One thing about Philly artists is that they're hungry for success and are willing to do everything in their power to obtain it. Ms. Kachina has been working hard, building a fan base, and showing everyone why she deserves to be the next big thing in music. I recently sat down with Kachina (before her huge win at last night's R&B/Pop Competition at Sigma) to discuss everything from current projects to future endeavors.
Check out our interview below
What made you want to pursue a career in music?
When I was younger, I was singing in a group with my friends and when we got on stage for the first time, that's when I fell in love with it *laughs*. I had so much fun up and there and it's become almost addictive now that I'm older. I'm able to find other venues to perform at and I get to know myself better as an artist the more I go along.
Who would you say are some of your main musical influences?
Definitely the artists here in Philly like Gogo Morrow and Asia Sparks, they're very inspiring. Also, a friend of mine, Sage Marquiiis, she's very inspiring; she's a great writer and performer. In terms of people who are already in the industry, it's hard not to mention her, but Beyonce. She's very inspiring and she's a great performer.
I know before you started your solo career, yourself and Mercedes (Sage Marquiiis) were in a group called Royal Black, so how was that experience?
That was a great experience; it made me who I am today. Mercedes is my best friend, she's like my sister. When we were together, we were like twins because we think alike, we go through the same experiences, both musically and in our personal lives and she really is a sister to me. We rarely ever fight or argue as friends or when we were singing together. We would just be on the stage in our own world, just going in and having fun *laughs*.
What would you say has been the biggest moment in your music career so far?
The biggest moment was definitely a few weeks ago when I performed at the Hype Magazine showcase and I won 1st place. I'll be featured in Hype Magazine, but I'm not exactly sure when the issue will be out. It's just really exciting for me because I felt like singing with Cedes and doing things on my own, I was waiting on that next step to happen or to gain some extra recognition. Sometimes you feel like something's happening to everyone else and it's kinda like "When is my moment gonna happen?". It felt really good that I was able to accomplish that because I worked hard all week long, stressing over Whitney Houston songs, wondering if I'm singing the right thing *laughs*. I just wanted to have that extra element and I had to think about what's gonna make me be memorable.
What's your mindset before you hit the stage? Are you nervous or are you just ready to go out and kill it?
I'm definitely nervous, my manager will tell you, I drive him up the wall *laughs*. Even before the day of the show, I'm worried about the outfit, hair, music of course, what I'm gonna sing, and things like that. Right before the moment, I'm freaking out but once they call my name, I get into the zone and I blackout, if you will *laughs*. The last show I really went hard; I would say that was one of the best shows I've had. I felt so good on stage, like I can't explain the feeling at all and it was a lot of fun.
How would you describe your songwriting process? Is it more therapeutic or hectic for you?
It's definitely therapeutic; I write what I feel. Of course you go back and revise and make sure that everything makes sense, but I definitely just listen to the music that I'm writing to and try to think of the story I wanna tell and what picture I wanna paint. You really have to write for the audience; not only writing about your experiences, but also realizing that you can write about something that someone else is going through so the audience can relate. Sometimes it is difficult and I do get writer's block and stop because I don't want anything to be forced because it's art at the end of the day.
How has crowd reception and support been here in Philly for you so far?
So far, it's been good. I've released my video for "Motivation" a couple nights ago and I'm feeling good about where that's been going. A lot of people said they loved the video and I'm really excited about it because it's the first official video that's of my original song. I feels really good to get that support from Philly. I hope it stays that way *laughs*
The message and concept of "Motivation" is pretty self explanatory, so what made you choose that track as the first one to do a music video for?
I chose that song because it's upbeat and a lot of the kids love it, which is a great thing. I performed it at a high school and you know how high school can be, so I was really nervous for that one *laughs*. I felt good that I chose something positive and that they liked it because it's hard to reach out to people with a positive message a lot of the times. A lot of times it has to be hidden in the song or presented a specific way. When I wrote the song, I thought about all the other people who are doing what I'm trying to do, people trying to make it. Whether it be music or trying to start your own business or whatever it is, I just wanted that song to encourage people to keep going. One thing we all have in common is that we want to be successful, nobody wants to be unsuccessful. I just know that there are times when we wake up and feel like "Ugh, this isn't going anywhere" you know. Even when things are going great, there are times that I think of where I wanna be and the goal I might have at that moment, and I'm restless *laughs*. Even when I get there, I'll probably be thinking about the next goal that I want to accomplish.
How was shooting the video for Motivation?
Shooting the video was a lot of fun; it was cold though *laughs*. I had a lot of fun and it was a new experience for me. I had a project called The 11 Days of Legends where I got in the character of 11 different divas of music, but this one I had to show everyone who I am. The videographer, Black Dragon Imagery, he's easy to work with and his direction is great, so I had a lot of fun. It was just really cold *laughs*.
Now more and more female artists are starting to collaborate and work together again, where as before there was sort of a divide, so how do you feel about it finally being a little more united than before?
I feel good about it; my manager and I were actually just talking about this. I think about the people in the industry and I wonder what their personalities are like and what it's like to work with them, so it's good to hear that more artists are collaborating and that there's more unity. Like I said, the whole point of making music is to create art that people will enjoy, so why not get in the studio and I get to meet your fan base and vice versa, so I'm glad about that. I hope that I get to collaborate with some artists here in Philly, you know just having two different sounds coming together to create one.
Could you see yourself delving into any other fields like acting, fashion, or anything like that?
Yes, absolutely. I love fashion and I'm really excited because I want 2014 to be much more extravagant than 2013 in terms of my sound and my look. I have to shoutout my designer Diane's Personal Collection, she made my outfit for the Hype Magazine show and I was so able to get into the zone. A lot of times it is the outfit that helps you get into character because it's hard when you look into a closet and it's like "I don't like anything I see in here tonight" *laughs* but you have to pull it together. I would love to have my own clothing line one day. Acting would be something different for me as well, but I think I can do it *laughs*.
Looking ahead, as far as career goals, what do you hope to accomplish?
To be honest, I wanna become a Grammy Award winning artist; I wanna become a mainstream artist and be on the red carpet and go to the MTV Awards, the Grammy's, the VMA's, etc. That's something that I see myself doing; I plan on building an empire, a dynasty if you will *laughs* and I plan on taking it as far as I can go. I appreciate the love I'm getting here in Philly and I'm excited to expand and go to different states and cities to perform and connect with different audiences. I just wanna take it as far as I can *laughs*.
Be sure to follow Kachina on Twitter and Instagram and be sure to like her page on Facebook. Also be on the lookout for Kachina's upcoming mixtape that'll be dropping in early 2014.
Looking ahead, as far as career goals, what do you hope to accomplish?
To be honest, I wanna become a Grammy Award winning artist; I wanna become a mainstream artist and be on the red carpet and go to the MTV Awards, the Grammy's, the VMA's, etc. That's something that I see myself doing; I plan on building an empire, a dynasty if you will *laughs* and I plan on taking it as far as I can go. I appreciate the love I'm getting here in Philly and I'm excited to expand and go to different states and cities to perform and connect with different audiences. I just wanna take it as far as I can *laughs*.
Speaking of going to different cities, if you could pick any artist to go on tour with who would it be?
To go on tour with? Oh my God *laughs* Maybe Drake and Kendrick Lamar; probably someone who's not a singer so there could be more of a dynamic in the show. Nicki Minaj too, I love her. I feel like going on a tour with any of them would be...huge *laughs*.
To close out, what advice would you give aspiring singers/songwriters?
I would say try to study the other artists that are out; whether it be local artists or mainstream artists. I would also say do it because you love it, not for the pay check because the check might not come for a while *laughs*. I do it because I love it, I get on stage because I love it and that's the main thing at the end of the day.
Be sure to follow Kachina on Twitter and Instagram and be sure to like her page on Facebook. Also be on the lookout for Kachina's upcoming mixtape that'll be dropping in early 2014.