With her latest batch of infectious pop songs, Tomlinson is detailing her experiences with romantic relationships and self-discovery. “The Side Effects of You” is an incredibly personal project for her, and one can immediately hear the love poured into this project during the very first listen.

“This EP is a documentation of the last two years of my life. It’s an explanation of why I am the way I am today,” said Tomlinson. “I used to view my unsavory experiences as permanent damage to who I was as a person, but I understand now that everything has happened the way it was supposed to. I think in a couple years, I will look back at this project and the title will have an even bigger meaning to me than it does right now.”

Inspired by artists like Lana Del Rey and Shania Twain, the LA-based artist and Bay Area-native has done a great job at capturing the feelings of young adolescence through her music. Her lyrics and production choices pull from the essence of vulnerability, heartbreak, and anger that many young people endure while trying to carefully balance romance and self-care for the first time. Every song from her recent EP makes for a relatable, fun, and memorable listening experience.

Tomlinson really shines on her last single for the EP, “The Ring of Fire,” which takes her musicality into a much darker and more seductive route. The song is a haunting tale about manipulation, temptation, and fatal attraction, all accompanied by crystal clear vocals and a wildly catchy melody.

Blaze Radio spoke with Cate Tomlinson about her career momentum, her brand-new EP, “The Side Effects of You,” and how queer women have been impacting the music industry in a very powerful way. Keep reading for the full interview!

How would you describe your new single, “The Ring of Fire,” and what it personally means to you?

CT: I was reading “Demon Copperhead” when the idea for this song came to me. The main character's description of having a “head of fire” sparked my imagination. I built the story around a girl seduced by the devil in the shape of a boy, and he convinces her to sacrifice herself by promising they can be together forever in the afterlife. Obviously, this didn’t happen to me. But I was certainly inspired by experiences I’ve faced with the last boy I encountered. I built the story off themes of temptation, manipulation, and being loyal to the wrong person.

In just five words, how would you describe “The Side Effects of You” EP?

CT: Personality, nostalgia, coming of age.

In what ways would you say “The Ring of Fire” connects to the other songs on your new EP?

CT: When I finished the EP, I noticed that the songs I have about boys use a lot of brute physical imagery as metaphors for how it felt to be with them. “Half Lover” and “The Ring of Fire” are both songs that center around a clear villain and end in my metaphorical death. In the “Half Lover” music video, my on-screen boyfriend was a serial killer, and the boy I’m with in “The Ring of Fire” is literally the devil — whereas the song I wrote about the girl (“Like the boys”), it is light and hopeful and positive. But those have just been my experiences in life so far. Looking back on it, I think it’s interesting how I ended up portraying masculine versus feminine.

How would you say “The Side Effects of You” differs musically from your last EP, “Blueberry Season”?

CT: “The Side Effects of You” is a huge progression for me as an artist. I feel like I proved to myself that I could write a real song with the “Blueberry Season” EP, but with “The Side Effects of You,” I figured out how to inject more of myself and my personality into my writing. When I perform the songs, I feel like I can lock into the most confident version of myself — the version I am when I’m not on stage — because I truly feel aligned with what I’m singing about and how I’m portraying myself. The music is an extension of myself, and it feels very correct to me. “Blueberry Season” was also an important step for me, but I would feel like I needed to shrink a little to match the vibe.

If you had to choose, what would you say is one of your favorite lyrics from your new EP and why?

CT: “I’ll always suffer from the side effects of you.” I think that line embodies the whole project. Side effects can be physical, mental, present, dormant, whatever. They can fade, but they will always be there.

The music video for “Like the boys” is so much fun! What was your experience like filming it?

CT: Thank you! It was fun and fulfilling and one of my favorite days of the year. Paris Mumpower has impeccable taste, and all the little details we brought to life, like the cigarettes in between my toes and the maraschino cherries, were some of my favorite parts. Maggie Levone was the hot girl next door in the video, and we had the best time.

If you had an unlimited budget to give one of your songs a gigantic music video, what would the concept be and what would you want it to look like?

CT: I would make a video for “The Ring of Fire.” I have always seen this song living in a vintage, eerie Hollywood setting — think “American Horror Story” or “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” The boy/devil and I would be driving through the canyon in a red car with the top down and eventually get to the Hollywood sign — it would be an entrance to Hell, like in “Percy Jackson.” The boy would start out looking normal and progressively show things that make it clear he is the devil, like his eyes turning red, etc. And at the end, some sort of sacrifice would happen. I would wear a crown of thorns. How exciting is that!

Are we getting anymore music videos for this new era?

CT: Just “Half Lover” and “Like the boys” for now. Maybe someday I’ll direct a video/short film for “The Ring of Fire.” Now that I’ve written out that plot summary, it actually sounds pretty cool [laughs]!

There’s been such a rise this year in seeing queer women at the top of the charts and dominating pop culture. Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, and Reneé Rapp are just some of the examples from 2024. How meaningful has seeing this representation been for you and your artistry as a fellow queer woman in music?

CT: FINALLY. It feels like such a win and also a relief. It is comforting, refreshing, and very, very cool to have other queer artists to look up to that are also occupying the mainstream space. I know it unfolds differently for everyone, but I wrote my first song about a girl (“so cool so mean”) the week that I met the first girl that made me realize I wasn’t straight. The song was how I told my family and friends. Since I have been releasing music about figuring out my sexuality while I’m still figuring it out, it can feel weird sometimes, but it is such a confidence boost to have other women to look up to.

We are all about supporting up-and-coming female musicians! Are there any women in the music industry that you’d love to shout out and recommend people go listen to?

CT: Claire Brooks is a friend of mine and is so talented. She just released an EP called “I Will Outlive You.” Please listen. It’s like a combination of BROCKHAMPTON and Mac Miller (RIP) sung by a girl with a timeless jazz voice.

Career wise, what’s a favorite core memory you have from 2024 that you’ve taken with you into 2025?

CT: Shooting the EP cover was my favorite career part of 2024. I had put out the four singles, and it was the last thing we had to do for the EP to be officially ready, so it felt like closure on what has been a very intense year for me. Chris Shelley shot and creative-directed the visuals for this project, so we just hung out and tried a few different setups before we landed on the cover. I had no idea what it would look like before I went to shoot it, and it came together so seamlessly. When he sent it to me, I didn’t even want to revise it or touch it. Chris was definitely the missing piece to make this project come together! Thank you, Chris.

What can you tease to fans about what they can expect from Cate Tomlinson in 2025?

CT: Definitely more songs. Perhaps an album. I’ve been writing a ton this fall and I am really, really excited about 2025. This has been a season of preparation for me :)