About a Girl: Kilo Kish
Written by Patricia Manlucu for Urban Outfitters Space15Twenty (2015)
Vocalist, songwriter, visual artist, painter, textile designer, and model Kilo Kish is one of the most well-rounded and down to earth artists you will ever come across. Kish was originally born in Florida, but then moved to New York to study Textile Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She released her first EP, Homeschool, in 2012, and since then, has released K+ and Across. She’s worked with big name artists such as Childish Gambino, A$AP Ferg, The Internet, and more. Today, Kish tells us about her experiences as a musician, the inspirations behind her EP Across, and what she’s working on now.
How would you describe your sound for those who have never listened to your music?
I would say its super conversational it has a stream of consciousness vibe as well I think a lot of my songs are really me talking to myself
How did you first start out at a musician?
Pretty much for fun, I had a roommate who was a rapper and we would fool around at home in the at home studio he had made and the rest is kind of what it is now
What motivates you?
I like exploring myself through art and trying my best to arrive at making some sense out of my world and our world. I really love working on projects conceptually; I get a lot of gratification out of working on something completely.
What was the inspiration behind your latest EP, Across?
Across was inspired by my decision to leave New York and me grappling with the “what now?” kind of idea in work and a in relationship.
How about your music video for “Locket”?
Locket really reflected a lot of my sentiments and the reasons why I left and why I felt so jaded. We shot it in my house which was really a smaller version of “my world” and filled it with a bunch of nonsense and excessiveness where the whole world is moving around me and pouring down on me and I’m just kind of stuck in it.
What’s it like being able to collaborate with big name artists such as Childish Gambino, A$AP Ferg, and The Internet?
To me they have always been friends and fellow artists who I really respect, so it’s nice to be able to work on projects together or even just bounce ideas.
Considering you graduated from FIT for Textile Design, how has your career path changed since then? Do you have anything planned in terms of a design career?
Well, I never really thought that I would be doing music at all as more than a hobby in my life until a few years ago. I honestly figured I would leave college and just work at a design studio for the next 10 years, but I have done nearly all of the art relating to my music over the years and had so much fun curating “Kilo Kish” as a project.
What do you do on your days off?
I don’t really have a days off or days on really, I just work when I feel and the rest of the time I’m trying to feel it and whatever I do in that in between is really random. I like going to arcades and museums.
What are you looking forward to next?
Right now I’m working on my first full-length album. I’m looking forward to expanding and learning as much as I can.