INTERVIEW: KISA on her music debut 'Hurting': "It is okay to feel whatever you are feeling, even if you don’t have a reason."
LA based artist KISA recently released her debut single, ‘Hurting’, a beautiful, haunting ballad which explores the theme of mental health, with heartbreaking yet empowering lyrics.
KISA was born into a Russian-Ukrainian family and has been performing since the age of two. In the intervening twenty odd years, she has turned her hand to dancing, acting, filmmaking, editing, writing poetry and still performs today as a dancer. It was music though that has always been the constant in her life and where her focus is today. With a powerfully emotive voice, and a talent to create music that really makes the listener connect, KISA is a new artist who promises great things and we recently caught up with her to find out more.
Hey Kisa! Thanks for taking the time to chat to us. How have you been coping over the last few crazy months?!
The last few months have been eye-opening. I am the type of person that always has a “go-go-go” mentality when it comes to scheduling my life. Once the quarantine started, it took some time for me to readjust, as it must have for many others, and actually start to notice the simplicity in life at home with my family. My coping was really just having family dinners, writing poetry, listening to music, dancing in my garage, sitting outdoors, and cuddling with my dogs. I am fortunate enough to have been quarantined with my family and to have a good relationship with them. I know many were not in the same situation. I felt that the past couple months were very important because the injustices and flaws in the U.S. system that have always been there began to surface much more. It has been and still is a time for change, educating ourselves, and fighting for equal rights.
Congratulations on the release of your single ‘Hurting’, it is absolutely beautiful. There is obviously a very personal story inside this song, can you talk us a little through the inspiration behind the track?
Thank you for the kind words about ‘Hurting’. It was a great track to start my career off because of its vulnerability. I want to be real with people. I think that mental health is absolutely crucial to be discussed because so many suffer and need to be heard. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I had taken a semester off of college and left the U.S. to live with my family in Ukraine. I remember waking up and feeling extreme sadness for no apparent reason, which made it even worse because guilt was involved as well. When I started writing the lyrics for ‘Hurting’, I first wrote the inner dialogue that I had when I began to feel that sadness. “Don’t cry, you don’t have a reason”. The hook was the opposite because I wanted it to bring the listener peace. “Oh love, I know you’ve been hurting, say you’re hurting.” It is my way of saying that I hear you and it is okay to feel whatever you are feeling, even if you don’t have a reason.
The music video is also a beautiful piece of art. What was the experience making it like, and what was the message you hoped to portray?
I appreciate that! The music video was filmed entirely in my home. First in my bedroom, then garage, and finally in my shower. My girlfriend was behind the camera and at times I had to ask her to leave the room because she brought out happy emotions in me instead of the emotions I needed to feel in this video. I played the song over and over again and re-lived the sadness I had buried for many years. I knew that if I was vulnerable and real with people, then they would feel that they have the right to be the same in their lives. I had this image in my head of me sitting with an image of myself above, and also the baby videos playing. This touched on feelings of nostalgia and inner dialogue.
I believe this is your first music release, how does it feel to have your debut single out in the world?
It is my first release! It feels really nice to give people a taste of what I am about. I feel that ‘Hurting’ is definitely a great song to start my career. I have some new stuff brewing that I am extremely excited for. I am learning more and more every day about who I am as an artist and what I want to say. I love my craft and I am so new at it. I have a lot to learn and most importantly, I’m learning to enjoy the process.
What was the creative process like for this song?
It flowed very smoothly. My producer at the time, Adrian Cota, showed me a piano progression that he and our co-writer, Theodore Lee, had come up with. It instantly brought me feelings of nostalgia and ultimately, gave me a melancholic vibe. I always carry a notebook and pen with me because my ideas pop up randomly throughout the day. I immediately started with the phrase “Don’t cry, you don’t have a reason”, and from there I wrote what was on my mind. Pretty crazy that the first draft of lyrics ended up being the final draft as well. I felt that changing them would mean I over-thought instead of going with my gut.
Is it important to you that your music carries a strong message - either a social message or personal empowerment - within the lyrics?
It is the most important part of my career. I love to entertain but there is no better feeling that writing something that people can listen to and feel so many emotions. It is a crazy concept that I can write about a moment in my life and it can connect through my music to another person and a moment in their life. My lyrics are extremely important to me. When I co-write, I always ask that the lyrics stay in my hands. I am actually beginning to write a poetry book that will have a few of my new songs as poems.
You had quite a creative childhood, and took part in acting, dancing, writing, film making and everything in between. What was the spark that inspired you to pursue a music career?
I was a wild child to be completely honest. I would gather my entire family and say that there was a show about to happen. I would put on wigs and perform songs, dances, skits, you name it. I just loved to see them smile and laugh at my performances. A bit over a year ago, I looked at my life and saw that I had no creative outlet. I had grown up dancing, acting, and writing but for some reason, had none of that around me. I made the tough decision to take a semester off of college, respectfully took time off of playing collegiate volleyball, and moved to Ukraine for 6 months. I began to write poetry and decided to buy Logic Pro and turn a few poems into songs. I had no vocal training at that point so I was really just figuring out my own tone and how I wanted to sing my poems. When I returned to Los Angeles in the Summer, I showed my mom what I had created and she saw a spark. She quickly turned into my “momager” and began to help me record more. A year later and I am here, released my first single and in love with performing.
Who were the artists that inspired you both when you were a child and today as a recording artist yourself?
I have to say that the artists that have inspired me the most are Nina Simone, Etta James, and Ray Charles. I would watch videos of those three performing and see the power in their truth. They sang each word with such soul that the audience was mesmerised. Originality and vocal tone is what inspires me lately. When I am looking to discover new music, I always look through until I find a voice that sounds so unique and distinct that I have to keep listening. A few artists that I listen to lately with a unique tone are King Princess, Two Feet, and Lana Del Rey. There are so many others that inspire me on a daily basis but these are the artists that come to mind when I think of vocal tone originality.
The music industry has traditionally been very male-dominated, both front of stage and behind the scenes, with women generally not getting the same respect or exposure as their male peers. What are your thoughts on gender equality and sexism in the music industry?
I think that gender inequality is very present in most, if not, all industries. In the music industry, I read about the amount of recognition that is given to male writers, performers, and singers versus the female geniuses in the industry. The inequality has improved over the years, however, is nowhere near where it should be. As I am new to the industry, I have had very few experiences where I felt uneasy. What is important to remember for others that have not experienced it first-hand, is that it is still very much there. Acknowledging the inequality is necessary to improve it.
What’s up next for KISA?
KISA has a lot of things that are in the works! I am releasing my second single with a music video on August 15th, 2020. In addition to this, I am working on my first EP with producer, Dre Knight. It is going to be epic, to say the least.
‘Hurting’ by KISA is out now. You can download on iTunes and stream on Spotify and Apple Music.
To keep up with all things KISA you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
