Kiah, musical entrepeneur

Kiah

Songwriter, cover artist, and performer

Kiah is a talent, we were lucky enough to catch her before she gets too big. No, she’s not fat, just super good at what she does. She writes her own music and covers songs like “Rocky Raccoon”, Mr. “Brightside”, and “I will wait”. She covers a lot of songs and they all slap. Listen to her cover of “Trains” by Porcupine tree, it’s actually more interesting in my opinion.

Kiah reminds me of Queen of Japan, who does covers of some classics like “I was made for loving you”. Unique versions of songs that showcase her own personality. She’s also a one woman band, she’ll record instruments separately and play them in over her singing and playing guitar. Check out her cover of I’ll feel a whole lot better below.

We also got to ask her a few questions.

Gonzo: There's a lot going on in some of your videos. From the beginning to end, how long does it take to create a completed video?

Kiah: Depending on the amount of parts, and how many times it takes for me to be happy with the outcome, I'll usually spend 3 days to a week on the video.

What do you think of ukele covers? Overdone or nah? I know a lot of guitarists who aren't fans.

I actually used to play the ukulele before I picked up the guitar. I even did a few covers on Youtube back in 2014. They're way too embarrassing (and deleted for good lol). I'm personally not really a fan of ukulele covers anymore. I think ukuleles can fit well if it's done right, but in my opinion it doesn't compare to the tone of a guitar, especially because I've become so used to playing the guitar for the past 6 years.

What inspires you most musically?

That's a tough one. I think listening to songs that I enjoy, and being around other songwriters.

What do you do outside of Youtube?

I hang out with friends, deliver Uber eats, do gigs when I can, write songs, and play music at my church. There's not really much more that I do. I'll do little things here and there for some extra cash.

What's the weirdest thing about you?

I can spell words and sentences backwards. I don't know if that's weird but I still haven't met anyone that can do it on the spot. I've done it ever since I was around 10 years old. I think it was more of a weird habit than anything else. To this day, if I read something or someone says a word that jumps out at me, I'll spell it forwards and backwards in my head for a while.

!driew ytterp si thaT

Your song “Friendship Hymns” was pretty dope, do you do any more of your own stuff?

Thank you! I have a couple of songs on Soundcloud that are just instrumentals. I've done a couple of collabs but nothing has been released yet. I'm still waiting for the right time to release some sort of EP or full length album. I don't know when, but it doesn't seem quite right just yet.

What genres are you into and what music do you totally hate?

I'm not really much of a person that looks into genre, but folk music was something very special to me when I started writing songs around 15 years old. I've become a bit interested in the styles of fusion, and jazz lately.
One genre, I absolutely can not get into is country music.

I cry every time I hear the Goodbye song from Bear in the Big Blue House, why is that? Thanks for making me cry like I’m dying from cancer.

I'm sorry for making you cry! The kids show that I covered the song from is just some puppet letting us know that we'll see him the next day. When everyone looks back at it years later, they realize that the "goodbye" part means something a little bit different. It's nostalgic, and a bit sad.

Seriously, you are pretty amazing and will go somewhere, but where do you want to take your music career?

I really appreciate it, thank you. There have been so many times more than once that I had a certain plan with how I wanted everything to pan out. Things are always changing, though. I still feel like an amateur at some things, and I'm still learning.
My songwriting has been going in the direction of writing worship songs. I'll see where that takes me.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years, hopefully making a steady income off of music. I know that I'll find new opportunities. I'm excited and curious, but it's all about being patient and taking one step at a time.

Check out more of Kiah’s work:

minds.com/themusicalintrovert/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Ve7U9iUQBfqZv9LsExKTA

Interview by Derek S.