5 Things You Might Not Know About Cavetown
Trans singer-songwriter will bring tour with Mother Mother to Sterling Heights next month
When Robin Skinner, aka Cavetown, brings his latest tour to Sterling Heights on July 12, expect the “bedroom pop” vibes the performer has been creating since a very early age — and plenty of growth, too. The trans singer, who uses they/him pronouns, has been growing up right before our eyes, from early days on YouTube and free tracks on Bandcamp to international touring dates alongside British Columbia indie rock band Mother Mother and pop-punk group Meet Me @ The Altar.
Somehow, Cavetown has carried his early, inarguably youthful aesthetic through to a more mature, experience-informed brand of songwriting and performing that has helped him amass a fiercely loyal online following. While the melodies have grown into something more intricate and lush than those early YouTube entries, Cavetown is still the same vulnerable, clever songwriter he was at 14. Whether you’re new to Cavetown’s music or part of his "Cave Club," here are five facts you may not know about the British musician.
Check out Cavetown’s latest single, “alone” on YouTube.
1. Cavetown Is Young — But a Music Industry Veteran!
At 25 years old, it might be hard to believe that Cavetown has been creating music for audiences for over a decade, but it’s true. The performer started a YouTube channel in 2012 at age 14 and debuted an original song called “Haunted Lullaby” the following year, quickly followed by the album “Everything Is Made of Clouds” on Bandcamp. You can still find Cavetown’s early covers on YouTube, including his acoustic rendition of the Twenty-One Pilots song “Tear in My Heart” featuring an earnest, fresh-faced Cavetown strumming along on ukulele.
2. Cavetown Is an Outspoken Trans Advocate
While he is typically more private about his own identity, he did come out publicly as trans in 2020 and has often spoken out about transphobia. Cavetown told Pride Source in 2022 that he wasn’t surprised to see a wave of anti-trans legislation sweeping across the country in conservative-led state legislatures. “I try not to read too much on stuff like this, because I just end up feeling so powerless as an individual,” he said, “but it’s important to remember how enormous, loving and active our community is. Just keep sticking by your friends and being unapologetically yourself. Things will be OK in the end, and if they aren’t OK, then it’s not the end.”
Cavetown created his “This is Home Project in Oct. 2022. The organization provides funding to foundations focused on LGBTQ+ youth in need. Through the Project, Cavetown works to increase access to LGBTQ-related physical and mental healthcare, safe housing and much more, both on a broad and more personal scale. Since its creation, This Is Home Project has benefited the Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project, True Colors United, Trans Lifeline, BTFA Collective, and Stonewall. Find out more at cave.town/pages/tihp.
3. Cavetown Loves Cats
Cavetown’s gray-and-white kitty Juno is a frequent guest on his social channels and even makes it into a song now and then. The song “Juno,” from the 2022 “Worm Food” album, includes the heartbreaking chorus: “I do it for Juno/Pretend her life is on the line/Manipulate myself into staying alive.”
4. Cavetown Is a Skilled Climber
On Instagram (@lemon.socks) a few months ago, Cavetown shared a fun fact: He loves to climb. Next to a video of the performer scaling an indoor rock climbing wall, he wrote, “I love to clamber around, and I have been trying to get stronger and better at it over the past few months. I managed to catch my first time completing this route, so I made a silly video of it to share because I’m really proud of myself!”
5. Cavetown Is a Mental Health Champion
Fans relate deeply to Cavetown’s vulnerability, which shines through on introspective tracks related to the musician’s life experiences, including challenging moments when he has wrestled with staying mentally healthy. The singer-songwriter told Pride Source in 2022 that the 2020 song “Sharpener" is a deeply personal track that he's “really proud of.” This song, which he said was inspired by an earlier song, “I Promise I’m Trying,” holds a special place in his heart, Cavetown said. “They both come from a similar subject matter of struggling with your mental health and looking for a way to ask for help while also finding it hard to leave behind the coping mechanisms you’ve relied on for a while.”
Cavetown, who is open about his struggles with depression and anxiety, frequently spotlights mental health resources on his social media feeds. A post on Instagram from mid-May highlighted Mental Health Awareness Month along with several mental healthcare tips from Cavetown Cave Club fan club members.
Tickets are available now at Ticketmaster for Cavetown's July 12th show at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights.
This content is made possible through our partnership with Live Nation. Partnerships like these enable Pride Source to produce free, quality storytelling for the LGBTQ+ community.
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