Photo courtesy of Lauren Dukoff
When we think about what makes an artist impactful, one of the first things that comes to mind is how real the artist is with their audiences and in their work. By that standard, LA-Based K.Flay is one of the most impactful artists that comes to mind. The genre-defying K.Flay is one of my favorite musicians, and not just because of the addicting beats backing all of her songs, or the clever lyrics, or even the music that works as everything from a soundtrack to cry to or motivational tracks to push through a heartbreak with—the reason that K.Flay stands as one of my favorite artists is because of the genuine, endearing honesty that pushes through all her music. You can tell that when she’s in the studio recording, or on the stage performing, it’s not a façade; it’s her real, authentic self, and the emotions dripping out of her song prove it. Her characteristic gravelly timbre shines in every piece she ever composes, and whether she’s singing about how she loves her life or she hates it, you always know exactly who wrote the song. You always feel exactly what she feels, as it’s impossible not to with that much emotion in her work.
Kristine Meredith Flaherty, known mainly by her stage name K.Flay, got her start in music early in life. After growing up in a suburb of Chicago and then going to Stanford University for a degree in psychology and sociology, she produced her first track in 2003, at the age of 18, as a sort of critique of the current pop scene. She was discussing with her friends about how modern pop was “simplistic, misogynistic, and formulaic,” and after bragging about how she could create a similar track, she created a rap parody, “Blingity Blang Blang” which then made her realize how much she liked producing and writing music. The now 32-year -old then got to work on an album, Suburban Rap Queen, which she released in 2005, and started performing in the local house scene. Since then, she’s gone nowhere but up.
After graduating from Stanford, Flaherty moved to San Francisco, where she continued producing her music, really arriving into the scene with her album, I Stopped Caring in ‘96. She continued to pump out albums and eventually started her own label for the release of her 2014 album, Life as a Dog. That’s the album that really got me hooked on her—the first song I ever heard of hers was “Make Me Fade,” which drew me in the first time I heard it in 2015 and hasn’t let go since.
Every time I listen to it, I find something new to appreciate—ethereal guitar repetition, hypnotizing drum beats, and, of course, the lyrical, enchanting timbre of Flaherty’s voice, drawing the listener in with an intensity that doesn’t want to let you go. Lots of her songs feel like that—the lyrics are clever and poetic, eloquent and raw, with stanzas that stick in your mind like a pop song but content that makes you ponder it like rap. K.Flay seems to define genres like that.
If she was already on the scene with Life as a Dog, she took it to the next level with her 2017 album, Every Where is Some Where, which is littered with musical treasures. K.Flay does everything from creating badass anthems like “Blood in the Cut,” a song she wrote in the dark haze after a breakup that’s full of enough raw vigor to help you power through any obstacle, to political rallying cries like “Black Wave,” a song that details the post-election sense of hopelessness that seemed to wash over the nation, as if she were standing on the shore of a beach watching a “black wave” about to crash over her.
The album picked up recognition from millions of fans worldwide, but most noticeably, the attention Recording Academy. K.Flay got nominated for not one but two Grammys for the 2018 season; one for Best Rock Song (“Blood in the Cut”) and another one for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (“Every Where is No Where”). These are exciting nomination for such a talented and awesome artist, and well-deserved nominations too.
K.Flay is going to be at the Showbox on this Friday, January 19th. Tickets are available online. The concert is all ages, with doors at 8:00 PM and the show starting at 9:00 PM. She will be joined by indie pop band Sir Sly, a LA-based group that perfectly matches the intensity and enthusiasm of her music.
AMELIA ZEVE | 15-year-old pop-punk me would have died to go to this concert | KXSU Arts Reporter