Hi Kelsie and welcome to College Radio Charts! You recently released a song called “Spoof I Wonder.” Can you tell us about the new single?
Thank you for your question and your interview with me. I released “Spoof I Wonder” last month as a full-out song and video in support of Ukraine. I wanted to create a song and video that would depict the profound pain and suffering the war has caused, and in the video, I did this with photos from famous front-line photojournalist Andriy Dubchak. In the song itself, I riffed with a hint from Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” to create a searing and heart-wrenching cantata with the rhetorical refrain, “Who thought of this idea?” a question we all know the answer to.
You’re a Ukrainian-American musician and singer. What have these last 15 months been like for you and your family?
Before the great war, I used to spend summers in Ukraine, and I filmed four music videos there. I have family and many friends still living there so it is very difficult for them and for me to constantly worry about all the violence and bombings. My family in America has sponsored many families from Ukraine and we have provided a great deal of support to family and friends who have stayed in Ukraine. So every day is difficult and I have shed many a tear and had many a sleepless night. I want to do more so I am planning a trip to Ukraine this summer to visit refugee camps, hospitals, displaced animal shelters, orphanages, front-line soldiers, and my family. I will also film several new music videos directly related to Ukraine.
Can you tell us about your musical background and how you got started as a singer?
I was born into a musical family and my father started taking me to concerts when I was a toddler. I joined a children’s choir when I was four and then I was in the church choir until I was 12. My father bought me a small guitar and ukulele when I was about 9. I have wanted to be a singer for as long as I can remember, and I have literally been to at least 50 concerts by well-known singers and bands.
What was it like to participate in the Yoko Ono Peace Project? How did that come about?
When I was eight, my dad told me about Yoko Ono’s Peace Project here in Washington, DC so I decided to participate. She came here and put a massive square banner on the entire side of the Verizon building which said “Peace,” and she asked everyone to write messages of peace on white ribbons and tie them on tree branches in a nearby park. At the time, I was in a children’s choir called the “Harmonic Angels” and so I asked them if they would sing a song about peace, and my dad filmed a video of us and the Peace banner, and I submitted this to the Creative Nation contest and won first prize, which was $5000. The stipulation was that I had to spend all that money on my creative endeavors so I spent it all on music lessons – piano, drums, guitar, and voice. This led me into the music studio at 11 years old and my first music video after that was posted on Taylor Swift’s fan site which caused a great deal of interest in my music and trips to Nashville for showcases, meetings with some of her team, and visits to labels. At the time, I was very young and wanted to finish school so I decided to focus on writing songs and recording music and since then I have recorded over 150 original songs. Currently, all of my songs include one or more Grammy winners in the production process.
In addition to singing about the events in Ukraine, your music also addresses a number of other problems facing humanity, from critical thinking in “Lobotomy” to gun violence in “American Guns.” How has the reception been for these songs that tackle such heavy topics?
Well, that is an interesting question because it was something that I considered a lot when deciding what kind of artist I wanted to be. In fact, many people in the industry warned me about taking any stands because they said I could alienate potential fans. However, my dad’s friend Danny Goldberg, who used to manage Nirvana, heard some of my songs at the beginning of COVID and strongly urged me to put out “Lobotomy.” I was nervous about it, but it really took off and now has more than a million views and an equal number of plays and streams. I have given a dozen radio interviews over the past few months and invariably, I am always asked about that song. And “American Guns” also has over a million views and it is always relevant because there are mass shootings almost every day in America. Many people have lauded me for taking a stand on these important issues. Incredibly, both of the videos for those songs were filmed in Ukraine, yet they are so universally understood. I believe that artists must use their voices and songs to inspire and educate for progress and change. And President Zelensky at the Grammys urged artists to use their music to keep the focus on Ukraine, which is what I have been doing since the great war began. I have gotten an incredible response from fans, radio, and media for my ability to write and release great songs that have multiple meanings while still being entertaining.
What is the writing/recording process like for you as an artist? Do you work with a producer in the studio or are there any musical collaborators?
As I mentioned, my dad is an amazing musician, producer, and songwriter so he is with me every step of the way. Sometimes the lyrics come first and sometimes it is the music or melody. I write down a lot of thoughts in my journal and then use those ideas to create the song. It is very important for each song to have some type of emotional connection. I am not a big fan of autotune so I try very hard to hit pitch but I often sing a dozen takes or more in the studio before I am satisfied with it. Most of my songs have something unusual or interesting in them that sets them apart from other mainstream artists. I really like to mix real instruments with digital instruments, and I have many songs with full orchestras or string quartets. Unlike many famous artists, I write all my songs in collaboration with my father. My production team is amazing – in addition to amazing musicians, I have a vocal coach with me when I record final takes, my engineer knows how to get the best out of me even on my tough days, my producers on three continents are all about quality control, and my mixing and mastering engineers are all Grammy nominees or winners.
The video for “Spoof I Wonder” was released last month and has already received over 220K views! What was it like making the video and did you expect this level of immediate success?
With this video, I wanted to wear my support for Ukraine on my sleeve so I wrapped myself in a Ukrainian flag and posted dozens of harrowing photos from Ukraine around a huge heart in the colors of Ukraine. It was tough making the video because sometimes I would get choked up just seeing the photos. Moreover, I was not sure that people would feel comfortable with such searing images. However, the response has been overwhelming and universally positive. In addition to all the views on YouTube, it has been streamed hundreds of thousands of times on music platforms, and much to my surprise has been placed on dozens of YouTube playlists and gotten a great deal of global radio play.
What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
I am a big believer in the power of music to heal and change people and the world. I hope that listeners appreciate not only the quality of my music but also dig deeper into the songs to look for the hidden meanings, and the hat tips to past masters of music, and understand that I want to both entertain and make the world a better place. I want my music to stand the test of time.
Who would you say are some of your influences (either musical or otherwise) and how do they manifest in your music?
I am a huge fan of classical masters such as Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, and others. I grew up on the Beatles and know the words to every song and learned to appreciate hooks, melody, and harmony from them. I love every type of music not only from Western cultures but other cultures so I try to include them in my songs. I am a huge fan of Miley Cyrus. I have been to so many concerts – Taylor Swift, Muse, Miley, Avril, McCartney, Pixies, Carlie Hanson, the Dixies, Carrie Underwood, Coldplay, and on and on. My father has been my biggest influence.
Somewhat related, are there any dream collaborators you’d like to work with in the future?
I am currently hoping to collaborate with some famous Ukrainian artists on some duets. I would love to collaborate with Miley, John Mayer, and Paul McCartney.
Thanks so much for spending some time talking with us today, Kelsie! What is next for you and where can fans go to find out more info about you and your music?
Thank you for the terrific interview. My next release is a song called “Road Trip” about getting out of a toxic home environment and jumping in the car and just driving. In the video, I am in a 1956 red Ford Thunderbird convertible. My goal is to release at least one song per month. I will also soon be releasing some more songs about Ukraine, and at the end of the summer, I will likely release a bunch of songs back to back because I will be filming videos in Ukraine and Colombia. So please watch all my social media platforms. They are easy to find because they are all my name, Kelsie Kimberlin.
