Interview: April Kae Keeps The Hits Coming

April Kae may still be new, but with one solid hit heating up the indie pop scene, and another one just released and ready to shine, she definitely is going nowhere but up. Recently she and I sat down and spoke about her budding career, including her status as a role model as well as the big start of her career -- her stint on American Idol.

 
How did you get started in music?

I've been singing my whole life. I never really did anything professional or serious. When I turned sixteen, I entered a singing competition for fun to see what would happen. It was a county wide singing competition, and I won the whole thing. People came up to me and told me how great I had done, and it made me realize that I could really do this. It made me see I was actually good at this. That is the point where I decided I could actually do this for a living.

Is that what lead to your push to audition for American Idol?

Definitely. People had been telling me if I had auditioned, so I finally gave in.

Was that your first year?

Actually no, it was my second year and third try. I traveled to two different locations my second year to audition, and I made it through on my third attempt.

I know you didn't make it to the big leagues, but you still made it out to Hollywood Week. How was the experience?

It was really enlightening. It was cool to meet the judges and see the behind the scenes and how everything worked. It was a great learning experience, and there were lots of talented people there. It was a competition, and people can be pretty cutthroat in a situation like that, and that is totally not how I am, but it's still a cool thing to say I actually did it.

What else has come out of your Idol stay?

Really, I can't say that I have been given any direct opportunities from being on the show. It is more that when I say I was on the show, people pay attention. It's like my calling card. I feel it gives me some sort of credibility.

You are still pretty new to the pop music scene. What sets April Kae apart from other up-and-coming acts?

That's a hard question to answer! I know that I do pop music, but I come from a foundation of soul music. I think I bring a lot of soul into pop music. I know it has been done before, but lately, it's been missing. I feel a lot of pop music of today is more based on an image and less on the actual vocals. In that, I think I also bring a lot of emotions. I am also an actress, so every song I sing is like a monologue, not just singing words.

You've also been very adamant about being a positive role model for kids.

It is your duty as somebody in the public eye or be a musician to be a good role model. Whether or not you like it, you are influencing people. You can either be a bad influence or a good influence. I've chosen to be a good influence. I try to live my life in a positive way. I want to bring that to others -- especially young women. I want to show them a different way to look at life.

Speaking of positivity, "The Writings On The Wall", your first single, had a unique spin on a break up. Did you pen this song yourself?

I didn't write this song. It was written by Scott Kreitzer and John Pahmer. I had it presented to me in a group of a lot of songs, and I picked this one out myself. I love the message, and the lyrics were creative. It felt right and I loved everything about it. I do write my own music, but not this particular song.

The music video for the track came out recently, and in case you missed my story on it, I loved it. It was so well done!

Thank you! I co-produced the video with Polarity Production, who is run by my best friend from middle school. I was lucky in that sense. We put our heads together and made this video and made it happen. We shot the video in San Diego and Las Vegas, and we worked really hard on it. We had good equipment and hair and makeup, but when it came down to it, it was really just the Polarity Production duo and myself.

Where did the concept come from?

It was a group collaboration. We thought the story of the song was pretty obvious -- a breakup -- and it just came to us. It just seemed obvious to us. I had a breakup; I'm waiting at the beach. The guy never shows up so I go off and party in Las Vegas. That part of it, I figured we could just be lighthearted about. We also wanted to incorporate the literal writings on the wall, which is where the ideas for those shots came from.

Your new song, "Runnin' (Let Me Go)" just came out. Tell me about the new jam.

This one is another breakup song, but it is much more serious than the first time. Instead of being cheeky, it is about a more tense situation -- a relationship you can't get out of. You want to leave, but you need the other persons permission before you can go. It's a much more heavy topic, but the dance beat is so powerful that it lifts the mood a bit. It brings it from a
very dark place, to a middle ground where I can still stand strong.

This song is definitely in the girl power. How does this song achieve your goal of empowering young women?

It tells an honest story about leaving. You could take it a lot of ways. It could be abusive, a cheater, or just a big mess up. I think even having the strength to think about leaving a relationship like that is very admirable. The single most powerful line is "I want to walk out the door not to somebody new". It's not about leaving him for someone else. It's about leaving him to help myself and not be in this harmful situation any longer. I hope the song gives people the strength to do something like that. There are a lot of women who are in a lot of situations like this, but feel they can't leave until another man comes along and saves them. That isn't necessary.

This song is way more dancey than your debut. What the genre change?

I really liked the sound of the beat, honestly. I think dance music is so popular, and it is everywhere, so why shouldn't I give it a try. I thought it was fun and cool sounding. When I first heard it, I thought it would make people get up and dance. Being an artist doesn't mean you have to be one genre. I want to show all my colors and different sides.

I know your second single just came out, but what else will 2013 hold for Kae fans?

It is definitely my goal to release an EP this year. I am writing a lot, and I will be having a lot of material soon. I want to release at least one more single, but then after that I want to release a full EP. I don't have any specific release dates yet, but I want it to happen in 2013.

You can connect with April on Facebook and Twitter. Her new music video for "The Writings On The Wall" is currently streaming on YouTube. Don't forget to preview and buy her newest single "Runnin' (Let Me Go)" on iTunes.