For this week's music spotlight, we interviewed Karis Lee. The R&B/Pop singer and songwriter shared with us some experiences of her career, after releasing her new single 2pm.
About Karis and her new single: Karis Lee is a R&B/Pop singer and songwriter born in small town Texas. Fueled by the power of word and the flexibility of genre, Karis experiments across traditional lines both sonically and lyrically. From middle school to her mid-twenties, her songwriting aims to capture moments of intense heartbreak and uncanny happiness. Her debut single (2pm) exposes the multitude of emotions that accompany modern-day hook-up culture.
How did you first get into music?
I've been singing and playing instruments for as long as I can remember! I started out on piano and wrote songs of my own when I was around 10 years old and I have never looked back. My parents really encouraged me and my brothers to get involved in music, so we all ended up in orchestra and band and weekly music lessons. In the 5th grade, I started playing the oboe and fell head over heels for it--that love taught me so much about the beauty of passion and practice. But, I keep coming back to singing and songwriting - I can't help it!
What was your first public performance like? Any fun stories you can share with us about it?
I'm 24 now, but the first time I seriously performed my own music was at my high school graduation. I was shaking! It was absolutely terrifying. It was a song I wrote called "The Future," dedicated to my mom and I really didn't want to mess it up in front of everyone and their mothers (literally). After the performance, I remember a group of parents came up to me with tears in their eyes. That was the exact moment that performing became something sacred to me. It's an amazing feeling to know that someone was listening to you and felt something.
What's your favourite part of producing music?
SONGWRITING! I'm obsessed with lyrics. I think it comes from the fact that I'm a writer at heart and I've always been completely infatuated with words. It's weird because I don't really have a set songwriting process, I just let the melody and lyrics flow out of me.
Who are your biggest musical inspirations? Why?
Erykah Badu, Ella Fitzgerald, Lianna La Havas, Nina Simone, Jhené Aiko. These women are not only powerful and incredibly unique voices, but they sing with a kind of honesty that is impossible to fake. That's a huge reason that I love R&B, soul, and jazz: it feels genuine, truthful, authentic.
Your music's been featured on the 'Step Up', and the 'Teen Mom' series. What was that like? Seeing your music fit a whole different setting?
Surreal! It's just bizarre to hear my voice anywhere, let alone on a TV series. But again, it's so meaningful that someone somewhere heard my voice, lyrics, and melody and felt so inclined to put it on a show. It's bonkers!
Lastly, what's next for Karis Lee?
More music! I'm working on more singles and hopefully will come out with an EP in the near future. I don't know exactly what's to come, but I'm very excited for the journey. You can come along for the ride via my Instagram: @karisleemusic.
Interview by @zarahyolo (Music Editor for Heartbroken Zine)