Kris Kelly blends classic chamber pop and indie folk on debut single “We Flew,” an intimate love song urging self-assuredness in the face of homophobia.
Kris originally wrote “We Flew” to his husband as they navigated their new relationship in Buenos Aires, banned from reentering the U.S. as a married couple due to DOMA, but the message of solidarity stands for the whole LGBT community, especially with the government in power threatening to erase trans identity, and Brazil electing their own far-right president.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Kris Kelly about the latest project, motivations, challenges 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.)
I grew up in Austin, Texas and moved to NYC for college. I stayed there for several years until I moved to Buenos Aires, where I stayed for 5 years. And now I’m back in Brooklyn.
I’d say my music is a blend of folk and classical music, to give it some rough labels, which I know you didn’t ask for. I studied classical voice and music composition in school, and I’ve always been interested in using “classical” instruments in contemporary folk/pop/rock songs. I’m also a big fan of contemporary folk songwriters, especially those who really bare their soul in their music. I like it when I can feel a songwriter is being excruciatingly honest. Personally, I create music to process my journey through this life. When I write a song, there isn’t a plan or thought on how it will be perceived. I don’t think about how long it is (oops!) or if it will be a ‘hit’. I write the songs entirely for me. And my relationship with them is very sacred to me. Then after, in the studio, there is the fun part of playing dress up, to see how I can help them really come to life so other people can experience them. I really enjoy that part, but it’s a very different process to me than the writing of the song itself, just me and the guitar.
What led you to create Runaways and what motivates you to keep pursuing music?
I was lost in many ways and I wandered down to South America and traveled around, moving place to place, crashing on people’s couches. I had my guitar and a suitcase. I ended up staying down there 5 years, and a lot happened to me during that time. I documented it all in the songs. When I got back to the US, I had a strong urge to record them, and I finally did. I chose the songs that kind of represented different themes I had dealt with over all those years. And that’s Runaways. As for my motivation in pursuing music, I will always write songs because expressing myself through music is a natural part of how I operate. Pursuing a career in music and sharing them with the world, however, is an interesting decision, and I’ve struggled with that motivation. Ultimately, I would like to allow the songs to be there for others. Connecting with other people’s music has deeply enriched my life. Especially as a teenager, when I felt I had nobody to turn to, and even now, I turn to songs for support, wisdom, inspiration, just as you would turn to a friend. Truly some of my best friends are songs. If I can offer that to someone else, that would provide my life with deep meaning.
How is this release different from any music you may have released before? Did you have a specific mission in mind for it?
Because the music is so personal to me, I’ve always micromanaged it when bringing it to life. I performed for years around NYC, but I regrettably did not give much freedom to the musicians I played with. Same with the recordings I made before Runaways. I would write out most of the parts, and in that way I had a sense of security, because I was controlling the songs. Almost like an overprotective parent. I was really scared of collaboration to be honest. But with this album, I took a leap and just allowed other people in. I really trusted these musicians, blindly. It could have been a disaster, but it wasn’t. I wrote the songs, and each song’s structure stayed fixed, but every other aspect of the record was pure collaboration, and it was pure magic. It was going so well letting other people in, that I decided to approach John Philip Shenale to write the arrangements, although I had planned all along to write them myself. Working with so many talented people and allowing them to develop their own relationship to each song, and then to share it with me, was such a beautiful experience. I’m definitely no longer scared of collaboration! So as a musician, this album was very different than anything I’ve done before. I opened up and let people in.
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)?
One challenge is finding people willing to take their time to get to know an album, or even a song. Everyone has such short attention spans these days, myself included, and it’s often hard to focus and really relax and take your time with something (or someone). To be present and curious and surrender to a journey, uninterrupted, is a lot to ask. Second, I am new to social media and it is definitely proving to be a challenge. It’s a beautiful tool, to be able to communicate directly with people, but I haven’t quite mastered how to do it. I’m still navigating what I want to share and how I want to share it. As far as how technology has helped me, well it has allowed me to reach thousands of people with no label! An artist can really hold so much power now, but it’s a lot of responsibility and you have to be clear about what you’re doing. Also, technology now allows for so much ease in the recording process. Just the simple tasks of transferring files, recording in many different studios, sending bounces back and forth from one side of the world to the other, it’s all so wonderful.
What was the last song you listened to?
I was around a baby at Thanksgiving who had a Teddy Ruxpin doll that played this song about a koala over and over, and I’m going insane. It plays over and over in my head all day, every day, for the past 5 days. “Who wouldn’t love a Koala?”
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I either stream these days when I’m on the go or I sometimes listen to vinyl when I’m at home. If I find an album I truly love, I always buy it, either on vinyl or on iTunes. But being able to stream music makes it so easy to discover new artists.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Spotify only because I haven’t explored many of the other options. It does what I need it to do, so I’ve stuck with it.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more of your music?
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/KrisKellyMusic) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/KrisKellyMusic/), or my website kriskellymusic.com
Anything else to mention before we sign off?
Thank you for the opportunity and keep an eye out for my next single, “Birthplace,” coming in early 2019!
