Artist Interviews: Almost A.M. & Kikko Mai
Come see both of these artists this Friday, Dec. 1 @ 7pm at the Vinyl Lounge!
An Interview with Kikko Mai
Kikko’s show is this Friday, Dec 1 at 7pm at the Vinyl Lounge!
What was your path to music?
I always sang growing up - I was always writing, mumble singing around the house and my mom said “you’re always singing, let’s get you in guitar lessons!” I took guitar around 10 or 11 years old, but like a lot of kids, I had a short attention span for it. I later realized that I would probably use guitar a lot for writing, and ended up loving it after a couple years. We didn’t listen to the radio much, but we had Adele and Justin Bieber CDs, and some Lady Gaga downloaded music videos which were entire childhood. I did a little bit of theater in school, played at nursing homes, and had a cover band with some friends - this exposed me to a lot of genres and got me performing a lot.
How did you know you wanted to music?
I just don’t think I ever imagined doing anything else. I always knew I’d be doing something creative. I did compete in this all-original competition for teens in high school and won, and I guess that's when things became a bit more serious for me. At that point I realized I might actually be able to do this as a career, and started releasing my original songs on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
What does your writing process look like?
It depends. If I’m alone and feeling a certain way, I’ll usually write through those feelings. If it’s for an assignment, I’ll look through my notes and journals for concepts and go from there. There’s not a set process though, sometimes I’ll hear someone say something on the road and it turns into an idea down the line. If I’m doing a co-write I usually just start by having a conversation and ask that person how they’re doing. Usually the feelings come spilling out pretty quick and then we have something to go off of!
Who are your biggest inspirations?
Julia Michaels and Charlotte Sands!
Do you have a favorite song that you’ve written?
I guess I have two. The first one is called Idk Why - I wrote it a long time ago. My writing is definitely stronger now, but I just love the vibe my producer and I created with this one. It’s about the breakup process and moving on while the other person might be regretting their decision. My mom’s minivan is the second one, and it’s about the teenage experience. I’m a very anxious person. I feel a lot of regret and guilt about everything and this song really gets into that. It’s that feeling when you go to a party and then you’re like “wait, mom come pick me up!” It’s almost like you’re trying to be cool and then you just want to go home.
If you had any advice you could give to yourself, what would it be?
You can do it! I would probably tell myself that this is a viable career. There is always a push to go do a job that has a more straightforward path, but I think I would want myself to have more confidence to pursue this career sooner. My career and life probably won’t look like my friends from home, and that’s okay!
What’s your favorite part about being an artist?
I love meeting people. I really try to co-write or go to rounds a lot - I’ve met some of my closest friends this way! I just like hearing peoples’ stories and small talk, especially when everyone here is so friendly. Nashville has that small-town feel even though we’re in the city - I love that.
Do you ever feel like you’ve written songs you wouldn’t want to share because they’re too personal?
I feel like I’m naturally a very open person, and I think my writing reflects that. Once I’ve played it out enough, I’ve kinda broken the ice in that way already. I want people to feel like it’s okay to talk about personal topics.
What’s a song you wish you wrote?
Tantrum by Charlotte Sands - I feel like it really captures the female experience and the idea that we feel like we’re too much but we aren’t!
What’s your experience as a woman in music?
I haven’t necessarily had a negative experience. I actually have gotten to write with a lot of women in and outside of school, which I love.
Favorite coffee spot in Nashville?
I’m more of a matcha and tea person, but I love Portland Brew. I also love a good bakery - Dozen is great.
Almost a.m. x TMR Interview (Divina Marfe)
What do you enjoy most about being a musician?
The connection with fans. It’s like pouring out the deepest parts of yourself to someone and they’re like: I relate. I’m not the most extroverted person so connection in the form of music means the world.
I’ve met a lot, and I mean A LOT, of indie artists in the past year and all of them have had a different response: How would you describe your music?
Loud and Very Handsome
If you could collaborate with anyone, dead or alive, who would be your DREAM artist?
Brandon Houser and Caleb Houser
When it comes to songwriting, do you create for yourself or for your fans?
Both, the song usually starts as a piece of music that I am just creating for me, and as it continues to be produced I always envision a crowd of people at a show and how they would sing along to certain lines or react to different dynamics of the song.
Would you say your style has evolved or changed since the beginning of your career?
Yes absolutely, we started out with more synth heavy sounding songs, but we are beginning to lean into the guitar and synth combination more than we have in the past.
How & when did music become a significant part of your life?
To be honest, this question takes me all the way back to when I was born. My mom and dad were carrying me out of the hospital and on the elevator ride down there was music. Ever since I became cognitive (spawned in) I knew this is what I wanted to do because of that elevator music.
What is the best gig you’ve ever played?
Casey’s bar in Whitefish, MT with everyone who had supported us from the very beginning of our journey, but we are also playing a show tomorrow in Nashville, so hopefully that one ends up better.
Your worst?
The worst show we had was at an old ballroom in MT, it had nothing to do with the venue or the people that were there, everyone was great. We just ended up having pretty serious technical difficulties mid show and had to stop playing in the middle of our set for about 15 minutes.
I remember my first concert like it was yesterday. What was the first concert that you ever went to & who was performing?
I grew up around music in Nashville from a very young age, so I can’t actually remember what the very first show was. But I will say, the first show that I went to and was truly inspired by was Colony House in Salt Lake City in a little bar, they blew the roof off of that place.
What is your creative process like? Do you experience writing blocks & if so, how do you work through it?
Our creative process always starts with a good idea. The better the idea for a song, the better the song will be. It is the same with a song vs. the production. The production will always be better if the song is already great and composed well. Honestly, it still feels like we are figuring out how to do this. The hardest part is writing about the things that scare me to write about. But usually those are the things that connect with people the most. As for writer's blocks, I don’t really get them. The only time that I feel like it’s hard to write is when I’m not in a safe space to write. When writing a song especially with someone else you should be able to throw out any idea no matter how crazy it is. Cause that’s just a part of it. And you need to have a safe environment with the RIGHT PEOPLE in order to achieve that.
What advice would you give for someone who has just started in the music industry?
Don’t stop, and make stuff that YOU truly enjoy. If you try to satisfy others and only others in your writing, they may like your song, but they won’t really like you and your story. People become listeners because of the music, but they become fans because of the artist.