1. Thank you very much for your time! Before we introduce your new release to our readers – what kind of drink would you recommend to sip on while they listen to your new music?
Thank you for sharing your time! If we are sipping then of course we have to do a Mezcal Old Fashioned with an orange peel, but for those who are not whiskey fans or on a budget I highly recommend Apothic Red Blend. Great taste and the buzz is always right. I keep at least 2 bottles ready at my house.
2. Please give us an update about – new single, new album, tour dates, new videos?!
Yes, I released a new single called „U.“ It has this soul/funk-pop vibe, and is an homage to a couple of my musical influences from the 80s, more specifically Prince. It’s about the beauty beyond a person’s gender, ethnicity, religion, material and finances. Give me „U“ pun intended. Who are you at the core? That’s what really turns me on. That’s the real stimulant.
3. Name 5 things we all should know about you as an artist?!
I love experimenting with sounds and genres, I play a few instruments (my main one being piano.) I have about 20 years experience playing piano, and went to Berklee College of music for it. My art not only reflects in my music, but I’m also a very visual person which is why fashion is big for me. Most of my influences have a rebellious and unique sense of fashion.
I am very passionate and an advocate for self expression, and being authentically yourself. I’m a queer person of color so I feel it is important to embrace that part of me fully…though it doesn’t completely define who I am, and what I have to offer….it exists and is apart of my human experience. There wasn’t much of that in pop culture when I was growing up. That’s why it’s important for me to confidently own it in everything I do.
4. What fashion style or brand would best describe your music?
There is so much that I love so I would say eclectic and eccentric. I honestly pull from so many references, and love blurring the lines with gender because at the end of the day fabric has no gender. I am a huge fan of lace, velvets, satins, and silks so there is this brand called Menagerie by Roman Sipe that I want to highlight. They make unisex lingerie that I wear most days both in and outside the house. They’re a good friend of mine, and another queer person of color making a statement in fashion right now. So my music is a mix of that, distressed denim, 70s flare pants, with a dash of zaney.
5. Tell us more about your songs! Topics! Message!?
I like to tell stories based on personal experiences. I try to reflect how I feel at that moment in song form. „U“ on the surface expresses what I look for in a person, but when I really analyze the lyrics it is a subliminal message to myself. To give myself to people, and when shit gets rough keep pushing forward. Quite funny really how that turned out.
6. Beside music, do you have any special talents?
I love drawing, and I’m pretty crafty. Pretty good at baseball, and soccer. I can also fold my tongue into a 3 leaf clover. (winks)
7. Being on stage feels like….!
Home. Everyone tells me how there is a transformation that happens…which makes sense because I really feel in tune with myself most in those moments.
8. How did you learn to sing/ to write/ to play??
My great-grandmother introduced me to the piano when I was very young. I played a lot in church, and it came very easy to me. I always kept to myself, and didn’t have much of a social life as a kid so I would create melodies in my room as well as write stories and paint. Those started to develop into songs as I got older. Singing came later in my teens. I would listen to some of my favorite artists, and try to copy what I heard so I can develop that skill.
9. A question you’d like to answer, but never been asked in an interview before?! + Answer pls
What is the last movie/last show you watched?”
The last movie I watched was ‘Don’t Look Up’ on Netflix, and the last show was RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 finale. I am a big Willow Pill fan, and I’m looking forward to seeing the winners come back for All Stars 7. Admire them all, but very excited to see Jinkx Monsoon and Monet X Change on tv again.
Instagram: @kriskollins
Photo Credit: Jose D. Rodriguez