Five Fast Facts with Cahli Samata on "Blink Back," Gatsby's Green Light, and Sending Signals Into the Dark
- Stefani M.C. Janelli
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Australian artist Cahli Samata makes music for those navigating the space between doubt and belief. Crafting what she describes as "cosmic pop for people trying to find their colour again," she builds immersive sonic worlds shaped by myth, emotional intensity, and a deep-rooted desire for connection, to self, to others, and to those no longer here. Her sound blends cinematic pop with otherworldly textures, existing somewhere between vulnerability and scale, neon-lit and pulsing with feeling. Now, she returns with "Blink Back," a luminous new single released on May 22nd, a signal sent into the unknown, and a testament to showing up for your purpose even when the silence feels endless.
GG: Hi Cahli!
CS: Howdy! I’m excited to chat today.
GG: What inspired "Blink Back" the most?
CS: Initially, it was inspired by a person who left me in the dark, carrying the connection on my own. At first, the confusion had me searching for answers, looking for signs, or some secret bat signal in the sky that would make it all make sense.
The way I felt made me think of the moment in The Great Gatsby, where Gatsby gazes out at the green light across the water on Daisy’s dock - a symbolic beacon of his hopes and dreams. I imagined how he’d feel if the light blinked at him or gave him some kind of sign she was thinking of him, too.
Once I had that idea, the lyrics just flowed. It quickly became clear that the song was not just about a lost connection. It was about all my dreams and all my fears that they’d never be realised. It became a personal letter to God, or the Universe, saying, “I’m here, I believe in this, show me I’m not alone.”
GG: In three words, describe the sound of "Blink Back." CS: Dramatic, dancey, and dare I say, electrifying? The way it evolved was more in its concept than its sound. Each of my songs has its own visual world. I see them all like pictures in my head, and I can tell you their exact symbols, colours, and landscapes. The first imagery I had for "Blink Back" was the green light in The Great Gatsby. But over time, it shifted to a neon red “No Vacancy” sign outside a rundown motel. There was something about that image of a motel, this lonely, liminal space in the dark, that fit the song better. Once that became clear, it helped shape the soundscape. We started incorporating sound effects of light switches, lamp pull strings, and humming currents, so the whole song buzzes with light and electricity.
GG: At what point did you know the song was complete? Is your songwriting journey always the same, or was this track different?
CS: Of all my songs, "Blink Back" has been the easiest one to complete. A lot of the time, I can get caught up re-recording vocals and obsessing over minute sounds and details, but "Blink Back" brought itself to life very smoothly. It wrapped itself in a neat little bow and told me it was ready after only a couple of sessions.
For me, the songwriting journey is always unique. I think of songs like babies - you bring them into the world in their smallest and most basic form, and then they take on a life of their own. That’s part of the fun of songwriting, getting to be surprised and delighted as your creations grow and take shape.
Some need a little more nurturing, but "Blink Back" was like a first child: angelic, idyllic, and deceptive enough to make you think the next one will be just as easy!
4. GG: What’s one message you hope listeners take away from this track?
CS: I hope the track inspires listeners to keep putting out their signal, even when everything feels quiet. Keep blinking your light. It is being answered, even if it takes a little while to see it.
GR: What did your recording process look like for this one? Which part was your favorite?
CS: The recording process for Blink Back was different from anything else I’d done - because I didn’t go into a session intending to record it. I was working on another track, my first romantic love song, and I was getting frustrated with it because I wanted it to be perfect.
My producer suggested we set it aside and work on something else to give it space. He asked what else I’d been working on. I told him I had some verses I was playing with. I sang them and he immediately vibed with it. We weren’t set up for recording that day, so I recorded the vocals on my phone while my producer built the beat and within an hour we had the full demo track down.
That first session was definitely my favourite. I’d been on the brink of tears at the start of it, and by the end, I had a complete song demo I hadn’t even expected to record. It was like a gift that just fell from the sky!
GG: What is one song you wish you wrote?
CS: This is such a great question! While there are hundreds, I’d have to say “You Are My Sunshine”. There’s such a universal truth and beauty in that song. It’s been translated into around 30 languages and recorded by hundreds of artists over decades because it cuts straight to the heart of an experience almost everyone knows: loving someone so much that to lose them would feel like losing the sunlight itself.
I think everyone has someone like that in their life, which is what makes the song heartwarming and heartwrenching all at once. For me, it makes me think of my soul dog, Loki, whom I lost last year. In his final days, I would play “You Are My Sunshine” on guitar to him because the feeling of that song is so embedded in every note and chord. I knew it would help him feel how much I loved him.
It might seem like a strange choice, but I think it takes a special type of talent to write something so simple and accessible, yet emotionally enormous. To write something that is transcendent, timeless, and enduring would feel like the fulfilment of any mission I had on Earth. Like, “Okay, Universe, mission complete.”
GG: What’s next for Cahli Samata?
CS: New tracks, new videos, some live performances, and hopefully a nap at some point.
GG: Thank you so much for chatting with us!
CS: Absolutely any time, thanks for letting me yap about music - I could go all day!
Stream "Blink Back" below!
