7Ball Interview: June 2001

I: I listened to your CD last week. It's really good. When they said it was a sixteen year old...

K: You were thinking, I know what you were thinking! You're bad, you're really mean! (louder) You're really mean!

I: No, not that I don't like that, because I do! I like pop music.

K: (singing) I like pop music!

I: Well, it's different! We've got things from the Beatles, Fiona Apple, Jennifer Knapp! This is like a melting pot of different things! It's not exactly Debbie Gibson or Tiffany! If you listen to the CD, you'd be shocked at how young [you are]!

K: Thank you!

I: Not that that's an insult or anything.

K: Well, I made the CD when I was fifteen!

I: And you're sixteen now! And you wrote all the songs?

K: Yeah!

I: That's impressive. One you wrote in eighth grade.

K: How'd you know that?

I: I know things!

K: (laughs) I'm impressed! It's really important that I write. I think that somebody out there would like to see the views of a sixteen year old or be in my shoes at least.

I: And be a Christian...

K: Yeah! And to love God, basically! I think it would tickle somebody's ear. What was I going to say? I think its super important that I write, because you have all these people who are my age in the industry that are saying, "I have lots to say and I'm really here for some reason, I'm saying a lot." Well if you do have lots to say, write it! I mean, the least you can do is write it down on paper, get it out there some way. And I understand that record labels don't necessarily like things. I really do respect singer/songwriters, because it's original! It's not a copy!

I: It comes straight from your heart

K: Right! I think even as us in the Christian industry, we should always be pushing the envelope, trying to be something a litle bit better than the mainstream is! We shouldn't be influenced by them, they should be influenced by us! I mean, come on! The whole time we're influenced by them, we're so far behind that the average person's ear doesn't even want to listen to it. I think we're worth more than that, because obviously they're not serving God, they're not in it for the same motives that we're in. They're in it for something totally different, whatever reason they may be in it for, and we have the ultimate Creator. I mean, look around, dude! I live on the coast, Santa Barbara, California. I live five minutes from the ocean, I get inspired everytime I go out there. We ought to be the best at what we do. Not second, but the best. God is our God! I go off sometimes...

I: Well, go off!

K: Don't make me start! Don't make me start!

K: I am homeschooled. I am going to be going to a junior college, I've been moved back for two months and it's insane. I really wish I could go to high school. I went there for a semester and I loved it! I just think well you know, I have to sacrifice some things. And everyone's thinking, "oh, she has to sacrifice working and school, pity pity pity, I'm going to cry a little river for you!"

I: Well there's the social aspect...

K: Yeah, but two, its just that I always want to keep my brain on and keep learning. I'm going to have kids one day and they're going to need to know something other than music.

I: How involved are your parents in the music?

K: Totally involved! Mom was actually the first one to get me involved in this. Threw me off the edge because she's like a total stage mom! Then I came back and realized this is what I want to do, not what my parents want to do. It's likewise with my faith, forever with my parents. I just adopted it as my own. And basically I've adopted my music as my own. Sure my mom would take me when I was eleven or so and we'd do weekend churches. I didn't want to be there because I wanted to be eleven. I wanted to be what you do at eleven. But then I saw how affected and touched people. Then when I turned thirteen, I just got really focused. I just thought now I'm going to start writing. I'm going to start doing what I'm going to be doing. Umm, I always lose my train of thought...

I: Me too.

K: But they are very involved! They tell me to "just go wherever you can go!" My mom comes when she can, but my dad pastors so she has to be be there. I do keep people around who are good, solid accountability to me. I'm very particular about what I receive from people; I don't listen to everybody. I listen to a few key people. Too many influences on you, you don't know what to do. It's like making the record, that was hard. Everyone was like, "Be that way" and I was like "God, just help me to know what I want to be!" Sure, you can always sit and listen to what people have to say, but most of it is bad for your ear.