“My Skin” portrays what it feels like to live in the United States as first-generation Hispanic-Americans and the facade of “freedom.” Vocals like “Freedom in disguise, thief in the night, crawling under my skin” also
explore the larger concept of cultural freedom–and what it means as an individual to escape the shackles of expectation from society, friends and even family.
“My Skin” was written by Karina and Jorge, who also produced the record. It was mixed by British Tony Award and Drama Desk winner Kevan Frost and mastered by Miami- based artist and producer Nick León.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Karina about the new release (My Skin), challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
K- We’re both born and raised in Miami but live in Brooklyn now. We make alternative-pop and draw inspiration from influences ranging from Latin music to trip-hop.
J- I think since we’re a vocal/producer duo it’s easy for us to change the style of music we make, which is something that really excites us. We each have a lot of different influences, but our core is rooted in the sensual, moody vibes of trip-hop bands like Portishead and Massive Attack. Currently, we’re both really into Latin percussion; you can see it lying underneath “My Skin”, but it’ll be a lot more prevalent and upfront in our next single, “No Puedo”.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
K- I’ve had a deep connection to music for most of my life. I was backstage getting ready for a show last summer and there was a gospel choir performing with us and during their warm up as I was applying my mascara I started crying uncontrollably. I couldn’t tell you why but it touched me. We need to nurture what keeps humanity connected and I think music is the way and that’s enough to keep me motivated.
J- Yeah I can only echo those sentiments. It’s cheesy but music just has an uncanny ability to touch people regardless of class, race, or even language. I work in event production at venues and music festivals, so even if I wasn’t making music I would still be involved in the industry. You meet the best people working in music, it’s the only place I can imagine working a 16 hour day and then going to a party with everyone after work. It really is like working in a dream
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
K- This new release is definitely different from our previous work. It’s got a more commercial feel and it has got more energy. We want to reach as many people as possible and I think that was an important factor with “My Skin”.
J- I think this track was born from our live show. We really connected with crowds but sometimes you just want to get them moving. The first time we played it the venue was really grooving and we knew we had something special with it, so we just wanted to put out something that was a little easier for people to dance to.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
K- I think what’s harder about the industry now is how easy technology has made it for anyone to make music. It’s become more and more difficult to set yourself apart. You have to have someone backing you up otherwise you get lost in the mix! Technology has no doubt made music more accessible than ever so I’m grateful for that.. I’m also grateful for platforms like Spotify and Instagram. They’re the best tools in helping cultivate a fanbase and presence that is required to take a music career to the next level.
J- From the production side, technology allowed me to get into making music. The ability to produce on a laptop instead of a full-scale studio opened up so many opportunities. I’m gravitating more towards analog production now but everything is working through Ableton.
What was the last song you listened to?
K- Inside My Love by Minnie Riperton
J- Metatron by Darkside
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
K- I mean Vinyls but let’s be real, MP3s are the most accessible right now.
J- I have a love-hate relationship with vinyl. I love collecting it, but I hate that I spend so much on it.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
K- Spotify for sure. They’re massive for one. Those numbers matter but also I feel supported by them as an indie artist.
J- Spotify 100%. I love their interface and playlist/discovery algorithms and they’ve recently done independent artists a huge solid by opening their submission portal directly.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
K- The best way to connect with us and get insight past just the music is through our Instagram ( @karinaofficialmusic ) and we’re going to be starting up a constantly evolving Spotify playlist of what we’re currently listening to and inspired by, so make sure to follow that too (it’ll be pinned on our artist page)
Anything else before we sign off?
K- We just played our first festival down in Miami @ III Points and now that we’re back in NY we’re gonna be playing some shows and working on new music. We have another single out in March!
