We had a chat with emerging German electro-pop artist Kaisa Rya following an encouraging debut year for the artist
On her first four singles, emerging Hamburg-based artist Kaisa Rya has established herself as a unique talent that possesses a really distinctive and immersive brand of electronic pop. Tracks like ‘Lips’ and her new single ‘Rough’ showcase a fearless artist who’s fun sound is packed full of both creativity and catchy pop appeal.
The artist’s latest singles ‘Lips’ and ‘Rough’ do a great job of illustrating the captivating charisma that the artist has, amid her dark, electronic soundscapes and cutting edge artistic vision. There is a flair and sharp edge to the German upstart’s sound that feels exciting and fresh, melding a sleek, polished style with something that feels more raw and visceral. Still in her formative stages as an artist, these initial releases have done a great job of establishing exactly what Kaisa Rya and her sound are about, and we had a chat with the exciting talent to find out some more about her and her future plans.
Who TF is Kaisa Rya?
Kaisa Rya is a studied metal-bassist, jazz-trombonist and a musical singer! Basically, she is a german-based multi-instrumentalist who loves to compose electro pop and funk songs compared to Dua Lipa and Bruno Mars.
How long have you been making music?
I started playing trombone when I was 10 years old after I learned to play the flute on my own. I went to joined the school choir and played in musicals and bands since then.
Why do you make music?
I don’t really have a choice. I wouldn’t be a happy person if I couldn’t be on stage for a longer period of time. I love the creative part, as well as the networking and office tasks.
What are your biggest influences?
I grew up listening to AC/DC, played trombone in classic orchestras and big bands and found my voice in musical. I think, my biggest influences are rock, jazz, musical and pop. If I need to compare my music to other artists I would say I’m somewhere between Dua Lipa and Bruno Mars.
What would you say has been your best moment so far?
There are many little things that make every single day special. Making music always brings me so much joy. In 2020 we had the chance to do play a solo concert on at “Planten un Blomen” in Hamburg. It’s a big location and we had around 300 people in the audience. I organized horns and background singers and we were 13 musicians on the stage. It was a great event with beautiful sound and lightshow.
How would you describe your sound to somebody unfamiliar with it?
It’s a mix of Dua Lipa and Bruno Mars. I have modern sounds but sometimes there are jazzvoicings, horns or creative bass lines which add another layer to my music. The lyrics are about the problems of being stronger, but feeling okay with being weak also.
What’s your dream “I’ve made it” moment?
Me standing on the stage in a big stadium, the audience sings my songs.
We love your single ‘Lips’, what more can you tell us about it?
‘Lips’ is about trusting your gut feeling. Most of us know situations, where we feel, that the other person doesn’t tell us the truth. Sometimes, I catch myself trying to lie to my body. But if I listen to it, I know the answer. With ‘Lips’ I just want to make sure that more people listen to themselves.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
I’ve planned to release new music at least every two month and try to shoot videos for every single. In the moment I work on a video for my new single ‘Rough’. It’s about thoughts, that a lot of women have, but don’t always dare to talk about. I also try to book great concerts by myself and look for professional bookers – so that I can hopefully play in your city one day 😉
And finally, who is your biggest fan right now?
That’s easy. It’s me. If I wouldn’t love myself who else could? And I guess it works, there are so many lovely fans who come to my concerts. On my last concert there was a man, who came to my gig after his work. He heard our concert, bought a ticket and was so fascinated, that he bought one of my Kaisa Rya beanies and got an autograph too. PS: I have some nice autograph cards. If you want some just write me on Instagram and I’ll send it to you (Kaisa_Rya).
