Music2Nite exclusively interviewed Kerli this week! We would like to thank Kerli for her time, and wish her all the best with her music. Enjoy the interview, and feel free to leave comments!
1. How is music different in Estonia compared to the US?
You know, people are the same everywhere, so it's really not that different. When you feel things deeply, it doesn't matter where you live or who you are. Estonian music is older though. We have a lot of really old music.
2. Are you mainly inspired by your past in Estonia?
Yes. Feeling restricted and growing up in a communist-minded society has influenced me more than anything else. I always had to create my own escape - my own dream world because people were so harsh around me.
3. How would you describe your music, what can we expect from a Kerli album?
It's hard for me to put my music in a box. I am quite against all these labels and identifications - especially when we are talking about something as sacred as music. But I guess you could say it's pop. Alternative pop with some rock and some electronica.
4. What were you inspired by when you wrote "Love Is Dead", what does it mean to you?
Well, at first it was a relationship song. But the more I live with it, the more I feel like it's about my whole life and the world. It's very sad what's going on in the world right now. People shouldn't kill each other. People shouldn't hate each other. We are all equal and children of god. I really wish we would respect and accept each other more.
5. Do you have a favorite song on the album?
Songs are like babies. Some of them have more potential in life and some of them have less potential. But you love them all equally like a parent loves all their kinds equally. I guess my best ones are ‘Walking on Air’, ‘The Creationist’, ‘Love is Dead’, and ‘Bulletproof’. ‘Butterfly Cry’ is also very close to my heart because that was the first song I wrote after coming out from a really heavy and long depression.
6. Do you have any plans on touring and/or promoting your new album on certain tv shows?
Yes, we have a really great team in place so hopefully I'll be touring and doing tv promo soon.
7. Do you have any major influences musically?
I don't know, to be honest. Everything I hear influences me... I was just not exposed to a lot of music while growing up because nobody in my family ever listened to music. We had some cassettes and a lot of Estonian pop music and i was forced to study classical music, so I heard a lot of that. But music always gave me chills and touched me deeply. I don't really believe that u have to listen to music to write it. I believe music is born in silence.
Does a painter have to see other paintings before he paints? Not really.
8. Are their plans for collaborations with other artists and if so who?
Yes, I wanna work with somebody unknown and absolutely out of their mind
9. What would your fans be surprised to know about you?
That I'm actually really, really shy.
10. Who do you listen to these days?
All kinds of stuff...I’m so surrounded by music all the time that I don't really even listen to radio or anything. Me and my friends just get together and jam and that kinda feeds our appetite.
But my favorite bands right now are Sigur Ros and Future Sounds of London. And then there's always my all time favorites like Bjork, Imogen Heap, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Anouk, Mew, Anna Ternheim and many, many others
11. What are your plans for the future musically?
I just wanna become as good of a singer, songwriter and a producer as I can
12. I truly admire how you are able to stay down to earth and not get wrapped up into the glitz and glam of Hollywood, what do you think keeps you so grounded?
You know, there is really no glitz and glam here in hollywood. It's just an illusion.
This place is actually kinda scary..its really easy to get stuck in the whole party scene where everyone wants nothing but to benefit their career. There [are] lots of drugs around and lots of very sad and lonely people. I have been very fortunate with friends here... I have found some real gems without whom there's no way I could live here.
13. How do you feel about the music industry, do you think there's enough freedom for artists, and what do you think of the quality of today's music?
Well, I know from my own experience that to do something even slightly different is extremely hard when you're dealing with big labels. But at the same time, there's never been a better time for an artist than now. Everyone can record music without leaving their room, put it up for sale on the internet and promote themselves. So everyone is a superstar these days. And people have the choice now. It's not like the music out there is a limited selection [from] the head of a big label. I don't think people buy into bullshit anymore.
14. Would you like to share anything else with your fans?
I'm sending big hugs and just wanna tell them all that I love them and appreciate them very very much. I couldn't do what I do without them.
Kerli's amazing new album "Love Is Dead" will be officially released tomorrow, make sure to check later this week for Music2Nite's review of Kerli's debut album!
1. How is music different in Estonia compared to the US?
You know, people are the same everywhere, so it's really not that different. When you feel things deeply, it doesn't matter where you live or who you are. Estonian music is older though. We have a lot of really old music.
2. Are you mainly inspired by your past in Estonia?
Yes. Feeling restricted and growing up in a communist-minded society has influenced me more than anything else. I always had to create my own escape - my own dream world because people were so harsh around me.
3. How would you describe your music, what can we expect from a Kerli album?
It's hard for me to put my music in a box. I am quite against all these labels and identifications - especially when we are talking about something as sacred as music. But I guess you could say it's pop. Alternative pop with some rock and some electronica.
4. What were you inspired by when you wrote "Love Is Dead", what does it mean to you?
Well, at first it was a relationship song. But the more I live with it, the more I feel like it's about my whole life and the world. It's very sad what's going on in the world right now. People shouldn't kill each other. People shouldn't hate each other. We are all equal and children of god. I really wish we would respect and accept each other more.
5. Do you have a favorite song on the album?
Songs are like babies. Some of them have more potential in life and some of them have less potential. But you love them all equally like a parent loves all their kinds equally. I guess my best ones are ‘Walking on Air’, ‘The Creationist’, ‘Love is Dead’, and ‘Bulletproof’. ‘Butterfly Cry’ is also very close to my heart because that was the first song I wrote after coming out from a really heavy and long depression.
6. Do you have any plans on touring and/or promoting your new album on certain tv shows?
Yes, we have a really great team in place so hopefully I'll be touring and doing tv promo soon.
7. Do you have any major influences musically?
I don't know, to be honest. Everything I hear influences me... I was just not exposed to a lot of music while growing up because nobody in my family ever listened to music. We had some cassettes and a lot of Estonian pop music and i was forced to study classical music, so I heard a lot of that. But music always gave me chills and touched me deeply. I don't really believe that u have to listen to music to write it. I believe music is born in silence.
Does a painter have to see other paintings before he paints? Not really.
8. Are their plans for collaborations with other artists and if so who?
Yes, I wanna work with somebody unknown and absolutely out of their mind
9. What would your fans be surprised to know about you?
That I'm actually really, really shy.
10. Who do you listen to these days?
All kinds of stuff...I’m so surrounded by music all the time that I don't really even listen to radio or anything. Me and my friends just get together and jam and that kinda feeds our appetite.
But my favorite bands right now are Sigur Ros and Future Sounds of London. And then there's always my all time favorites like Bjork, Imogen Heap, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Anouk, Mew, Anna Ternheim and many, many others
11. What are your plans for the future musically?
I just wanna become as good of a singer, songwriter and a producer as I can
12. I truly admire how you are able to stay down to earth and not get wrapped up into the glitz and glam of Hollywood, what do you think keeps you so grounded?
You know, there is really no glitz and glam here in hollywood. It's just an illusion.
This place is actually kinda scary..its really easy to get stuck in the whole party scene where everyone wants nothing but to benefit their career. There [are] lots of drugs around and lots of very sad and lonely people. I have been very fortunate with friends here... I have found some real gems without whom there's no way I could live here.
13. How do you feel about the music industry, do you think there's enough freedom for artists, and what do you think of the quality of today's music?
Well, I know from my own experience that to do something even slightly different is extremely hard when you're dealing with big labels. But at the same time, there's never been a better time for an artist than now. Everyone can record music without leaving their room, put it up for sale on the internet and promote themselves. So everyone is a superstar these days. And people have the choice now. It's not like the music out there is a limited selection [from] the head of a big label. I don't think people buy into bullshit anymore.
14. Would you like to share anything else with your fans?
I'm sending big hugs and just wanna tell them all that I love them and appreciate them very very much. I couldn't do what I do without them.
Kerli's amazing new album "Love Is Dead" will be officially released tomorrow, make sure to check later this week for Music2Nite's review of Kerli's debut album!
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