Chicago Cubs: Katie Day’s “By the Lakeside” is perfectly timed

Cubs fan Katie Day may have penned the perfect song at the perfect time

The Chicago Cubs are headed to the NLCS for the first time since 2003. Since the season started, there have been hype videos, songs about the Cubs–just about anything you can think of. But I came across one that was different in many ways–and each day it’s becoming more relevant, and it can be a tear-jerker.

Katie Day is a Chicago native that headed West to find her way in music. Like many, she was molded by her failures as much as her success–and those led her to enter the studio and record her debut solo EP, Burn it to the Ground. The album as a whole is fantastic, but it’s “By the Lakeside” that you simply must hear. The timing couldn’t be any more perfect for this track.

A Cubs fan all her life, Katie was moved to pen the song from her experiences and life as a Cubs fan. I got the chance to talk with her about being a Cubs’ fan, writing what could become the most popular song in the country (at least in the Midwest) if things play out as we hope, and a few other questions. But first, enjoy the song before you get to know Katie. The video is great, but pay attention to the lyrics, and grab a tissue:

NB: When did you become a Cubs’ fan, and who brought you into “the life”?

KD: I grew up watching games with my dad and my brothers or listening to games on WGN radio outside while we’d play pickup baseball. My dad was a teacher so he had summers off to dedicate to me and my brothers and to baseball. It was really my grandpa that made me love the Cubs though. My grandpa and I were buddies when I was a little girl, and I could see how much the team meant to him even though he was too much of a tough guy to let it show. A lot of my early love for the Cubs stemmed from wanting my grandpa to be happy.

NB: Have you had the opportunity to attend many games at Wrigley in your life? What’s your favorite memory of a game you attended?

KD: I’ve been going to games since I was a kid, and probably my favorite memories were the times my parents let my cousin Annie and I go alone. We were about 14 years old and we would save up our money for the cheapest upper deck seats and take the train up from Indiana. Even though we had the worst seats in the house, those were always the most fun experiences. Also, this summer I went to the last game of the series where we swept the Giants. I was in the bleachers, which is where I always prefer to sit now, and you could just tell there was something brewing with this team. Things felt different in the stands and in the city, and I went home that night and started sending the song out to whoever would listen.

NB: How old were you when you realized that music was what you wanted to do?

KD: I started taking piano lessons when I was seven and ended up going to college for piano, but I didn’t start writing songs until later. First I studied music therapy and then music business. I even had a short stint working at a record label, but none of it was really that fulfilling and I knew I had to take the leap and go the artist route. I recorded and toured as a multi-instrumentalist in a lot of different bands (rock, blues, bluegrass, funk, pop country, americana, indie rock) before I got into the studio and started making my own music. It’s only been about two years since I started producing and recording my indie pop stuff and it definitely feels like the right fit for me.

NB: Was there a particular inspiration for “By the Lakeside”?

KD: I wrote “By the Lakeside” last October because I was living through a third Giants World Series run since moving to SF in 2010 and I knew it was time for the Cubs to have their comeuppance. The Cubs had a great September last year, but it didn’t matter because they were statistically eliminated. I really had faith that this year was going to be special for the Cubs and nobody around me did because I was in Giants country. I played it at a show in SF the day after I wrote it during the World Series last year and I said on stage “This is the song they’re going to be playing in Chicago next year when the Cubs are in the World Series,” and everyone acted like I was a nut job. So all of this feels pretty damn good right now. I also want to say that I’ve lived through five World Series wins between my times in SF and Boston. It’s exhausting.

NB: What has the response been like from Cubs’ fans about the song since the playoffs began?

KD: The response from people has been awesome. I’ve had so many people reach out and say the song gave them chills or made them tear up or my personal favorite, that it made them “believe again”. It makes me emotional every time I read something like that because I know EXACTLY what these people are feeling. I’m one of them. It’s not like a song about a breakup or whatever where the people who appreciate it have a unique experience to draw from. We are all sharing in a collective experience here and we have been for a long time.

NB: Did you think the song would have relevance so quickly with the Cubs?

KD: I honestly did think the song would be relevant this year. Everyone’s been saying they’ll be ready in 2016 or 2017 or that they need more playoff experience, but as an artist, I have this whole “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind” perspective that begs to differ. I think the experience of failure can infiltrate your psyche and create a self-fulfilling prophecy for the future, which is what the city of Chicago has been collectively experiencing for over a century. But these kids don’t have the experience of intense pressure and subsequent heartbreak to draw from, and it’s working in their favor. You just see them get out there and genuinely enjoy the game like kids on a sandlot and it’s changed the mindset of the entire city. That’s why I’ve just kind of kept my mouth shut and quietly believed before other people were willing to hop on board.

NB: Do you have any “routines” or superstitions when you watch the Cubs?

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KD: The most superstitious thing I’m doing right now is staying in Chicago. Sports dynasties have followed me around since I left Chicago at 18, and my friends have always joked that I’m the good luck charm. So I refuse to leave. I’m taking the month away from my band, and I’m getting as much work done as possible between games while staying at my dad’s house in the suburbs. The Cubs are now 12-1 since I got here at the end of September. When I came to visit in August, they went on a nine game streak starting the day I came in. Also, confession, I’ve never seen any Back to the Future movies and I refuse to even watch one second of them until after the postseason.

NB: Do you have a favorite player?

KD: I know this is cliche, but my favorite player is hands down Anthony Rizzo. He’s been with this team through thick and thin. He’s a cancer survivor. He’s earned it. Also, that smile.

NB: Where would you most want to be if the Cubs won the World Series? At the game? In Wrigleyville? Somewhere else?

KD: If they win, I’d want to be at Wrigley. I mean, could it really get any better than that? But since I don’t have $3000 lying around, I will likely be in the streets outside the park or at a nearby bar. I’ve watched all the postseason games so far with my dad, and that’s been awesome, but I want to get out there with the people and feel the energy. Maybe he’ll come with me. That would be the best. The one thing I really wish more than anything is that my grandpa were alive for this. Not just to see this team, but to hear my song and to see what it means to Cubs fans. He would love it. I’ve shed so many tears over the Cubs in my lifetime not just for me, but for him. I wanted him to see them go all the way so badly, and unfortunately, that never happened. He’ll be the first person I think of when they finally do.

Maybe if the Cubs win and this song becomes popular, Katie can get those seats in Wrigley next year. #FlyTheW

Next: Cubs have capable replacement in Baez

Cubs fan Katie Day may have penned the perfect song at the perfect time

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