Features : Exclusive Interview with John Kairis

Artist Spotlight: John Kairis

John Kairis’ musical foundation combines a knack for instruments with higher level composition studies. Raised in Delaware, his first foray into instruments began as a young child learning the piano. “I learned the basics - scales, chords, harmony. I didn’t pick up the piano as a major instrument again until college. At that time, I was into midi synths using the keyboard as my apparatus. It wasn’t until my 20s that I learned a more technical approach,” shares Kairis. As a teenager, John Kairis picked up the guitar and joined the Wilmington School of Rock. Around that time, he started a punk band with friends called “Static Yaks,” which later morphed into a solo electronic alias when the band dissolved.

In this exclusive Q&A, John Kairis opens up about the stories behind the music, lessons learned along the way, and what keeps their passion alive.

FreshMusicWorld: How did your journey in music begin?

John Kairis: My journey in music began as a child taking piano lessons, but even before then, it involved prenatal exposure to whatever music my mother was listening to in 1992 and 1993, which likely involved Ray Charles, Barry White, and Madonna.  

FreshMusicWorld: When did you first realize you wanted to pursue music seriously?

John Kairis: I first dreamed of being a musician as a kid, dancing in my room to Backstreet Boys and Good Charlotte. By some means unknown to me, I have ended up making the style of music that I do now, which one might describe as indie folk. 

FreshMusicWorld: Who was your first musical mentor, and how did they impact your development as an artist?

John Kairis: Not my first musical mentor, but the most important in terms of length of time in relationship, and the most knowledge and experience gained would be John B Hedges, music director of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. Through him, I have learned much regarding leadership, music, vision, and humanity. 

FreshMusicWorld: Beyond music, what books, films, or other experiences inspire your creative vision?

John Kairis: I am a huge fan of Dungeons & Dragons, and I've watched a ton of the livestream show Critical Role. I was raised Catholic but identify as a monotheistic pagan animist today, and I'm currently reading the Bible start to finish for the first time. I'm moving slowly through it. There are some marvelous stories and visions. 

FreshMusicWorld: Has there been a song or album that significantly influenced your career?

John Kairis: I am fueled, challenged, and influenced by so many musical works. My true introduction to classical music in my early 20's, when I began to take music theory and piano seriously, was mind-blowing for me, specifically Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 21, the Waldstein. And then when I studied orchestration at Temple, the great teacher Jan Krzywicki introduced me to Aaron Copland's Billy the Kid, a marvelous work. 

FreshMusicWorld: What does your creative process look like when writing and producing a song?

John Kairis: These days, it often begins with improvisation on piano, guitar, ukulele, or banjo. Then, I will fine-tune the improvisation and write it down on manuscript paper using clef notation for piano and tablature for stringed instruments. Then, I will write lyrics and a melody, which usually come through the stream of consciousness. Often, I am thinking loosely about narrative, scene, color, and tone. Once I've practiced the song for a few weeks to a couple of months and feel comfortable enough playing it all the way through, I will lay down a scratch track in Ableton and build the song from its foundation, layering in vocal harmonies, other accompaniment instruments, and saxophone harmonies. I used to employ far more drum machines and MIDI synths, but lately it's all live instruments with minimal processing. Now and then, I use an analog synth, an Arturia microfreak, gratefully borrowed from my friend Sam Thacker, known as Double Truck.

FreshMusicWorld: How do you approach crafting lyrics that resonate with listeners?

John Kairis: As others have stated before me, with greater style and grace, the most important thing is to craft lyrics that resonate with you, that ping some resonance within your own physical and spiritual body. Then you can be sure that the lyrics will resonate with someone else, too. 

FreshMusicWorld: How would you describe your musical style and sound?

John Kairis: Rolling waves, trembling earth, crackling fire, crisp breeze. My music is fairly smooth and mellow but occasionally slightly unsettling, even spooky. There's a lot of space in the mix, so things can thus feel spacious. It's nice to have room to breathe. Sometimes my sound can get hot, and often it's a cool blue. 

FreshMusicWorld: Do you have a favorite song or album you’ve created, and what makes it meaningful to you?

John Kairis: One of my favorites is Windslicer. I feel like it's the last album when I went all out on a certain indie-pop sound. There is a lot of hope, movement, and wild energy to that album. 

FreshMusicWorld: What achievement in your career do you feel most proud of?

John Kairis: I feel so blessed to have made the decision to release music under the name John Kairis. My name has layers, like most names do. I am honored to have embarked on this path, to have made steps on the journey laid out for me. First steps can be very important. And we have first steps every day!