Exposed Vocals: How did you hear about Exposed Vocals? What made you decide to sign up?
Korpus Kristy: I was thrilled to be contacted by Exposed Vocals on Twitter for this interview. That is how I heard about them.
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Korpus Kristy: I was raised in the Pasadena, California area. My parents were divorced but lived close to one another and I went to school in San Marino. I did not choose to become an artist, music chose me. I was able to play songs by ear on a toy piano I had since I can remember. We always had instruments around, and I was constantly trying to play them but didn’t know how to tune a guitar or anything like that. I don’t think that all of the strings were there either. When my dad bought a real piano, I would sit for long periods of time and make up melodies, trying to work out songs after school, but I didn’t sing much. I took piano lessons for a while but felt discouraged because I was made to feel that it was not OK to play by ear. For some reason reading music was difficult for me, so I would pretend that I was reading the notes and play by memory. I wrote and sang my first song at a school talent show when I was 8 or 9-years-old.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with the name Korpus Kristy & the Skinwalkers? What was your inspiration behind it?
Korpus Kristy: Korpus Kristy is typically spelt with a ‘C’ and means ‘the Body of Christ.’ A Skinwalker is a Navajo prankster spirit. I came up with name because my name is Kristy, which means ‘Christ like.’ I love Jesus and American Indians, so it just seemed fitting to me. Additionally, at the time I was hanging around with Scott Weiland when he was living in Pasadena. I liked the abbreviation STP and his band’s long name, and I thought about The Rolling Stones name being long, as well as CCR, ELO, The Traveling Wilburys, etc. I was inspired by those factors, and we also have the abbreviation KKS. My second choice was to name the band Vaccine or Bentley. I may name one of my CDs Bentley. I still like that one.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Korpus Kristy: Yes, I give music away all of the time. My goal is to get my songs heard by as many people as possible. If that means free, that is ok. I get paid a penny per song by some Websites. At that rate, getting the songs to fans is more important than selling 2000 of songs to receive $20 dollars. By the way my $20 paycheck was just cashed last month. I would like to thank my dedicated listeners for that!
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
Korpus Kristy: It’s important to have a set of songs down tight and always be ready to go. Play as often as you can, so if you are asked to play a big gig you feel confident on stage. The more you gig, the more people learn about you as an artist. In essence the more you gig, the more you gig. I used to play live constantly and the members of my band sometimes complained, saying it was getting in the way of their work schedules. Those members are appreciated but are not part of a recipe for success as a musician. That prompted me to become comfortable playing solo. I knew that I could always count on myself.
Once I had a family my gig time became studio time. When the children went to bed I would venture into the studio to record. When I did play live I would play at festivals, coffee shops, and concerts in the park so I didn’t have to be away from my children. When they were very little, they would see me on stage and cry for me to come down. They would usually end up on stage sitting at my feet or hanging on my leg while I played. I always joked about it, telling the audience that groupies were getting younger and younger. Now that my children are they are older they tell me what not to do on stage. “mama, don’t shake like this, or sway like that…” They are full of advice from the moment I step off the stage, and then they make plans for what they want to do when I become a rock star. Top priority, their own rooms.
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
Korpus Kristy: Once at The Kibitz Room in Los Angeles I played a two-hour show and didn’t have enough material. The house was packed and all of my friends were there. I played a really old song of mine and forgot the chords. It sucked. I got over it by playing many great gigs in front of the same crowd. They forgave me but I always cringe when think of that. The song is actually on our new CD. The track is titled, “Ain’t Gonna Marry You” and it is now a duet that I sing with Ardy Sarraf of The Fab Four, www.thefabfour.com. The track will be uploaded next week on www.soundcloud.com/korpuskristy.
On the flip side of that, I’ll never forget opening for a band in Long Beach and the room was empty when we got on stage. It was a big club with a pool hall. Once we started playing the room became packed and they kept asking for more. When we got off stage the place emptied and the main act had half the audience we attracted. It is those moments that keep you going and allow you to be kind to yourself for the mistakes that you do make. You probably won’t mess up on a song you blanked on again anyway.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
Korpus Kristy: We played a few shows in Vegas and I was heckled by an audience member. When I’m on stage I can get a little cocky, and I said something directly to the guy. The audience laughed so hard he got up and left with his head hanging down. I just can’t recall what I said. I now feel a little badly for him.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Korpus Kristy: My family has all cringed at songs that I have brought home from the studio, like “Mad & Lee” (https://soundcloud.com/korpuskristy/mad-lee), because I often times write about things that people say or do. Anyone around me is fair game, and that is just the way it goes for an artist that writes prolifically. People have asked me at live shows if everything is ok personally. I realize that they were really listening to the songs, and it makes sense that they would wonder what the hell is going on in my life. It used to be that I wrote when I was angry and/or sad, but now that has changed. I have learned to channel happy lyrics into my music and not everything I write about is true, although most of it is. Once the songs are written it feels as though the emotions are released and I move forward. It is very therapeutic.
My recording process varies. I usually come in with a complete song and chord structure, but I never really know what it will sound like until it develops in the studio. I’m usually quite surprised at the sounds that evolve and it often depends on my mood and what I’m listening to at home that determines what I feel like doing in the studio. I tend to like beats with a swing. The possibilities are unending and I love that. Sometimes I come into the studio with a full song in my head and I have never touched an instrument. That is how most of my songs come to me. The music and/or lyrics fly in my head and I am compelled to get them down on paper. I walk to the studio and I have also recorded songs on the way on my phone. We track the vocals to a click track and add the music to what I sing in the session. Song ideas are recorded on my phone so I don’t forget the melody and lyrics. Singing and adding instruments later is considered a backward way of producing for most engineers. As I said, I usually come into the studio with a chord structure and complete song on piano or guitar, but I don’t always have time to do that. I write so many songs that not all will make it into the studio.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Korpus Kristy: I use every platform I know of and learn about more daily. Just like gigging, get your name out there. More exposure means more fans. Our Website is www.korpuskristy.com and I have owned that site for many years and I am in complete control of the site on Wix.com. I used to create Websites for Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a career, so that experience has come in handy. I also suggest educating yourself so you have something to fall back on if music doesn’t work out. I’m a Marriage & Family Therapist (www.myedyn.com) and I also have an undergraduate degree in Public Relations. That degree has provided me with valuable tools as far as writing and marketing is concerned.
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
Korpus Kristy: It is what is not on my player that is embarrassing. We listen to music constantly at home, and we play what we love. I’m not exposed to many new artist’s and that is good and bad. My daughter was at a Brownie meeting and the Frozen song came on. All of the Brownies got excited and started singing except for my little girl, and she burst into tears. Since then, we certainly know the Frozen song when we hear it, but we stick to what we like musically and it shows on our playlists. When George Jones died my son shared the news with his friends at school and everyone was like, “who is that?” He was shocked to learn that he was the only one who listens to George Jones on a regular basis.
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Korpus Kristy: I would invest the money and purchase apartments. That could help offset taxes and increase our income. I would have to combine the money with other sources of funding, as $500,000 doesn’t buy much in California.
If I had a year off, I would do as much PR as I could for our music, go to Disney Land more with my babies and work on our house. Having more time to play would be great so we could increase our fan base. I would like to visit Nashville as well.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
Korpus Kristy: I do not engineer any of my music but I produce everything I write and create. When I can afford it, I would like to have a means of recording at home beyond what I do to track songs on my phone. When you sit with an engineer you are working together and their experience is of great value to me. My engineer Devin Thomas is the owner of South West Sound in Sierra Madre. He is a talented musician who has a great ear for music, and the studio is less than a mile from my house. I am in complete control and purposeful about what happens in the studio, but the musicians I play with are far better than I am so I rarely tell them what to play. Although there are some instances where I ask someone to play something specific, I always look forward to hearing what they want to play on their own. I sometimes only give them the sample song with me and a guitar and nothing else. I don’t want them to be influenced by the other music I may have recorded so they come up with a sound that is theirs. That is especially true when Gary Putman of Dread Zeppelin (www.dreadzeppelin.com) comes into the studio. Recording in a professional studio maximizes our sound and I could not create what we do on my own. I am not sure what format Devin works on… I think it is called ProTools. If I had the ability to use that program at a beginner’s level for basic tracks, that would be great.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Korpus Kristy: I use every format possible. For me, the most difficult part of promotion is getting good videos made. My budget is spent on recording and videos can be just as costly. That is my next project. Having a good set of photos, music clips and a promotional package is imperative. I am also on every Social Media site that is available and I update information constantly on my Website. Promotion takes more time than recording. I hope to one day be at the point where I can pay people to promote us and focus exclusively on music and touring. My most popular tool is consistency in updating and promoting the band. LinkedIn, my Blog posts and Facebook can also be a valuable, as well as Youtube, and interviews like this are a great blessing. In my experience, nothing has gained instant results that are substantial aside from my Blog (http://korpuskristy.blogspot.com/). Being diligent about promoting your name is key, and playing live will do wonders for your career.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
Korpus Kristy: Geez. That could be a full page of names, and I have thought of this often. I would love to play with these artists who are no longer with us: Johnny Cash, because he is a profound human being musically and spiritually. I love his later pieces of work the best. George Harrison for the same reasons as Cash, George Jones, John Lennon, Bob Marley for sure, Conway Twitty and Waylon Jennings I would be star struck over. There is also Tammy Wynette, Louie Prima and Bing Crosby. I would like to meet Roy Orbison, Brian Jones and Keith Moon… sadly now David Bowie, just to name a few.
As far as live artists are concerned, I play with amazing musicians such as Ardy Sarraf, who I previously mentioned. He has one of the best voices in the business in my opinion. I also play live and in the studio often with guitarist Gary Putman. He is an amazing, innovative musician and I love his harmonies as well. We sing the duet “Golden Ring” together on the new CD.
As far as rock n roll dreams go, I would love to play with Kid Rock because it seems that we love the same types of music, Tom Petty, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Meghan Trainer, Miranda Lambert, Jack White, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart, all of the Rolling Stones including Mick Taylor, Lyle Lovett, Mark Knopfler, Keb Mo, John Conlee, Paul McCartney, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, Don Williams, Hank Williams Jr., although the hunting would be an issue for me. That is my short list anyway.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Korpus Kristy: Our newest CD “For the Good of Mankind” will be complete and on the Internet within a week. CDs going to press will be available after that on our Website at www.KorpusKristy.com. If the music is well received, we will be able to put out much more.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Korpus Kristy: I would be writing poetry and promoting the music that I already have created. If you are interested in what I do outside of the studio, my time is spent working as a therapist who specializes in Infidelity. I am also a landlord and I am launching a natural cosmetic company with my business partner Cristal Morse. Our company is pending trademark, patent and copyright, otherwise I would share the Website with you. Of course we have promotional songs and here is a clip called “Honey Honey” at https://soundcloud.com/korpuskristy/honey. My first priority is my children, our happiness and security. Outside of work and music, a great deal of my time involves cleaning and organizing schedules. We have many rescue animals we adore and even some chickens, so there is not a lot of down time for me.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
Korpus Kristy: I remember buying my first album at Clark’s Drugs and it was a Bob Marley record. It has a song called “Mr. Brown” and that was my favorite. Otherwise my brother bought me my first cassettes. They were The Police, Queen and Kenny Rogers “The Gambler.” I also used to record full albums off the radio. By the time I was 12-years-old, music was my main thing. I listened to what my mom played on the radio, which was classic country all day long and I continue to listen to artists of that era today. I also dug into my brother’s records and liked the Sex Pistols, Devo, The Knack, Cheap Trick and loved The Clash. I later developed a love for Irish music like The Waterboys and Van Morrison, to name a few. I played video games, but only for about 15 or 20 mins a day, and not every day. I was into listening to music constantly. I haven’t changed much.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Korpus Kristy: I accomplish what I need to but, as I mentioned, I always put my family and our finances first. Music is very important to me, and I don’t think that I can stop creating it, so I need it to become a primary source of income for us, or at least increase my income so recording is not an issue. I treat my music as a product that I need to promote and distribute and I gauge my time by not wasting it. I am mindful about what I do, so when I am with my children, family and friends, I’m with them completely, physically and emotionally. I also exercise regularly, eat right, pray and meditate daily.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Korpus Kristy: I look forward to sharing our new CD “For the Good of Mankind” with fans, and ensuring that my name is seen everywhere that I can get it. Word of mouth, likes and shares are extremely important. I would like to work with a manager who can help me in the areas that I am lacking. I will be on stage much more this year now that the CD is done. I have so much to celebrate and performing live again is a great way to do just that. Here are a few tracks from our new CD. Enjoy!
Mad & Lee (An old school country song) –
https://soundcloud.com/korpuskristy/mad-lee
Driving (Our most popular Pop song) –
https://soundcloud.com/korpuskristy/driving
For the Good of Mankind (A rocker) –
https://soundcloud.com/korpuskristy/for-the-good-of-mankind
Boom Boom (A catchy song about getting caught cheating) – https://soundcloud.com/korpuskristy/boom-boom
Honey Honey (A fun love song) –
https://soundcloud.com/korpuskristy/honey
Golden Ring, featuring Gary Putman (A country hit from George and Tammy Wynette)
https://soundcloud.com/korpuskristy/golden-ring
Thank you so much for interviewing me Exposed Vocals!
