Issue Reset had the great pleasure of speaking to Kelsy Karter, Rock singer, before she started her ‘Pink, Kink and Punk Tour’. She first got in to music as her family is full of musicians so she was “emersed in it, grew up being a theatre kid and wanting to be an actor.” Kelsy recalls that she did not necessarily want to be a musician until she was a teenager. “Oh shit! I’ve been doing this my whole life because I’ve been ‘encouraged to’ but... I think I wanna do this!” After discovering it was second nature to her, “I guess it was just in me” she started her successful music career and became the Kelsy Karter we see today!
When Kelsy joined the call, I was met with the wall behind her being plastered in posters, previously being used in her most recent music video for ‘Rest In Pieces’ featuring Goody Grace. The likes of Nirvana, David Bowie and Liam Gallagher; “Liam, Liam!! I love Liam Gallagher so much!”. She tells that even though Oasis is massive everywhere, in America Oasis are not as well known. “You can ask ten people and half of those people won’t even know who Oasis is, and it blows my mind!”
Kelsy grew up listening to Jazz and Soul music like James Brown, Sam Cook, Stevie Wonder; all of them being huge vocal inspirations, with them being her “singing lessons, I guess.” Karter tells us that she did not discover Rock ‘n’ Roll till she was a teenager, and from then the likes of David Bowie and Mick Jagger, “kind of liberated her in a way I hadn’t been liberated before!” As the Rock scene was heavily dominated by male artists, she wishes she could list off “Happy International Womens Day!”; given the irony of the day we chatted. A lot of her inspiration comes from male singers and bands; The Ramones, Sex Pistols, a lot of that early punk!” However, the female artists she would relate to are Cher, Amy Winehouse, even Lady Gaga. “If there is one modern artist, I could relate myself to it would probably be her!” She has a wide range of inspiration yet the main ones being David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles. “I’ve just listed about 100 artists but that’s what it is for me!” Kelsy Karter being a bit of everything, “you don’t have to be just one thing!”
Missing Person, her debut album, and the rest of her music is inspired by life, love and pain. She describes that she didn’t get any success in music until she started being honest, something she feels is missing from the music of today. “I was in girl bands as a teenager growing up, trying to fit myself in a mould that someone else had decided for me and had kind of spent my whole life growing up being a punk in the sense, I was cheeky, mischievous and rebellious”. She thrived off of going left when everyone goes right. Kelsy found herself uncomfortable in a space someone had made for her, “that’s just not who I am and not my spirit!”
Photo Credits: Skylar Watkins
When Kelsy decided to start from scratch, not in the pre-made girl bands from her teenage-hood, “at least if I fail, I'm being myself!” This when she started writing from her true, painful experiences. These raw feelings, vulnerability started to relate to people, and “I realised we’re all just fucking human beings and we’re all just trying our best.”
Reflecting this question in to her own music as, “Why do I love these people? Why do I so like David Bowie, and Sam Cook. It’s because they are making me feel close to them through their art and that’s the key for me!”
Kelsy would describe herself as a “champion of love” as she has been lucky in love and have fallen in love three times in my life. Even though two of them essentially failing, “I don’t look at it that way I look at it like a period of my life that was meant to be lived that way.” A lot of her music inspired by these, “growing pains, looking inwards and finding out my issues and putting them in a song for someone to connect with someone who goes through the same thing.” A lot of Kelsy’s songs being unapologetically herself, this is me and you're going to deal with it attitude.
Something that is so inspiring from Kelsy is her attitude of not taking no for an answer, and drive to reach these big dreams, which arguably has led her to be where she is today. She says that she felt like an outsider in that sense, in a room full of logical thinking people. Also, along with her not taking no for an answer attitude she states, “Whether this is the biggest I ever get or not, like I still fucking did it!” As if you don’t work hard for your dreams, how can you achieve them? “No one's going to hand it to you!”
One of these painful songs for her is Villan, from her debut album Missing Person, “I think in relationships I've made myself the bad guy so no one else could... Like it’s a fearless cool thing but it's actually to protect myself.” She describes Villan as a “painful place” for her to go, “but I'm so glad I did because it's one of the favourites”. She recalls a story that one of her best friends said, “Kelsy these aren't your songs anymore they're for everyone else”, leading to her putting it in the album.
Missing Person by Kelsy Karter Album Art
After her most recent release of punk inspired single, Rest in Pieces, it is anticipated that Kelsy will release an album, when asked if she would be releasing soon.. she responded with, “I don’t know soonish, I don’t know it's- Sure!” Yet, the album is not set to follow in the ‘punk’ direction. “Rest in Pieces for me was, ‘I haven’t released original music in so long’, and we had this song sitting around and I thought this could be a really cool feature,” with the single featuring Goody Grace. And definitely through these resurgences of pop punk this was perfect timing! They have been working on the next album for a year now, but luckily, “We’ve finished writing it!” Along with every album of her career she “wants to reinvent myself.” Talking about the reinvention of the sound, the style, this going back to her saying “I am not just one thing. I am so many different things and I haven't shown all of them, all of those stories, it excites me so much to kind of step in to a new era of myself and my music.” This new era for Kelsy being exactly that! "We’re kinda going back to 80s, big fat electric, 80s Rock, I'm so fucking excited!”
As previously mentioned, Kelsy is inspired by many different people, and this inspires her covers “think about it you have a passion in life and someone else has a passion in life and you hear it and you're like ‘I want to put that in my music!’”. Yet obviously not wanting to base her career on cover songs, one of the things that can set her aside from other artists is her distinct, unique vocals. “Art inspires Art inspires Art.” She follows this on by saying that “If you are a musician and you say you're not a fan of someone your fucking lying.” This being the reason why they get in to this business because they’re a fan. “You’re a fan before anything musician, singer, entertainer, I am a fan first! No one out there isn't doing this because not as a fan.” This was clearly shown in her 2019 hit single ‘Harry’. Which after she got Harry’s face ‘tattooed’ on her own, went viral, and had the fans in a chokehold. Being a Harry fan myself at the time I can sympathise with every other fan in 2019, who was wondering “why you would get Harry Styles’ face tattooed on yours?” but “so was I!” Kelsy added. This all being a stunt to promote the song, and my God did it work!
If you have ever wondered what songs Kelsy is playing on repeat? She replied with first saying she was going to sound super dated. Recently, writing her album she has been inspired by the band, Heart, “they're proper 80s! There is a song by them called ‘Alone’ ... A lot of the 80s stuff, ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’”. Then following on by admitting “As far as like modern music, I dunno, you know I have been in my album world, as we are constantly listening to music in that world!” She says “You know what I've actually been getting in to my friend's band”, Black Honey. “Like I've been listening to her band a lot!”
“Do you know Black Honey?” Uh yes love! “Cool, we actually worked together recently! Did a song together which will hopefully come out this year!’”, which we at Issue Reset can’t wait for!
Another, artist she loves is Liam Gallagher. Again, nodding to the fact she is “not just one thing”, and has many inspirations! “Massive, massive Liam Gallagher fan, so have been listening to his new tune!” One of the things she admires Liam for is being “unapologetically himself”, and that “everyone should take notes from him” in that sense.
Punk is a leading inspiration for Kelsy, her admiration for the attitude goes so much deeper than the fashion and quote unquote genre of music. “This is my thing about punk, and my frustration with it, punk in its essence is a subculture. Pop culture is now ruining that.” As it is anti-punk for it to be popular, simply going against everything that it is. “The fact that it is now in the main stream means it’s dead, it has died. Any time anything becomes trendy or pop culture in the masses, that means the next thing is getting ready to come on, and this thing is going to die.” We have seen this repeatedly done as soon as anything becomes popular, it’s the new ‘basic’ and then people don’t like it again.
“Everyone and their mums think they can chuck a pair of plaid pants on and call themselves punk.” Kelsy is someone who has lived an extreme lifestyle their whole life and has always had this rebellious spirit and idea of punk. “It's frustrating cause it's not even about the music for me. Punk for me isn't even a genre anymore it’s a lifestyle, an energy, an attitude.”
Adding that punk is not a fashion trend that everyone can latch on to, and stating that it does not keep its charm that way. “I have absolutely nothing wrong with everyone trying to chase this music style, but I hate when people call it punk because I don’t think it is a pop culture, it’s a subculture. I dunno I'm just opinionated", there is nothing wrong with being opinionated as long as you can back it up right? “You can't be punk, and then go home to your rich parents and ask for money to go buy yourself a bag to go with your plaid pants, that’s how I look at it.”
Punk in its essence is DIY, “it is known for being anti-establishment, political, anti-trend DIY so many of the OG punk bands did everything themselves. That is punk to me!”
The attitude plays a big role in what punk truly is, “It is punk to be yourself, to make shit happen, it is punk to not give a fuck! That’s how I feel about it. Liam Gallagher to me is punk as he just doesn’t give a fuck!”
Kelsy’s Pink, Kink and Punk Tour started on the 9th April, and we wanted to ask if she has any pre-show rituals to get her in the mood for the stage. “This is going to sound really weird but I actually wee a lot before I go on stage, as I tend to like wee myself on stage.” This being because when “I jump and I scream, like I push myself to hard and then I just wee a little bit. Before I go on stage, I'm like “I've got to go to the toilet again, I've got to go to the toilet again” I cannot drink before I go on stage cause like I need to drink for my voice.” So going to the toilet is most certainly a preshow ritual for her. Also, “We play a lot of Motown and like feel good music before stage, just good vibes whatever that be!”
Now why is punk coming back in to main stream media? “Everything is cyclical, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s every decade has a distinct look.”
Onwards from the 2000s it has gotten lazy, “yes there's been good music, there hasn’t been a clear reinvention of rock music. People are latching on to the closest thing, of pop punk, the early 2000s,” for her that was the last greatest invention of pop punk.
“I'm not slagging people off for following a trend! Fuck yeah, I'm stoked that people are getting an insight in to pop punk music again. But as an artist it is frustrating when its music that came from a subculture you have to understand the heart of this music.” Adding to this by, “It is not just a guitar riff, a drum loop, and a bass line, I just don’t feel like people realise that! It has just been cheapened by the main stream. And that is what is frustrating.”
Kelsy has been making rock music for a long time now and saying, “oh it's not in the main stream” and now that it is, “I’m being a hypocrite! So, cheers!”
Discussing fashion, Kelsy says “I believe that you should wear whatever expresses or says whatever you are or whatever you want!” Kelsy tells us that she was the biggest tomboy when she was a kid and that she would wear baggy overalls, my hat backwards… and as a teenager I would wear big baggy jeans, with oversized T-shirts, studded belts all the “punky things”. Her individuality is something that draws her apart from others as, as she has previously mentioned she dressed differently to others and how this caused her to wrongly be looked at like a “freak”. “I literally had people say to me “why do you dress like that,” but luckily because of this. “I am so stoked for fifteen year old Kels!”
“I’m all for it I think it's awesome, the freedom of expression through what you wear, is something I have built my own confidence off of. No one told me to wear that, I do that because I fucking feel like it, and I think everyone should!”
“I’ve learnt to get off on being the odd one out. Obviously, we all have insecurities but, I was like I don’t feel confident dressing like those girls, why don’t I feel confident dressing like these girls, who all dress the same?” Yet this journey helped Kelsy be “confident how I was, I kind of like how I'm different to the rest, and I definitely try to promote that to my fans! Do not listen to anyone but your gut!” Preaching, “what you feel inside if you can express that on the outside, through what you wear, more power to ya!” However, this is not to discredit that if being yourself means following a trend, “Fuck yeah do that! Do it cause you wanna do it not because someone else has told you to! I mean I guess that’s what main stream media and pop culture is it’s giving you permission to be like this is, ok.” Describing that some people need that initial push, then hopefully they will continue to wear it after it’s a trend.
Photo Credit: Alec Wing
As we know Kelsy has strong opinions on punk, “If you listen to ‘punk’ music today it’s very self-indulgent". In this self-indulgency; not like the likes of Green Day and Oasis who were huge when she was growing up. “I don’t think it's to serve people as much as it is to serve the artist, that is a problem to me!” Relating these beliefs to herself as “I don’t want to make music to, it’s a middle ground isn't it; I want to make music that is true to me! Heals me and tells my story, it’s a partnership between me and a fan; how am I serving them to support me? This pop punk era it is not serving the people with messages and meanings, healing people in a way!” Saying that this new era of pop punk is all about “how can I look cool and punk and bad ass! Not what do I need to say right now? Who am I to say anything, this is me saying this as a fan in music not as an artist!” She added to this saying that some artists in music now, have possibly the “wrong intention. You’ve got to have a love for what you do, authenticity shines through, you can tell when something’s strategic it shines through.”
Kelsy as a fan, not a musician said “I don’t believe it, I don’t believe these pop punk, new songs I don’t believe them! That’s the difference, you listen to the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Buzzcocks; you listen to these people who were the trail blazers of punk music. Every word they say, every note they play, you fucking believe it!”
Even though Kelsy is probably sick of speaking about Harry Styles, “well I set myself up for it didn’t I! Not a bad person to be associated with.” The song, Harry, released in 2019 is the epitome of the fan girl culture. Even though the fan girl stereotype typically has a bad tint to it, “I really own it, I have no regrets. My only regret... no, not regret... learning curve, lesson! is I didn’t have anything to follow it up with. I could have served the fans better in that sense. I look at it my job title is an entertainer so I have to entertain, when I feel like I can't entertain I feel like a failure.” Which would definitely not be true!
The Harry song having one of the best marketing ideas I still have ever seen. It featured Kelsy getting a tattoo of Harry Styles’ face on her face, yet the tattoo was fake. Yet the fans, news outlets, and world did not know that! Also, that the additive app of TikTok “hadn’t popped off yet right? I think it was really good it hadn't, as everyone is now doing these pranks and marketing, every musician popping off on TikTok, you can tell if this was posed or this is happening organically. I think if I had done the tattoo right now people would not believe it!” This being that everyone now has a voice and can reach a lot of people, stop over analysing it and be entertained.
And I am sure we will continue to be entertained by Kelsy, her music and her great attitude and her tour!
By CAITLIN
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