James: Tell me about how you came to love music?
Kristen: I came home one day from elementary school and my parents had surprised my siblings and i with a piano. It was an instant connection. It felt so natural to play from the heart. I have never regretted it since!
J: Have you ever taken lessons? Or just learnt from ear?
K: The first couple of months i was learning from a book. I eventually started to take lessons and testing with The Royal Conservatory of Music. It gave me my basics with scales and chords. As i advanced through the grades I found it easier to pick out my favorite tunes and learn on the piano by ear.
J: What was one of your favorite songs to play back when you were learning?
K: My Immortal By Evanescence. I would play it non-stop!
J: Same! Great song. Did you sing when you played or did that come later?
K: That came much later. I actually didn't write my first full complete song until the summer of 2009. I was shy and didn't really sing in front of anyone but myself.
J: Hard to imagine you being shy after seeing you on stage! What made you decide to start writing your own songs?
K: I was in a couple of bands before i went solo. Each band I was in I was more involved in the song writing process. I did take a class in highschool on music composition but still had no idea how to put my thoughts into music. So with the last band I was in, we began co-writing and I was also arranging songs. I felt it just clicked. I took a trip to the UK in 2009 with one of my best friends and she said "Why don't you just go solo? You have the talent to write hit songs!" Thus, it began.
J: So is that how your first album worked out? Who did you write with?
K: I wrote the song called Breakaway on piano and put it up as a demo on myspace. As i was writing Goodbye I started looking around at producers. I found Dave Thompson of Digital Underdog Productions. We met a few times then started working on those two plus Bustin'Out. It was originally suppose to just be a couple of songs, but with every song I just got so much better, so I decided to make the EP.
J: Did you and him come up with all the music?
K: I came up with demos done in Garage Band and Protools. It was mainly just synth, drums and piano with a rough cut of my vocals. He added the guitar and harmonies as well as a few other things to create fantastic mixes to the songs. I was there every step of the way to make sure they turned out exactly like what i heard in my Head. We really connect and work well as a team. I am truly blessed to have worked with such a great producer!
J: Tell me about any upcoming shows?
K: Yes! I am very excited for the upcoming shows! Last year i was sort of playing it by ear and how things were done. I ahd a lot of things put together, but was still missing key elements of my show. This year i have taken the bull by the horns. It is a high energy show with catchy tunes, that WILL have you dancing.
J: Now one of the biggest downfalls with pop music around Vancouver is its all done with a backing track or prerecorded music. Do you do this?
K: Ive got a show at the Celler Nightclub on May 20th and The Media Club on June 8th. Both shows are with wicked musicians from Vancouver. I can't wait to share the stage with them. It's always been something to me to have live musicians. You can feed right off their energy on stage. Plus it makes the show that much better to watch!
J: Any funny stories happen at one of your shows?
K: The first show I ever played was at the Media Club last year. I opened the show for this fashion show that was going on. So we decided to end the set with the song Bustin'Out. Well, as we were playing the last song all these girls came out with their bustiers on to model them. Wasn't really planned to play the last song with models "bustin out" of their bustiers. *laughs* It took a while to live that one down.
J: Any last words to our readers?
K: If you want it, and visualize it, what is stopping you from taking it? Don't take no for an answer. Follow what's in your heart. Exciting things are going down the upcoming shows. Hope you can make it out! It's all about having a blast and partying to some wicked music!
Check out her myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/kristenkarmaofficial
Listen to one of her tracks:
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