heartbreak is always hard and the struggle to go back or not go back is a tough one. This song really represents that if you're not the first choice it's not worth it. Know your worth! Someone who really wants to be with you will show it and you will know 100%. Heartbreak is going to be a struggle, but that's just part of the journey. In the end you will be stronger.
SH: How has the pandemic changed the way you write and make music together, if at all? What are the biggest challenges of that?
Kelli: The pandemic has definitely changed the way we write and record music. We typically write with co-writers. Prior to the pandemic, we would fly to Nashville or L.A. to meet up and write with our co-writers in person. Once the pandemic hit, we had to readjust. We began doing writes over Facetime, Skype and Zoom. What we learned is that the virtual writes do work well for us and are just as effective.
We have also had to rework our recording process. Prior to the pandemic, we would also fly to L.A. or Nashville to record with great producers such as Nash Overstreet (Hot Chelle Rae) or Austin Moorehead (Carly Pearce). Now we work closely with our producer in the pre-production phase and then let him build the track out and send it to us to record vocals. We found an incredible vocal producer here in Houston, Telford Birmingham II (JayTel) to add to our team. We feel these new processes of writing and recording are working tremendously well for us.
The biggest challenge is probably not being able to go have lunch or hang out during the day of the write or recording session. We miss that. We enjoy getting to know our writers and producers on a more personal level.
SH: Are there any artists that are particularly inspiring to you during these unusual times?
Kayla and Kelli: There are so many artists that inspire us. Some of these include Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, Sasha Sloan, Madison Beer and John Mayer.
SH: What do you think sets the group apart from the other musical artists out there today?
Kayla: I think there are several things that set us apart from other musical acts. For one we are a sister duo. We have grown up singing together our entire lives, starting out in musical theater at ages five and six. We have learned to harmonize with each other and it just comes naturally to us.
Another thing that sets us apart is that we tackle topics in our songs that are not really addressed in mainstream music. For instance our song "Damaged (But We Still Work)" confronts the impact that social media has on mental health. Teens and adults alike struggle with body image issues when they see images of celebs and perfect people as they swipe through their screens every day. Yet another thing that sets us apart is our connection with our fans. We talk to them every Sunday at 7 p.m. on Instagram, answer their comments and DM's, and simply just make time for them. That is so important. They are family to us.
SH: Is there anything else you'd like your fans to know?
Kelli: We want our fans to feel inspired by our music. We want them to know that we care about each and every one of them and truly appreciate their support.
Obsessed with Kayla and Kelli? Click HERE to discover our favorite fun facts about Wild Fire.