Kay Jay Keller’s Sweet New Single “I Choose You”
Interview conducted May 8, 2021
By Dan Locke
Kay Jay Keller is not your average Americana artist. With a bold sense of humor and endearing songwriting style, the Charlotte native embraces imperfections with confidence. Following her breakout performance at Lollapalooza 2020, Keller teamed up with producer Jimmy McGorman (Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne) to begin work on her first EP. Renowned songwriters like Sam Hollander (Panic! at the Disco, Katy Perry) became mentors and collaborators to Keller in the process. Reminiscent of crossover stars like Shania Twain and Maren Morris, Keller writes infectious pop songs with a country twang and trademark optimism. “Everything,” the debut single off her upcoming EP, has garnered over 75k Spotify streams and 10k+ monthly listeners to date. Drawing from songwriting inspirations like Brandi Carlile, her second single “I Choose You” is a quintessential ballad about enduring love, showcasing Keller’s softer side and teasing all of the music still to come.
What is your upbringing?
I was given up for adoption a couple of days after I was born and raised in a suburb of Indianapolis. Honestly, the place was nice enough but pretty boring and I spent most of my days daydreaming about getting out of there as soon as I could. As a kid, I wanted to do everything with my Dad…he taught me how to play the piano, tennis, volleyball etc etc etc… When he died my freshman year of college, it wrecked me. I realized that life is too short to be doing things I’m not passionate about and I knew I had to start living for myself. So, obviously, I dropped out of college and joined a heavy rock band. Sorry Mom.
How did you discover music?
It’s not fun to talk about but the reality is, there was a lot of fighting and screaming in my house and things didn’t always feel safe. But I remember how my Dad’s face would immediately light up and how he’d turn up the volume when Bob Seger came on the car radio. And how my Mom would start dancing like an absolute lunatic when Janis Joplin or The Rolling Stones started playing. I realized that music had this crazy superpower to transport us to another time and place in our lives. I started to bring cassette tapes up to my room and really began to use music to get me through the bad nights.
How did you start to write music?
Music was a really personal thing to me in the beginning…mainly because I was super embarrassed of my singing voice as a kid. I’d write poems and lyrics down in my diary and keep it locked in my nightstand. I don’t know why I locked it, honestly. It’s not like I was writing anything groundbreaking. It was probably lyrics about falling hopelessly in love with the neighborhood bad boy on the swing set – I really don’t know.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
Yeah, so, an ex-boyfriend bought me a Washburn when I graduated high school. I think he was trying to woo me back by giving me guitar lessons. Anyway, he only taught me maybe 3 chords max so I ended up playing the same songs for an entire summer. I guess my Mom had enough of hearing it bc she eventually threw the guitar outside one day during a bad storm. I still have that Washburn but it plays like shit.
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model? And what is her name?
I’ve got a Martin that I mess with sometimes.
How did your band form?
TBD, I don’t have one yet!
How did you get your bands name?
Kay Jay = KJ = Katherine Jean! Keller is my birth father’s last name! I don’t know the guy very well because it was a closed adoption but we’ve only been introduced in recent years. But I know we share blood and he’s a part of me forever. This music I’m releasing is my life and if it’s truly going to be all encompassing, I figured he should be included.
Describe your music.
Just classic, good, no-frills, storytelling. And I’ve got a ton to say. I love a great hook so I’m always trying to work in an element of pop into my songs. I just wanted to make music that I’m proud of! Music that reflects where I am spiritually and emotionally right now.
What was your first performance like?
Like I said, I was really shy about singing in front of people as a kid so I didn’t have my first singing performance until high school, when I landed the solo in a choir performance in front of the whole school. The song was “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes and GUESS WHO WAS DIANA ROSS?? Me, bitch. I nailed it. Felt like I was flying 😍
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
ASCAP
What makes a good songwriter?
I feel like I could take my answer in a million different directions. Hmm… the songwriters that inspire me to treat lyrics like wordplay. They find clever little ways of taking common thoughts and feelings and expressing them in ways we’ve never heard before. They’re able to take these deeply personal stories about their own lives and write in such a way that allows the rest of us to apply them to ourselves, too. Great songwriters can pull us together with those universal emotions.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
I’m going to talk about “In A Dream” because it was the first song I wrote after not writing ANYTHING for 10 years. I had a dream one night that was so REAL, so CONVINCING, that I woke up in tears and tried desperately to fall back asleep again so the dream could go on. But I got out of bed, grabbed my phone, and started writing. Writing about it helped me hold on just a little bit longer. I ended up recording it, it’s beautiful and I hope it can bring others peace like it has for me.
What is the process of writing your music?
Strangely enough, most of my ideas come to me in my dreams, in the shower, or on the treadmill. I think once you open your mind up and are making an effort to be creative on a regular basis, the ideas just start pouring in. Sometimes an idea will hit me at 3am and I’ll need to roll over and make a voice note in my phone so I don’t forget it when I wake up. Sometimes I can work out an entire song lyrically and melodically but other times, I’ll bring bits and pieces to my writing partner or producer and we’ll work through the chaos.
How was it working with Steve Fekete on the song “Carolina”?
Steve is the coolest!! So, I met Steve through my producer and writing partner, Jimmy McGorman (love you, Jimmy!!) and the guy is such an insane talent! He sits down, listens to the song, gets a vibe, and then just nails it. All while being humble and super chill. I’ll never forget how special I felt being in the room with those two amazing humans. I’m a lucky girl for sure!
Tell me about the backstory for your song “I Choose You”?
“I Choose You” is a love song that was never intended to be a love song. I heard the first line in my sleep “I think back when we were new before life jaded me and hardened you.” I was imagining a breakup song. I brought the idea to Jimmy and it’s kind of morphed and changed and evolved into this idea that love, REAL love, isn’t a fairytale, and it’s riddled with all of the ups and downs that life throws our way. But it’s optimistic. And I think we could all use some love and optimism right now.
What is your favorite track on your album?
Right now, I’m writing this while sitting outside on my back patio and the trees are the greenest shade of green and the sky is the bluest shade of blue. This landscape could not be more beautiful and vibrant and it’s the reason I moved here and the reason I wrote “Carolina.” This place inspires me every day and I’m so lucky to call it home.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Oatmeal Creme Pies vs. Swiss Cake Rolls?
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Blind Melon – No Rain. Just a simpler time and simpler feelings. No weight on my shoulders when I hear that song. Just warm sunshine on my face.
You played Lollapalooza 2020. Can you tell me what that day was like for you?
MY SET AIRED ON MY BIRTHDAY! It was so cool!! My agent sent me a bottle of Champagne and I ordered Indian food on Doordash! Garlic naan and live (virtual) music! Does it get any better? Nope. It doesn’t.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Not a chance! There’s no replacement for live music. I don’t know how/if the procedures behind the scenes will change because of Covid, but the show must go on!
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
I didn’t learn to bake sourdough bread like everyone else on Instagram but I DID take up hoopla hooping as an exercise and got really into Mateo on Disney+! I’m a sucker for anything about ancient ruins and civilizations.
Have you finished your artist bio yet?
I haven’t! If I had to write my own bio it would be like “Hi, I’m Kay Jay and when I’m not watching Dr Pimple Popper on TLC, I’m making TikTok with my dog, June.”
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
I haven’t, honestly. I eat Mega Stuf Oreos like Nabisco is gonna discontinue them or something. This question has inspired me, though. I might switch to Oreo Thins after this interview?
You are really open on social media. Is there anything you will not talk about?
Not really? I’m definitely an open book. I don’t believe I can help others by keeping quiet about my own experiences. If I was meant to go through these things, whether they are traumatic or wonderful, it had to be for a reason. Someone out there needs to hear they’re not alone. Social media is what we make of it! ❤️
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Yes! Actually. I love learning new languages!!! I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been locked in my house for too long and I’m fantasizing about traveling abroad or what, but I seem to pick up foreign languages easily and I have a great time learning their cadence and sentence structure and whatnot. However, I can speak to more people and get inspired by their stories, I will do it.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
I think social media is critical during these times and can be so powerful in keeping us connected! For me personally, I make a point of writing everyone back if they take the time to leave a comment or send a DM! Helps me feel closer to them even if this current situation isn’t exactly ideal. I’m hoping the people in my inbox will come out to a show once the touring begins again.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
I took an edible last night and the couch started singing to me.
| In the past if a musician stop doing music, they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing? |
I would do anything to go on an archaeological dig. I don’t even care what we’re digging up. It could be Noah’s Ark, The Lost City of Atlantis, or a potato. I just really want to travel abroad, and unearth something…really old.
What is your happy place?
By myself. In my car. The windows down. Summertime. Music blasting. Nowhere to go. All the time in the world to get there.
If Lollapalooza happens this year and they offer you a spot on the bill, would you be willing to play these shows and what precautions would you like to have in place?
Uhm YES. The answer is absolutely yes.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
I love you all.
