We were lucky to catch up with KAYKO recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, KAYKO thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Earlier this year I transitioned from my band project “Your Best Friend’s Favorite Band” to a solo act “KAYKO”. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because I put my blood sweat & tears into my band project, but I knew in my heart that it had to come to an end. I feel like as an artist it’s our duty to create what feels authentic, and I got to a point where I knew I needed to change my sound and my branding to better represent where I am in my life. After a difficult transition time, I couldn’t be happier with my decision. The support has been tremendous, and I’ve never more energized and excited about my music. I’m officially closing the chapter on Your Best Friend’s Favorite Band December 2nd with an EP dedicated to the last 3 years of my life. I tell my stories of love, change, and heartbreak in your early twenties.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Born from a fluorescent paint explosion, KAYKO tells stories that aim to trigger your most profound and emotionally charged memories. KAYKO radiates a bouncy euphoria by combining the new age alternative rock sonic palette with the rawness of classic singer/songwriter pop to give you the warm nostalgic feeling you’d never imagined you craved.

Sam from KAYKO found the theater scene at a young age and fell in love with the art of sophisticated storytelling camouflaged within catchy tunes. KAYKO use the foundational foundation of theater to create compelling, keyboard-based, story-driven, adult contemporary pop. Sam attended Berklee College of Music refining his sound and his skills until tragedy struck.

KAYKO’s mom passed away in early 2019, and it shook his world. When she passed away, KAYKO realized there was a way to persevere, but life without her completely was unclear. The question of how to keep the life KAYKO had when such a large support beam was ripped out became a constant.

While healing from his grieving process, KAYKO turned to his passion for music as an escape. He started writing songs about liberation from sadness; songs to help those who have experienced hardship.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think humans are exceptionally creatures because of two things: storytelling and love. As an artist, I goal is to spread both for all who want to listen. I write songs that tell stories that are true to me, and I find that the more authentic I can be, the more that people connect. We all are experiencing similar feelings of grief and sadness, but also excitement and triumph! I want to spread a message that inspires joy no matter how real the subject matter is. We should be able to talk about our traumas in both positive and negative lights, so that we can connect with others and feel not alone. Music has always been my way of connection, and I want to help those just like my favorite artists helped me.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Every artist’s journey is wildly different, but from my case I’ve found that the best support has come from personal interactions I’ve had with people that enjoy my music. I am not a massive artist by any sense of the word, but last year I put out a song about my mom passing. It was extremely vulnerable and I wasn’t sure how the reaction was going to be, but it was better than I ever could’ve anticipated. Hearing from so many people how this song helped them through their grieving process was so cathartic and left me in such great joy. I make music for people to enjoy, and just knowing the specific people that connect through the lyric and melody makes me very very happy :)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/kaykomusic
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaykomusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaykomusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaykomusic_
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kaykomusic

Image Credits
Meghan Murphy Austin Dellamano