Exposed Vocals Interviews Karis C

Karis C: I heard about this through the internet and saw good reviews. I wanted to be able to promote my music even more and learn more about the industry as well as discover new artists.

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

Karis C: I was born in Stevenage and lived in London until I was about 6. My sisters were pretty young so my parents thought it would be best to move down closer to our family. We’re able to see them often and we have a better life in Kent. When I was around 5 or 6 years old, I discovered that I could sing though I had many years ahead of me to develop my voice. But there and then, I knew that I wanted to be a singer. There was nothing else that I wanted more. As a kid, I’d perform on stage at primary school with every chance I could and it helped me to become more confident. Singing helps me to express myself and vent my feelings. Without singing, I would be nothing. Also, my father helped me to develop my voice by taking me to singing lessons and music competitions. Without that push, I wouldn’t have produced this EP. I’m very grateful for his advice as well as my mother’s and singing teacher Martin Posnett who has helped me over the last 4 years.

Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?

Karis C: I came up with my artist name Karis C when I was recording in the studio with one of my friends J-B Mersiol who is a musician and producer. He suggested to shorten my name as I have quite a long surname. And I really like this name.

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

Karis C: I’m totally fine with it! I’m not too fussed if a person wants to buy or just stream my music for free. I just hope that they enjoy it and leave a good review. I accept constructive criticism, of course. It’s a part of being an artist and learning how to grow.

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?

Karis C: I know a few local artists who I went to school with. They should try the local open mic nights and local talent shows. Also they should get in touch with their local FM radio stations. There are a lot of artists in Kent that have yet to be discovered!

Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

Karis C: Of course. Sometimes I might end up in the wrong pitch or I might lose breath on a certain note. So what I do is continue to sing and pretend I didn’t realise the mistake otherwise the audience will know that you’ve stumbled and that you feel uncomfortable. It is all about enjoying yourself rather than panicking. That’s what I tell myself all the time; just breathe and smile.

Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

Karis C: I haven’t toured yet. I don’t think I’m at the stage as I’m a new artist. I’ve been promoting myself a lot and I should make myself some social accounts to boost my fanbase. I’ve mostly just received feedback from people I know about my songs; they seem to like them. In the future, I’ll produce more and hopefully my voice will sound even better. I’m still young and have time to grow.

Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

Karis C: I usually write songs when I feel a particular emotion. For example, love. Sometimes I’ll write a song based on someone I’m very fond of. My song Desire is based on someone I’ve had feelings for yet that person doesn’t know and probably will never know as we no longer talk. But the song really means something to me; when I wrote it, I imagined in my mind that perhaps there was a possibility that we could be an item. Yet I knew deep down, things like this don’t always happen. So I mostly write songs about love. Some people might not be to keen to hear these songs, they might want to listen to songs about sex, alcohol and drugs which is definitely something I don’t want to write about. That’s just not me at all. I want to write about something real, something unique.

Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?

Karis C: I currently do not but I will create one hopefully. I normally share my music on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud. Feature Fm is also good as you can see where exactly in the world that people have listened to your material and whether they’ve bought it. The internet is a wonderful place to promote.

Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?

Karis C: Hmm. Probably Kim Kardashian’s song ‘Jam’. I had a cheeky listen and found myself nodding to the beat. But that was one time, I swear.

Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

Karis C: I wish that could happen! With the money, I’d put some of it towards promoting, some to charity, some for myself and some for my family. Sharing is caring. With the year off, I’d travel and help out my parents with the house. I want to be a better person. I’d love to start up my own charities too, there are people in the world that need that money more than I do. So let’s change the world and make it a better place.

Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

Karis C: Not at the moment. But when the time comes, I’ll record again. I’m currently at university so I’m always busy with assignments etc. Of course I’m still promoting my EP but we shall see where I head in the next year or so. Who knows? The future is exciting but slightly scary.

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

Karis C: I usually share my music with friends and family as I know that they’ll want to actually listen. Sometimes people online might listen to a minute of your song then skip it. I’d love it if people played the whole track and then told me what they thought. But people are different. I like to promote on Twitter too as I have a lot of followers on my normal account but I’m not too sure if they’ve heard my songs.

Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?

Karis C: I’d love to perform with Madonna; she’s one of my pop idols. Her music in the 1980s really motivates me. And her fashion too. She’s iconic; there’s no one really like her, well some try to copy her. I’d also loved to perform with Queen but it’s a shame that Freddie Mercury died in 1991. He was amazing and I always find myself close to tears when I see his last few interviews and how fragile he looked. He was a wonderful man and I look up to him and his bandmates who stayed very strong. To me, these artists are the epitome of true music.

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

Karis C: So far, I’m just focusing on my degree. But if anything new comes up, I will definitely seize the opportunity. I’d love to write more songs and record. I’d also love to enter some singing competitions but it’s just finding the time for them. But I definitely want to become a popular artist, it’s something I’ve always yearned for.

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

Karis C: Most likely writing a book or working somewhere I don’t really like. I can’t imagine not making music.

Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?

Karis C: I think it might have been Britney Spears. I really loved her as a kid. And also Venga Boys. My dad always used to play their music in the car and we’d dance all to one of their famous songs about the computer.

Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

Karis C: I set my priorities. I know that I have to focus on my studies as I want to get a good job. But I also know that I should boost up my singing career. Whenever I sing, I think about the opportunities I could get if I just made more music and met more artists. Life is full of obstacles. It’s never easy.

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?

Karis C:  Hopefully even more music of my own. I hope to inspire people to be who they are. I know this sounds very mushy and soppy but it’s exactly what I hope to do. It’s not about just producing any old music; it’s about being a role model and helping to make the world a somewhat brighter place. That’s what we were put here for. We shouldn’t hate, we should love and take the time to appreciate things. That’s what an artist is all about to me.