What’s good guys?! My name is Kirrah, I’m half Australian/half Samoan artist currently living the dream gypsy life, residing between Australia and Los Angeles. I’ve just released a body of work that I’ve dedicated to my Samoan heritage and my Polynesian upbringing. Music is a huge part of the Polynesian culture therefore a huge part of me so I am using my music to learn more about my people and our traditions. The goal – be the 2020 Moana, ha!
1.) What elements and/or characteristics made you say to yourself that you wanted to do music for a living? Who are your influences/heroes/role models?
I’m not much use at anything else unfortunately, so I’ve let music be my only choice. I’ve always believed if you have a Plan B, that’s where you’ll end up. No safety net gives me no choice but not fall.
2.) If you could compare yourself to an already established artist, who would that be and why? If you don’t like to compare yourself, then music-wise, what separates you from other musicians?
Not a huge fan of comparing myself to another artist – why would anyone want to try a new chocolate donut when they already love the one they’ve been eating, ya feel? I don’t believe being a successful entertainer means being the best dancer or best singer (trust, I’m not either), but I know no one has the combination of what I am, and that’s what draws people in.
3.) Everyone in life goes through adversity of some sort. Is there anything in your life that has any influence on the kind of songs you write? What is the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure on your path to becoming a musician?
I don’t do well on my own, a situation I’ve found myself in a lot lately. I thrive off human connection so while the last 12 months have brought me incapacitating isolation, a huge increase in anxiety and little bouts of depression, I haven’t sounded this strong in my voice and my sound. I’m finally really proud of all the music I’m creating because I’m forcing myself to show myself, in order to connect with someone else that might need it too. In saying that, I’m more confident and happier than I’ve ever been and I think it shows.
4.) How do you prepare yourself to write certain songs? What is your song-writing and recording process?
Every five minutes, I find myself just writing little poems or one-liners in the notes on my phone or endless 5-second voice memos when I’m driving and if I find myself writing with a consistent theme, I know it’s something I need to get off my chest. Occasionally I’ll know exactly what sound I want for the whole track otherwise I have absolute trust in the other incredible producers I work with to figure out what I want before I even want it, and ta-da! – we have a banger on our hands.
5.) Unfortunately the music industry is full of talented individuals who just don’t get any recognition for their talent and/or hard work. What do you plan to do to make sure you stand out and get noticed? Would you rather be on a major label or would you rather stay independent? Why or why not? In regards to the music industry itself, do you think that the traditional music industry model as we know it is dead?
We are purposely staying independent for the moment, I have too many friends in the industry being crushed by their major label. I have heard too many closet bangers awaiting an invisible release date because the label has an another (“bigger”) artist on their books releasing new content that they don’t want to distract from. I have friends that have lost millions in song-writing or owning their own music because the label takes 85%… do I need more reason to stay independent? However, I do think some labels are doing their artists right so if the right deal comes for me, I’ll probably take it. I don’t think it’s dead because us artists are catching on to the process and finding success independently, meaning some labels need to watch out!
6.) Are you able to make a living with your music? If so, how were you able to attain a career doing what you love? If not, what do you do in order to fund your music career? What advice would give to someone who’s interested in pursuing a career in music?
Honestly, I just didn’t stop. I did all I could to audition for work, and sending out live footage of myself performing, forcing myself to learn my instruments, and accepting free work and working my ass off to impress every client, that eventually people started approaching me instead. If you are everywhere, they look, they can’t ignore you! I also found a family in a small circle of people I trusted and shared similar goals with me, without this support I’d still be dreaming about the things I’m now able to achieve.
7.) How do you think the internet and social media affected the music industry and how musicians are able to market themselves? Social media is obviously an extremely important element in today’s world, especially when it comes to business, branding, marketing, etc. With that being said, do you think an artist will be able to survive in today’s music industry if they’re not social media savvy?
Social media is just as helpful as it is destructive. We finally don’t need millions of dollars to release our own music or content but now there are so many of us doing it, the market is oversaturated. But focusing on the positive, you could create ONE viral 15 second video or self-released 3 min song, and that could jumpstart your whole career. Social media is incredibly important, I would recommend any human that wants to market themselves or their product needs to get their head around the disease that is the internet.
8.) Artists who try to make music for the general public and make more money are usually seen as “sell-outs.” Do you see it that way and if so, what do you plan to do to make sure your music stays true to your brand and make a good living at the same time without having to “sell out”?
My opinion – it depends… You can hear when the artist is invested in their music and when they are at the top of the charts because of other reasons. I’ve heard so many popular songs that were written and performed from the depths of their DNA, not my fault half the world agrees and likes the song too! Also – hating on something just because it’s popular is just as embarrassing as liking something just because it’s popular, so some people need to get off their high horse when it comes to popular music. I’ve certainly been served my slice of humble pie when having this conversation in the past, good music is good music – who cares where it comes from.
9.) What are the positives and negatives of the music industry? What is it about the music industry that makes some artists push forward? What do you think makes some artists quit?
Honestly if you have the right mindset, everything is positive. Being signed to a label that screws you over teaches you exactly what you need from the next deal. Trial and error with marketing techniques teaches you what works. Spending $5k on producing one great track could score you a $1 million publishing deal. I completely understand how hard it is to keep going when you get so many no’s, but for me, it’s harder to stop because I’ll be the one awake at night thinking what could have been if I’d just held on one more day. Because that might’ve been the day the universe has been prepping to give me that $10 million deal.
10.) What trends do you see staying or going?
That’s a tough one… I think all genres/sounds will always have an audience if the message is relatable. People will always be happy or sad or ready to party or ready to cry so finding the music that speaks for you when you don’t have the words is more magnetic than…rubbing a balloon on your head.. ha, you know what I’m saying, it’s like getting into a bed of fresh sheets or the first bite of a donut. It’s undeniably the best and you KNOW you’re going back for more.
11.) With so many people online who are expressing their opinions on any and everything under the sun, how do you know when to take something as constructive criticism or when to see it as trolling?
You can usually tell if someone is saying something to genuinely help or hurt you, and often if they hurt you it means they’ve dropped some truth you weren’t ready for. Some of the best advice I’ve heard is never burn bridges – always be respectful and show love, and the people that are seen trying to bring you down will look like the real idiots.
12.) If you were to advise an up and coming musician on how to get more fans, what advice would you give them?
Be real. The thing I’m most terrified about is being accused of being a fraud because people will alwaaays call your bluff. It’s so lame but I wholeheartedly know I’m the only person like me and the more I’ve played into that, the stronger my product has become. Honestly I’ve spent the last 9 months mentally prepping myself to be as transparent online as I am in person (because the thought of posting without autotune or airbrush terrified me – lol, in hindsight, so dumb), and I haven’t felt more connected to my fans and my music.
13.) There are multiple ways of attaining fans and building up your fan base, so what are some ways you acquire fans?
I’ve said it before but stay in their face and be hard to ignore! Keep producing genuine material (for long lasting fans) that is striking to look at when scrolling (to bring in the new potential fans). Take the time to earnestly reply to people that take time to write to you, especially if you’re an introvert and find social settings uncomfortable because networking and building relationships is très important.
And, seriously, trust that you are enough – if you don’t believe in you, who else will!
14.) Professionally, where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
I have uprooted my whole life in Australia to fly across the world, spending 24/7 working towards the following things: in 5 years I’ll be touring my music for half the year, and able to base myself anywhere in the world to write and create. For the other half, i’ll be collaborating with the artists I admire now, helping to introduce the world to Polynesian sounds and culture. I’ll be doing what I can to thank the people that believed in me when I started five years before, and I’ll still be looking for better fries than Wingstop (but I’m doubtful, ha!). I know my life will still be based around sharing what I’ve been given, meaning, I’ll be even happier than I am now.
