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Home » Interview With Kaki King

Interview With Kaki King

by
Trish Bendix
, Blog Editor
March 12, 2008
AE: With the new album, you seem to be doing a lot of viral marketing or a lot of videos of you in the studio.
KK: I just said we should document the process. It was actually my producer's video camera. I just went and bought a bunch of DV tapes, and every so often we'd put the camera on. Every so often I'd do some video diary entries. …

I certainly think you document these things for your own reasons, as this is what we do, kind of making a miniature making-of. I thought we'd get it down to two minutes — I never thought we'd end up with such great material. Having the video camera there was just totally genius, and we ended up with five- and six-minute pieces. It wasn't for specifically any campaign or anything.

AE: It seems like in the studio, half of the time is you laughing and having fun, and the other half is you being intensely serious. Is that how you've always been while recording?
KK: Yeah, I think so.

AE: Are there any breakdowns you haven't released yet?
KK: Like total nervous breakdowns, like I'm crying and a complete emotional wreck! No, I'm not going to put those out. Those will never be seen by the public.

AE: It seems like you come off as very serious — I don't know what it is, maybe your press photos or something — but you seem very serious, while talking to you, you don't seem like you take yourself too seriously.
KK: I am like the least serious person ever. I feel like I have dark eyebrows and high cheekbones or something, so maybe that's it, I don't know. I remember my manager's wife after I had the first photos taken of me, and she looked at them because she's an actress and she said, "Kaki, you look satanic." I was like, "Oh God, awful!" But I am really not a super serious person.

I make pretty dark music, so that could add to that. But I find most serious musicians to be not so serious.

AE: You're an out lesbian, yet you seem like one of the rare people whose music has always been recognized above your sexuality. Most other gay musicians probably dream of that. Why do you think you're the exception to that rule?
KK: It feels funny because I never really say I'm proud to be gay; I am proud because I'm honest. I think that's why our generation and younger don't want to be labeled, and don't want to talk about that — like talking about how different we are and that we're not going to walk the same path that everyone else is. What if I want to walk the same path everyone else is?

AE: I asked Sara of Tegan and Sara for a quote about working with you. She said: "Kaki likes to 'jam' but doesn't like to call it jamming. When she came to Portland to perform on The Con, she insisted on broadening our cultural experiences by enforcing a 'must participate in geocaching' clause in her contract. Most musicians are introverted and insecure, but Kaki inspired me to publicly challenge everyone in Portland to a Nintendo Wii boxing competition, a pool competition, a grilled cheese eating competition, and a hangman competition."
KK: I'm going to f---ing kick her ass — I talk to those girls everyday. Go to geocaching.com. It's just total nerd thing — forget it, she's just trying to bust my balls.

First of all, I couldn't care about the damn Nintendo Wii. Sara is a great Nintendo Wii boxer, and she's just showing off. She could beat anyone's ass in the house. No one was even in competition with her. I didn't even touch the box. Grilled cheese I have no recollection of. There was no competition — this is Sara! Sara's life, she's a twin. She's competitive. The world is her Nintendo Wii.

AE: She also said that touring Australia with you was also really amazing, and it's "incredible to watch the audience have their minds blown."
KK: She's told me that before. It's nice.

AE: How do you feel about people thinking your songs are sad or melancholy?
KK: I think Aristotle said a great thing about what catharsis is: Even if something has a tragic ending, you should be moved by it; it feels good. It's a good feeling. I think that's why I like sad music, because so much of a catharsis happens, and it makes you emotionally cleansed and feels better.

AE: Is it easier to write a sad song?
KK: Yeah, what's the last happy song you heard?

AE: Oh God, I don't listen to anything happy — I've been listening to you for the past couple of days.
KK: Exactly!

For more on Kaki King, including her new album and tour dates, visit her MySpace or official site.

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TAGS :: 
Beckee's picture

OH wow....

Submitted by
Beckee (119 posts)
on March 12, 2008 - 11:08pm.
i love her name.
Booger's picture

ahh

Submitted by
Booger (94 posts)
on March 12, 2008 - 11:23pm.

i freaking love her music...  oy.

and her new music video is just awesome.   sara quin has a cameo about halfway through!  :)

 

Janet: Everybody's talking about it.
Amy: About what?
Janet: How you met Lucy and lived to tell about it. They're calling you a hero, when really you're a slut.
Amy: You shut up
Janet: A gay slut.

FonFreaka.'s picture

Ahhhhhh. I faaaahking love her!

Submitted by
FonFreaka. (59 posts)
on March 13, 2008 - 12:19am.

I actually met her in Marietta back in the day through my dad; she was fucking awesome then, and an awesometastic musician now.

I did a review of "Dreaming of Revenge" a few weeks back, and I was aaaamazed. I love her tracks with vocals, although "Bone Chaos In The Castle" is by far my fave of hers from the get-go.

Oh, annnnnd I really love her cover of "Lovestoned".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCPLO-EMj9A

I guess I should say that Kaki King can whip me if I misbehave, xD.

 

 

...and all was well, and the world smiled.

tucksioni's picture

Kaki's got me Lovestoned

Submitted by
tucksioni (82 posts)
on March 13, 2008 - 4:49am.

Thanks for posting utube link-that is one fantastic cover. I am most jealous that Australia got Kaki King AND Tegan and Sara in one show. 

I fell a little in love with Kaki when she appeared in Tegan and Sara's The Con dvd-anyone who can take my eye away from the T&S has to be something pretty damn special.

 Just found out she's playing London May 17th-going to go book myself tickets now-woo hoo!

 

my_rain_face's picture

That is AWESOME.I poked

Submitted by
my_rain_face (130 posts)
on March 13, 2008 - 9:36am.

That is AWESOME.

I poked around a bit and found another video that's got the whole build-up process from scratch, with the sampling.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI7hP2qwITk enjoy! 

Kayla's picture

"The world is her Nintendo Wii."

Submitted by
Kayla (9 posts)
on March 13, 2008 - 1:30am.

"this is Sara! Sara's life, she's a twin. She's competitive. The world is her Nintendo Wii."

that totally made me LOL!

i love kaki king. i remember seeing her when she was the guest houseband on The Carson Daly Show a couple years ago, and I've loved her music ever since.

--------------------------------------------------------
"All you have to do is type in Tegan and Sara in the internet and its like...GAY!"
-Tegan Quin

mnml.oner's picture

heh The first time I got

Submitted by
mnml.oner (65 posts)
on March 13, 2008 - 1:43am.

heh

The first time I got teary eyed at a concert was when I saw her perform in a small setting this year. The new material is excellent, she's experimenting a bit more and growing. The album as a whole is great. Life being what it is, is my favorite.

And good interview, it captures her humor.
Which people don't get to see/hear often
The intense look is misleading, her onstage demeanor is quite the opposite, it's interesting.

Bridget's picture

ah, kaki

Submitted by
Bridget (13 posts)
on March 13, 2008 - 1:58am.
is there a better looking slide guitarist in the world? i think not. she was amazing when she supported tegan and sara in melb. i am wondering where i can find dreaming of revenge in australia though...
Louise's picture

iTunes!

Submitted by
Louise (10 posts)
on March 15, 2008 - 1:31am.

It's been on AU iTunes for more than a week - been listening almost non-stop since then. Should be in stores now though.

mlm25134's picture

She's so great!

Submitted by
mlm25134 (14 posts)
on March 13, 2008 - 5:56am.

 Kaki has got to be one of my favourite people and one of the musicians who inspires me the most. Listening to her music makes me want to be a better musician and always reminds me of why I love music so much.

 ~Michelle~ "By the time I recognize this moment, this moment will be gone, but I will bend the light pretending that it somehow lingered on." John Mayer - Clarity

Rockstar's picture

SHE ROCKS!!!!

Submitted by
Rockstar (149 posts)
on March 13, 2008 - 7:41am.

Seriously!! I watched her new video on youtube, "Pull Me Out Alive" and Sara's in it.. holding a neon dove.. beautiful video. The song is amazing!!

I'm already dying to listen to her new album..

Thanks so much for this interview, I really really liked it!! :]

my_rain_face's picture

I discovered Kaki King. . .

Submitted by
my_rain_face (130 posts)
on March 13, 2008 - 9:13am.

. . . at a listening station at the HMV in Tokyo, right after she released her second album Legs to make us Longer.

I've never stopped listening.  All four (yay!) of her albums are on constant rotation.  From the new album, "Can anyone listening to this really be a bad person?" is by far my favourite.  I also really love "Montreal."

A lot of people were annoyed with her departure from fingerstyle acoustics to move more towards multi-instrumental, alt-rocky stuff, but to me, that always seemed kind of like the essential direction for someone with that much musical talent.  I mean, on "Dreaming of Revenge," she plays her own guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards, as well as singing on the vocal tracks.  Why on earth should such a consummate musician stick to just the guitar?

A friend and I are planning a 4-hour drive across the state line to go see her in Chicago next month.  Woot! 

melimarie321's picture

I found Kaki...

Submitted by
melimarie321 (11 posts)
on March 13, 2008 - 11:48am.

through Tegan and Sara, after I saw her appear in the dvd for The Con. Her music is incredible and the videos she makes are pretty interesting. I'm seeing her live on APril 6 when she comes out to Northampton!

If you haven't seen or heard Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers, check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMQ2yNYQ_Z0

miss modular's picture

kaki king is super awesome

Submitted by
miss modular (11 posts)
on March 14, 2008 - 10:12am.

yes, she is. frickin' awesome. i can't wait 'til she comes to australia next month, which will be her 5th time in australia i believe!

kaki, if you read this: ever consider emigrating to oz? pretty please??? you could have all the coopers red you can drink :D *wishful*

while other ppl are sharing clips, i'd like to contribute an awesome version of goby she did for ABC Australia's Arts show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDmth1YZI7k

*sigh* she's so cool...

TravelingFunkBeat's picture

Looooooooove Kaki

Submitted by
TravelingFunkBeat (43 posts)
on June 17, 2009 - 12:16am.

I had a huge crush on her before I knew she was out... well I still do! 

The AE interviewer was right in saying she comes off as really serious!  but it makes her mysterious and magnetic. hmmph!

Favorite songs: Happy as a Dead Pig in the Sun, Doing the Wrong Thing, and Close Your Eyes and You'll Burst Into Flames.

What Kaki King songs do you all AE members like?

sexhair's picture

Hahaha Geocaching is

Submitted by
sexhair (89 posts)
on June 17, 2009 - 12:52am.

Hahaha Geocaching is funny.

Kaki is brilliant.


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