An Interview With KIA
KIA just hit us with an amazingly vibrant and smooth track that blends R&B, jazz, and soul together to deliver her message.
"All Night" is a powerful and insightful song that brings an array of colorful sounds to the table with heart and love.
This single breathes life into you and you feel inspired as the words and positive feel get embedded into your head while guitars wail and horns sooth.
The accompanying video breaks down the band's live performance to track the song and it's delightful to watch everyone do their thing and do it so well.
KIA has brought a nearly perfect group of seasoned musicians into once place to get this track the way she wanted it and it's incredibly easy to hear her love for her craft.
KIA is absolutely a powerhouse songwriter and her emotionally driven projects come through with a youthful energy and a blissful yearning for more.
"All Night" simply makes you want to be a better person in a way. It's got that kind of vibe to it and deep groove gets you moving in seconds flat.
There's no possible way you won't get down to this song.
KIA has been releasing singles on Spotify since 2018 and each one has its own unique flavor.
We'd suggest starting with "All Night" and going back through her catalog from there of course but no matter where you start, you'll get hooked on the sound.
With such a bright release, we wanted to sit down with KIA to talk about where it came from and what's coming up for her next.
TSWS: Let's start with "All Night". This track was pure inspiration and felt amazing to listen to. Soulful and vibrant to say the least! Where did this song come from?
Thanks so much! This song was written a couple years ago before I decided to move to the other side of the Atlantic. A lot of things happened in my life at that time and this truly reflects in the lyrics of the song. I talk about my perspective on life, on relationships, hard work and opportunities. Opportunities can be created and that is the strong message behind this specific song.
TSWS: I loved watching the video for the single. Seeing everyone doing their part and getting a feel for how it all comes together was quite impressive. Did the video come out how you wanted?
I am very blessed to work with so many talented musicians. A team is so important, and they bring my vision to life. For this whole live album, I wanted to combine an old school vibe with modern urban touches, and therefore keep the video as raw as possible. I think this video portrays exactly that.
TSWS: I’m getting old school and new school R&B vibes from this song. What artists or bands really influenced you? Who changed you?
I’ve been influenced by a lot of different artists throughout the years. I grew up with mostly pop and soul music, listened a lot to Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Etta James and Aretha Franklin. Then I completely dove into jazz music, listened to the chops of the great Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington etc. Then a strong phase of neo-soul music came for me where I got super inspired by artists like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo, Hiatus Kaiyote, Anderson Paak, NAO, H.E.R., Lianne la Havas, and pop music with artists like Jessie J, Andra Day and Rita Ora. I’d say Jessie J changed me in the sense of feeling so inspired to seriously pursue a career in music.
TSWS: How did this all start for you?
I grew up in a musical household, it’s always been around me and on top of that I have a very supportive family. I didn’t start singing until I was about 17 years old though, I’ve played instruments before that, so I did lay down a musical foundation. Then I start studying music for vocals, first a Performing Art school, then my bachelor’s in jazz & Pop music, and after that the big switch from The Netherlands to Los Angeles where I finished my master’s degree in Vocal Performance and specialized in Commercial Music.
I started creating my own music down the line, set up my own live band and played a lot of shows. I started writing for production companies, movies, commercials, and tv-shows and fast forward, here we are!
TSWS: What do you think is next for you as an artist?
The first thing that’s about to happen is the release of the next few singles of the album and then of course the whole album itself. I couldn’t be more excited about this, it’s something I’ve worked very hard for.
One of my songs “Worth It” (co-written by Simon Jay & Daniel Capellaro) has recently been selected as a finalist for the UK Songwriting Competition in the Pop category, very stoked for where that will lead.
And I started writing new music! I have a feeling that a neo-soul EP is starting to cook.
TSWS: This track feels like a big accomplishment. What sort of advice would you have for other artists out there trying to get heard?
Be genuine and be ready to work your ass off because this is the most dynamic but rewarding career there is. Don’t let up and always keep your foot at the gas pedal. There are so many resources nowadays for independent artists, so grab onto all of those opportunities.
TSWS: What sort of non-musical things inspire you to write?
A good monologue, poetry, art, dreams, experiences and memories of other people and myself.
TSWS: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
I love cooking and hiking and clearing my mind every now and then at the beach.
TSWS: Did you used to perform live? Do you think you might focus on that again when the time comes?
Yes! This is something I probably miss the most at the moment. I will definitely focus on live shows again when it’s safe to do so.
TSWS: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans out there?
I can’t wait to share the full studio live album with all of you beautiful souls. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the immense ongoing support and love!