Kita Klane is coming for you. Born in Los Angeles and raised on film sets across the globe, the sultry indie-soul singer is a real deal multi-hyphenate whose talent may only be superseded by her ambition. In a city filled with aspiring “fill-in-the-blanks,” Klane is a doer who seems to be going as far as her dreams will take her whether that be on-stage or behind a camera.
Also: Fantastic Negrito Reimagines The Classic ‘In The Pines’ on ‘Nic Harcourt’s Transmissions’
I had a chance to chat with Klane over the phone where we discussed her colorful upbringing, comparisons to vintage soul songstresses and her link to Weekend At Bernie’s.
Crave: You’re that rare entity in Los Angeles — a native Angeleno.
Kita Klane: I grew up in the valley. It was a strange, cool place to live. But, my parents were both in the entertainment business (her dad Robert Klane wrote Weekend at Bernie’s, National Lampoon’s European Vacation) so I really grew up on location. Traveling a lot. The things that would come with me would be my favorite records, tapes. I was a weird kid, but who was alone a lot, but I always had artists like Etta James with me.
I can hear that in your music. There’s a vintage sound to your voice, but your lyrics and style are very modern.
I grew up loving Lesley Gore, Billie Holiday, but there was something about their lyrics that were always kind of annoying to me, ‘he can hit me no problem because he loves me so much.’ There was no real strength in the lyrical content even though the women were strong. It was important for me to flip the script. I’m a woman of today’s world so I take those experiences and make them my personal stories. It’s more aspirational to not be a Bond Girl, but to be a girl Bond.
There’s a lot of retro soul songstresses out there, what do you think about that type of music is appealing to young women today?
There’s a certain fun that comes with nostalgia, but when I make stuff I’m not aspiring to make it sound old it’s just that the stuff that tickles my ears are timeless. I always try to include a blend of new instrumentation with that vintage vibe. It’s not enough to just copy because there will never be another Etta James or Al Green.
I get that from your music videos (“Fingerprints”, “The Enemy”, “Running Circles”) which are shot in black and white, but aren’t retro looking.
Thanks for noticing. Yes. For me, it (black and white) is not vintage, but the more interesting shadowy world.
You can’t hide in it.
Yeah, there’s nothing too distracting. It is what it is.
So, your new single “Technicolor” literally adds some color to your sound?
It was the fastest I’ve ever worked on anything. Working with (producer) Bruce Driscoll (of Freedom Fry) forced me to take a new approach. I like the dark, dissident feel, but I wanted it to have a groove. It needed to be uplifting because I’ve had a really rough year and it was a miracle I was writing again. I started seeing things in a new light so the song is a reflection of that.
You have a production company called Nude and Ginger, which produces the show “Nic Harcourt’s Transmissions,” which you directed episodes of.
My father was a director so I’ve always aspired to be one. It was an opportunity to not be the artist, but look at the artist and treat them how I would want to be treated. Just stepping behind the camera gave me a new perception of what it means to be an artist.
So what do you get the most enjoyment from? Directing? Songwriting? Or performing?
They feed different beasts. The best moment for me is when I get to go on stage and I get to tell my story and connect with the audience. I’m never more comfortable than when I’m on a stage. It feels like home.
For more information on Kita Klane, go here. You can listen to her songs on Spotify below.
