Today we’d like to introduce you to Krysta Youngs.
Krysta, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been doing music forever! I’m an only child, and I grew up in Flint, Michigan. I now live in Los Angeles, CA and I write songs for artists, topline and sing songs for DJs, run an amazing company called “The Haus of Creativity” and release my own music.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
If the road was smooth, I wouldn’t be who I am. So as much as it’s sucked not having things always go my way, I’m grateful for all the bumps, wrong turns, thunderstorms, and speeding tickets I’ve gotten up to this point. I’m sure there will be more but at least I’ve learned how to navigate the hard times a little bit better.
I’ve always known that I wanted to be a singer and that I loved to write songs. I started playing piano when I was four, started voice lessons when I was thirteen, and counted down the days till I graduated from high school so I could get the hell out of that small town. When I applied for colleges, I didn’t have a “backup plan”. To this day, I don’t believe in them. I believe in going after what you want and not taking no for an answer.
I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and thought once I graduated, I was going to be a rockstar. I think in order to make it in this business, you have to be somewhat delusional…lucky for me I was. I ended up working at Live Nation as a Production Assistant for about a year and a half after I graduated. It was a cool gig, but I was working 80-hour weeks, which left me little time to work on music. So, I quit. I then applied for a job at Disc Makers, got the job, and got fired three months later. I remember walking out the door and saying to myself… “I will never work another day job again”. And I haven’t. I started performing in wedding and cover bands, making more money than I had made working those day jobs, but I knew that if I stayed in Boston, I would die a wedding singer, and I didn’t want that to be my legacy. So, I left and moved to Nashville.
I spent a lovely year and a half in Nashville broke as shit, on food stamps, and barely making ends meet. But I made a lot of friends, drank a lot of wine, adopted a dog, and wrote a shit ton of songs. I tried really hard to penetrate the music industry in Nashville, but they weren’t having it, so I started an Americana duo called “Now & Neverland,” bribed the radio station with cupcakes, got our songs played on the radio, gave the city the middle finger and moved to LA.
I spent the first three years in LA just as broke as I was in Nashville. I was doing two sessions a day (not getting paid), trying to network with everybody I could, and somehow holding it together… kind of. Don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot, but the success didn’t really come until I got sober. Once I quit drinking, I realized I was worth something and started asking for what I thought I deserved. And I got it. My journey of manifesting positivity and hard work began. You never really reach the finish line. There are always new goals, new obstacles, and crap life throws at you, but that’s all part of the journey. Sure, at times, it’s been rough, but it’s been mine, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a Billboard #1 & Platinum songwriter and artist and CEO of “The Haus of Creativity”.
As a songwriter, I’ve spent the last seven years writing a lot of K-pop songs for BTS, TXT, Stray Kids, Twice, Taeyeon, etc. I’ve been to Korea multiple times and am so excited to go back in February of 2024! I also write for a lot of American artists and artists around the globe.
As an artist & songwriter, I’ve had tons of EDM songs released on Dim Mak, Spinnin’, Armada, and a plethora of other labels. My songs have been featured on Sirius XM BPM, and I’ve also had the pleasure of performing them live. If you watch TV, you’ve probably heard some of my songs playing as well.
2023 has been my year of releasing a ton of my own music which I’m really proud of. It is also the birth year of my side project, “Join Tha Kult,” – a pop / hip hop duo with my friend Zach Maxey. Being an artist allows me to express myself from the conception of the song all the way to the finished music video.
As the CEO of The Haus of Creativity, I facilitate songwriting camps a couple of times a year. I put a strong emphasis on songwriter appreciation and make sure that every creative that attends our camps gets paid to do so and receives a swag bag with tons of goodies meant to inspire them. I also just finished a music business course with my lawyer Josh Dreon that will be available for purchase in 2024.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
David “DQ” Quinones was my mentor when I first moved to LA. He made my transition from Nashville to LA flawless. He taught me how to write and record pop songs and brought me in on so many sessions when I first came to town. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be as successful as I am today. He means the world to me, and I’m so grateful to have him in my life.
Brian Reyes is my ASCAP rep and has always been there to help answer all my questions about royalties, help introduce me to other songwriters and producers and make sure I’m invited to all the important events. He has become a dear friend, and I’m so lucky to know him.
Josh Dreon, my Entertainment Attorney, has been hands-on since we joined forces a couple of years ago. Not only does he handle all my legal for my artist and songwriting projects, but he’s been essential in helping me set up and run my company, The Haus of Creativity. He is irreplaceable, and I am grateful every day to have him.
Liquid Todd, Sirius XM DJ & Twitch Partner has believed in my music from the very beginning. He has played a ton of my records on his show Beta BPM and is always willing to connect the dots for me when I need connections. He’s an authentic human being and a great DJ which is why they call him a “Legend.”
Michelle Lewis, songwriter advocate, songwriter and founder of SONA offered me my first publishing deal when I got to LA. She has been a mentor, friend, and inspiration to me. She has taught me so much about songwriter rights and has always been a sounding board for me.
My parents, Jaqueline and Richard Youngs. They have always supported my dreams, never questioned my creative decisions (like the time I wanted to put a claw foot bathtub in my living room & turn my baby grand piano into a planter for the front yard) and to this day help me whenever I need it. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. Literally 😉 I love them with all my heart.
Pricing:
- $250 hour for one on one zoom songwriting coaching
- $50 for a 15-minute zoom coaching session
Contact Info:
- Website: www.krystayoungs.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/krystayoungs
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/krystayoungsmusic
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/krystayoungs
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/krystayoungs
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/krystayoungsmusic
- Other: www.thehausofcreativity.com
Image Credits
Lee Jameson
