Today we’d like to introduce you to Kris James.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’ve been playing music since age 5 and was born to perform. I started with guitar and singing, went to drums at age 9 and bass and keyboards at age 10. Born in the Bay Area and raised in both the Bay and LA areas, I’m a generation deep California native through and through and my music reflects it. I started my first band at age 11 and have been going ever since. Started my current band ‘Kevin Never Talks’ in high school, we’ve put out 4 albums and toured America, opening for some major artists such as Cee-Lo Green, the-Dream, Bone Thugs N’ Harmony and more. We were named one of the Hottest Unsigned Acts in America by Music Connection Magazine. We also performed on the PBS TV show titled ‘Musicology’ and I was recently just hired as a co-host for a certain segment of the show. We just released our new album ‘Naked Too Famous’ to a nearly sold-out show at the Troubadour in West Hollywood and currently booking our tour across the US in support of that album.
Please tell us about your art.
Our music is what you could call Funk/Rock/HipHop/R&B/Alternative haha. It’s hard to pinpoint a specific genre because it’s very much our own style and sound but at the same time its very mainstream. It’s definitely the sound of the California sun haha. I hear tunes and melodies in my head that I like that I feel like would sound good on the radio and then I go about trying to re-create that in reality as close as possible. Some get closer than others, haha, but it’s all a great process. I love doing it and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Playing music since age 5, it’s become such an engrained piece of my identity and soul, I was truly born to do this. I love writing songs and recording them, putting them out and then performing them in front of many many people in as many locations as possible. I love meeting people through our music and traveling because of it. Growing up, big inspirations to me ranged from the Beatles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rolling Stones to Green Day, Stone Temple Pilots to Snoop Dogg, Usher & Maroon 5. My main message is about the theme of Life in general, and all the varying in-betweens of it all. Mainly it’s having a good time at the beach and partying, but there’s also a darkness to some of it that life can bring at some points in time. The different tunes can help people at various points in their life no matter what their feeling at that time.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
Somehow, find a way to keep it going. Sometimes, it looks impossible but there’s always a way, you have to manifest it. It depends on how badly you want it.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
www.KevinNeverTalks.com
Instagram:
@KevinNeverTalks
Twitter:
@KevinNeverTalks
KevinNeverTalks@gmail.com
YouTube search:
Kevin Never Talks
Full albums available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon Unlimited, Tidal Music, Napster, iHeartRadio, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kevinnevertalks.com
- Phone: 707-849-1999
- Email: KevinNeverTalks@gmail.com
- Instagram: @kevinnevertalks
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/KevinNeverTalks
- Twitter: @kevinnevertalks
- Other: open.spotify.com/artist/2mYWVGbZUj3k3TRCL9XNrl
Image Credit:
photos by: Erik Anthony at E-Studios
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