Public figures and artists are no strangers to controversy. Still, few can return from it with a newfound perspective and leverage that understanding to create new opportunities for fans and followers alike. Forrest Lemaire, known to his fans as the synthwave and dark electronic musician Mr. Kitty, recently returned to the stage after a multi-year hiatus and substance recovery journey, and did so to sold-out venues with fans ready to celebrate his music and his sobriety. The time spent away from music and performance allowed the musician to heal, reflect, and reaffirm his commitment to his artistic direction and business prospects.
I think creatively, you have to take breaks from what you are doing because monotony with repetitious results can lead to insanity,” Lemaire says. “Disconnecting from the world allows your thoughts to exist in the purest form. I’m glad to have endured the harshness of reality and to see the world for what it really is. It allowed me to grow into the person that I’m meant to become and that I’m exactly where I need to be at this point in time.
Mr. Kitty’s return is accompanied by a new perspective on his art and career strategy. Some things will remain the same; his classic DIY approach, using the same computer he’s been using since he was 18 years old, persists to maintain the consistent and authentic sound his work is known for. However, the growth in popular platforms like YouTube and relatively newer ones like TikTok has become a focus and priority for future discoverability. Above all, Mr. Kitty is returning to the stage with a fresh appreciation for emotional storytelling, turning his desire to communicate experiences into art for the masses.
Whether it’s in a double album like Ephemeral or a 40-track project like Unreal, my decisions are guided by how honestly I can communicate experiences,” he says. “Business opportunities only make sense to me if they don’t compromise that core connection with my audience.
Setting Goals, Tracking Growth
Mr. Kitty went on hiatus in 2021 and only just returned to the stage in 2025. After so many years in recovery and away from his art, it’s only natural that his return would come with fresh goals and processes for ensuring new projects and albums succeed. However, to succeed in a saturated music media landscape, he needs to keep his skills sharp and his tools up-to-date. To that end, Mr. Kitty has begun expanding beyond his home studio setup and experimenting with more advanced mastering tools and digital collaboration platforms, which will ultimately contribute to more sonically complex and nuanced art. Additionally, he has realized that a fresh focus on improving his stagecraft for performances is not only beneficial for his career but also beneficial for himself as an artist.
After my hiatus, I’ve also focused more on stagecraft and live performance, since returning to shows in 2025 was a turning point for re-establishing myself not just as a recording artist, but as a performer,” he says. “When I finally returned to performing, it felt like reclaiming something on my own terms.
With new tools at hand, Lemaire turns to the tried-and-true formula for keeping goals realistic and achievable: he breaks projects down into their parts. Each stage—composition, refinement, mastering, visual elements design, and narrative design—is broken down into its own phase of the project, with progress tracked through both personal benchmarks and fan responses when public releases are made. By focusing on milestones during development, Mr. Kitty can maintain the motivation needed to push through long and ambitious projects.
With something as ambitious as Unreal, I set deadlines for groups of tracks instead of the entire album, which made the process less overwhelming,” Lemaire says. “Motivation also comes from fans’ reactions; knowing that a song resonates keeps me pushing forward.”
Succeeding As An Independent Artist
The life of an independent artist isn’t an easy one for most people. Criticism from fans, industry figures, online communities, and the media can turn into a millstone around an artist’s neck, and that’s before even considering the emotional vulnerability of putting one’s own art out into the world to be dissected, analyzed, and consumed. Having endured the highs and lows of the independent public artist’s life, Mr. Kitty has a robust understanding of what it takes to survive and thrive in this environment: resilience and authenticity.
Being independent means you don’t always have a safety net, so staying resilient through setbacks and controversies is crucial,” Mr. Kitty says. “Authenticity—whether through lyrics, sound, or interaction with fans—is what builds lasting loyalty. I’ve always strived to let my work reflect who I am in the moment.
That said, being a successful indie artist doesn’t mean being alone. Collaborative projects between musicians are often celebrated as exciting opportunities for two perspectives to blend, and two styles to contribute to a novel new work of art. Building and maintaining successful relationships with collaborators, peers, and supporters in the music industry is crucial for long-term success, and Mr. Kitty understands that personally. From working with other artists on collaborative releases to simply helping peers and being helped in return, he has seen and felt the benefits of respectful collaboration at every stage of the process.
Working with artists like IAMX or Aesthetic Perfection taught me the importance of blending creative visions without losing individuality,” he says. “During my collaborations, I’ve often shared my own production methods with peers who were struggling to finish projects. Teaching others some of the tricks I’ve learned in my DIY workflow not only helped them move forward but also inspired me to look at my own creative process from fresh angles.
However, at the end of the day, Mr. Kitty’s return to public performances and music production remains rooted in his personal desire to create, connect with, and engage fans and other musicians. His art is deeply personal, and has been for decades. It’s why he handles all of his own production and mastering, rather than delegating any aspect of that creation to team members to lighten the load. Coming back from a hiatus and recovering from controversy has made that personal touch even more critical.
Criticism can be tough, but it’s also part of putting yourself out there. I’ve learned to distinguish between noise and constructive feedback, he says. “When the Mr. Kitty controversy criticism surfaced, it forced me to reflect, step back, and take accountability. That period of pause helped me come back with more clarity and focus.
