[FEATURE] VIPER PRESENTS: KRISTIE KILLICK

London based Alt-R&B singer Kristie Killick has the kind of voice that instantly captivates you. Get familiar with this VIPER interview…

What five words define your sound? 

Vulnerable. Versatile. Introspective. Sincere. Soulful. 

Tell me something unique about your creative process. 

Because most of my writing is getting things off my chest, I write songs incredibly quick but usually sit on them for years. I release them when I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks about what I’m talking about anyway. 

Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?

‘Green Street’. 

What inspired you to make that song? 

It’s a road I lived on and a lot happened. It’s a time in my life I’ll never forget, even if I wanted to. 

What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music? 

I just tell my truth so it’s always vulnerable. My songs are moments of my life and feelings, even if it’s just a temporary feeling but sometimes temporary feelings aren’t pretty. Songs like ‘Sunflowers’ really bare details of negative, bitter feelings I’ve felt towards a man but in real life, I’m a lover girl and very forgiving by nature, I don’t hold grudges [laughs]. So when ‘Sunflowers’ became peoples favourite it was hard because it doesn’t feel like it represents me best but you have to accept, people will relate to whatever feels most like home for them and you can’t get fixated on these things. 

What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?  

The worst experience is poor sound so you can’t be heard, that combined with a crowd that really doesn’t care anyway! You have to laugh about it though and just be more conscious about which gigs you accept. The best is a big room of people singing your song back to you In unison, word for word. That will always be a winner for me. 

What is your favourite song to perform?

I recently performed an unreleased song ‘Jungle’ and I emotionally dived into it during the performance. I was so hot and worn out but I just really felt it, it was definitely my favourite to perform. 

Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?

Probably Christina Aguilera or Avril Lavigne. ‘Sk8er Boi’ and ‘Dirty’ I loved as a kid. Also Jasmine Sullivan – ‘Lions, Tigers and Bears’, I used to sing that 24/7. 

What’s the meaning behind your name?

My name is just that – my name! I’d have to ask my mum [laughs] but all me and my sisters/brother begin with K’s and C’s. That was definitely intentional and definitely made my mum mix us up even more [laughs]. 

If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?

Finding another way to express myself, be creative and love my life; maybe something in film or TV. Maybe I’d even manage a music artist. 

What’s success to you?

Success to me is getting to do what you love every day and liking 80% of it. However you want to measure that is up to you, whether it be 80% of your career or 80% of the day, success to me is just mainly enjoying what you’re doing and knowing the hard parts are either out of your control or just part and parcel of what you’ve chosen to pursue. Nothing is perfect! 

What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?

There are so many times I’ve had to change direction – failed funding, people not keeping their word, having someone on board with your vision and then disappointing you. This year alone I’ve probably been bumped off about 10K worth of opportunities. I’ll always make it work though because I think this music thing is like a marriage – you have to really fight for it if you want it to be successful. 

Where can people keep in touch with you? 

@kristiekillick on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. I really like those three platforms but I am very new to TikTok – feel free to DM me and give me some tips! [Laughs].