Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelsie Kimberlin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kelsie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
Hi, my name is Kelsie Kimberlin and I am a popular Ukrainian-American singer/songwriter with a strong social media presence. Over the past two years, I have released more than a dozen songs and videos which have had more than 10 million views, plays, and streams along with global radio play and a great deal of media coverage. I work with amazing people in the industry and all of my current releases have Grammy winners in the production process. Music is my full-time job and I spend at least two days per week in the music studio recording new material. I have recorded more than 100 original songs and will step up my release schedule over the next month
Kelsie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
For as long as I can remember, I have been involved with music. My father is a lifelong musician so he took me to concerts starting as a toddler both in the audience and backstage. I joined a children’s choir when I was five years old, and then was in the church choir for six years. My first break occurred when I was eight and I was invited to participate in Yoko Ono’s Peace Project in Washington, DC. So I convinced my children’s choir, The Harmonic Angels, to sing a song about the end of the war, and I submitted that song to the Creative Nation Awards and won first place and a sizeable sum, which I then spent on music lessons. At age 11, I began writing songs and recording them in the studio. I released my first music video at 12 and it was posted on Taylor Swift’s fan site, and quickly got over 100,000 views and I was invited to Nashville to meet with music execs and do showcases. All this attention at such a young age was a bit much for me so I decided to finish high school while continuing to hone my craft in the studio. Over the next several years, I recorded more than 100 original songs. Then when COVID hit in 2020, my dad’s friend, Danny Goldberg, who used to manage Nirvana, urged me to start putting out my music so I did and my first two videos got more than a million views in a short period of time. Since then, I have released a dozen more songs and now work with top industry professionals. I have traveled to Ukraine and Colombia to film music videos, and will be returning to both this summer. Since the great war began in Ukraine last year, I have have strongly supported Ukraine and spoken out every time I have a chance. My most recent song, “Spoof I Wonder” is about the horrors of the war and it has quickly gotten wide acclaim and 300,000 views on YouTube.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Actually, there was a tragedy in my family that helped make me the person I am today, and it is something I have never before talked about publicly until now. My uncle was going to law school when he was randomly shot and killed by a teenager with an AR-15 assault rifle. I saw and felt the pain and suffering this caused me and my family, and every December 9th on his birthday, we honor his gift of life. This was the inspiration for my song “American Guns” which is about our country’s obsession with guns and disdain for human life. Now, almost every day, we hear of another mass shooting while politicians do nothing to protect us. So this tragedy helped to define my life as an artist because I did not want to just sing love and breakup songs, but rather, I wanted to use my music and my voice to help make a positive change in the world. I am a huge fan of the Beatles and have been inspired by their use of music for social change. So much of my music has a message along with the entertainment value of the song and music.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I really enjoy connecting with people and fans with my music and my messages. When people comment, tell me, or write that my song resonated with them, or that it caused the hair to stand on the back of their neck, this shows that I have done my job of singing or writing something emotional and real. Emotion is one of the main criteria I put into my music. Another thing that is rewarding is my ability to seamlessly meld different styles in my music, even from different cultures. In short, being a musician and activist allows me to express the way I feel and hope that others will connect with that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kelsiekimberlin.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsiekimberlin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KelsieKimberlin
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsie-kimberlin-57232b20b/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KelsieKimberlin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KelsieKimberlinofficial
- Other: https://soundcloud.com/kelsie-kimberlin
Image Credits
Brett Kimberlin