Across the half dozen years she’s been releasing music, KAINA has centered her songwriting in exploring identity. On her fantastic new album It Was A Home, the Chicago-born, first generation Latin American artist draws on soul, pop, and Latin rock to soundtrack her ruminations on the relationships that shaped her, and what makes a home a home. Host Elia Einhorn recently caught up with KAINA for a dive into the new LP; the tight-knit Chicago music community that’s uplifted her artistry, and her commitment to carrying that tradition forward; how collaborating with Sleater-Kinney helped her realize she’d leveled up; and the emotional benefits of writing in Spanish.