• Music

K.Flay Invents Her Own Fire Genre with New EP

Oct 12, 2016 @ 3:30 pm By Angie Piccirillo

Grunge girlies, rejoice.

The alt-girl angry-rocker-chick era that was so popular in the 90s is about to be back with a POST-angry-alt-girl era starting right nowish — thanks in part to the radical artist known as K.Flay.

Though K.Flay — known also as Kristine Flaherty — has her roots in hip hop, and finds her inspiration from lady rappers like M.I.A. and Missy Elliott, you might find her to be more reminiscent of Alanis and Courtney. Many are calling her new tunes on her EP, Crush Me, “genre-bending” as K melds hip hop and rock into a new fire genre of her own.

If you’ve missed out on her single, “Blood in The Cut,” it’s not too late my friends! It’s def a track worth playing more than a few times, and it’s also probs worth checking out the killer video. Not to mention, you should take a listen to the commentary tracks, which are almost an art piece in themselves, where K tells us the origins of each song in almost slam-poet-audio-performance-art form.

The time of sad pop songs about your ex (move over, Taylor Swift!) may be coming to a close, which means we will have more space on our playlists for songs by the more hip, more fierce, more wanna-be-on-her-squad, greatness that is K.Flay.

Check the links and the Q&A below for some mind-blowing genre-melding artistry.

Full name and/or nickname(s): 

Full name Kristine Flaherty. But people also call me k.flay, flay, k, flayzy.

Tell us about your music-making philosophy: “taking nothing, and making something.”

I think my philosophy centers on taking emotional experiences and trying to represent them very specifically. To find different — and hopefully compelling — ways to say some of the most universal things. I’m obsessed with the way novelists and poets employ detail in their writing.

Is it true you started making music on a dare while in your college dorm room at Stanford?

Yes it is. Very happy that day happened.

What did you get a degree in when you were at Stanford?

I got my degree in psychology and sociology.

Tell us about your influences…

Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Joy Formidable, The Kills, Warpaint. I’m in an alt-girl rock space at the moment, which has been super inspiring. But I love hip hop and I’m always listening to that. The past month I sort of re-immersed myself in “Boy in Da Corner,” Dizzee Rascal’s first record. It’s so weird and wonderful.

If you were to describe your sound, like Cyndi Lauper meets guitar metal, what would it be?

Kind of wish I sounded like Cyndi Lauper meets guitar metal! This one is hard to answer, since my sound is always changing. So maybe the only answer is an amoeba?

If “Blood in the Cut” were on a movie soundtrack what would it be?

A scene of vengeance would be cool. Not crazy violent or anything, just a very precise form of retribution. Kill Bill style. OMG I just remembered how much I love Kill Bill.

What is your fave tune from the EP “Crush Me”? Why did you decide to go with that title?

At the moment, my favorite song is probably “Dreamers” — but it’s always changing. And the EP is called “Crush Me” really as a statement of defiance. Each song begins from a place of vulnerability, but culminates with a feeling of empowerment.

Tell us who you are listening to right now…

I’m loving the new Glass Animals record. And I was just introduced to a record called “Upsweep” by Hannah Epperson. Very very rad.

You’re about to start a US tour, what places are you most excited about playing?

San Francisco and Chicago are always pretty special, since a lot of my family will be at those. But I’m honestly excited for every single show on this run.

What is your current go-to stage outfit? Shoes? Makeup look? Hair vibe?

T-shirt, jeans, doc martens. tiny bit of makeup. and I thrash around a lot, so my hair just ends up doing it’s own thing.

What do you hope to accomplish this year?

Finish the next record, put on a great show this tour, read at least 10 more books.

What’s next for you?

In the immediate future: a large coffee and a flight to LA

Stalk K.Flay on the Socials…. You know you want to.

Twitter: @kflay

Instagram: @kflay

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kflaymusic/

http://www.kflay.com/

Sick Audio Commentary Tracks from the EP, “Crush Me”:

“Blood In The Cut”

“Hollywood Forever”

“Dreamers”

“You Felt Right”

Upcoming Tour Dates/Cities

About The Author: Angie Piccirillo

Angie is a film/TV & commercial producer and also a music journalist based in Los Angeles. Follow her on Instagram @whatangiesays or check out her newest fave tunes on Spotify at #WhatAngieSpins