We were lucky to catch up with Kinneret Klein recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kinneret, appreciate you joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
I am happy as an artist, but it can definitely get tough on my mental health. At its worst, being a full-time artist is a constant state of desperation, relying on other people’s validation to sell tickets, sell merch, sell all of it. I’m constantly waiting for the world to accept the creations I make, which can make me feel powerless. I often wonder if a “regular job” would be better for my mental health – something more controlled, where I am paid directly for every hour I put in. But the truth is, the positives of being an artist completely outweigh the negatives. Creating something original and watching it impact fellow humans is incredibly fulfilling, both creatively and spiritually. It is a reminder that yes, we ARE connected and I am not alone in my experiences. I know that if I did end up taking a “normal job,” there would always be a part of me that missed that fulfillment, and possibly even resented myself for choosing stability over it. In the end, I don’t think stability is even achievable, considering how temporary our lives are, so I might as well devote my life to something fulfilling instead of the illusion of stability.
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?
I’m a solo artist going by my first name, Kinneret, which translates to harp in biblical Hebrew. My parents are both rabbis (they met in rabbinical school in New York). I grew up watching my parents bring meaning to people’s lives through words and music, which I believe is the seed that grew me into a songwriter. While my lyrics aren’t necessarily religious, I carry a universal spirituality into my songs that I hope people of all cultures and backgrounds can resonate with. I sing about the strange experience of being alive, from nature and color to love and self-doubt.
I grew up in LA and went to a performing arts high school, originally interested in theater until I pivoted to music because the teachers felt like a better match for me. I’d been playing piano and guitar for years, and I’ve always had a musical ear, so it wasn’t a difficult switch. I quickly fell in love with all things music and started jamming with friends after school, some from class and some I’d met at local shows. Over time I developed a sense of my own original sound.
Most of the recording and mixing of my songs happened in and around my music tech class, where I learned to produce on Logic and befriended other classmates who made beats. By learning the language of music software, I was finally able to bring my sound to fruition instead of being contained to those jam sessions. I became enamored with anything that had a spacey synth and heavy bass, pairing it with psych-rock-inspired vocals. It was my own unique blend that I became eager to share with anyone who’d pass me the aux.
Once I learned how easy it was to release songs through DistroKid or similar websites, it was a no-brainer for me to record my ideas and release them. Somehow I never got cold feet when it came to releasing music – it’s like I’ve always known this is what I was meant to do. I had plenty of insecurities then, but my music was not one of them. My sound was weird, and I knew that made it special. Listening back to my oldest songs, I can hear the “imperfections” in the mix or even my vocal delivery, but I embrace them all because they capture who I was at the time – a kid who was scrappy and very inspired.
In 2020, as I graduated high school, one of my songs ‘No Wind Resistance’ went viral on TikTok and became the ticket to the rest of my career. I was able to grow a core fanbase, and I’ve been building around that community ever since. It’s been about four years since the song blew up and I have grown and learned a tremendous amount – I fell in love, I traveled to new countries, I built my team, I moved to New York. All of these experiences are making their way into my music, shaping my art into something authentic and meaningful. My discography has become a growing journal of my life, and I’m looking forward to adding more entries as my life continues.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
By far the most rewarding part is seeing my music inspire people, especially girls who remind me of myself when I was younger. I struggled a lot with my self-esteem growing up, which is why I write so many songs about believing in myself now. There’s something so healing about watching girls resonate with that – it’s like I’m traveling back in time and healing those wounds.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My dream is to heal and inspire people through music. As I grow up, I continue figuring out what I believe in, and the number one belief that hasn’t changed is that love is most important. I want my music to be a beacon of love – loving the earth, loving one’s neighbor, and most of all, loving one’s self. Music is one of the most powerful tools of communication – I want to hone my skills and use that power for good.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kinneret.world
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k1nneret
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/k1nneret
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCJB80EIhkEEVbI4RHOBnrw
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/k1nneret
- Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@k1nneret
Image Credits
Images by Flasch and Ethan Holtsclaw