Kirsten Kirk Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor!  Kirsten Kirk is a fantastic singer whose single, "Texas", you really must hear. I was so excited she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Kirsten Kirk visits Section 36 Music!

I loved your recent single “Texas”. What can you tell me about it?

I started writing Texas at 2 am on a night when I was feeling particularly homesick, and consequently almost guilty as a queer individual for missing a place that infamously doesn’t support and sometimes hates my identity. The song has a lot of mixed emotions for me - I talk about the things I could have done differently, when I really don’t regret too many of the choices I’ve made that have gotten me here. I talk about my family, who I love very much, and there are some spiritual elements from religion I no longer identify with. I think it’s one of my most honest songs - it’s not just about my feelings, or experiences. The song is just who I am.

With live shows happening again, what’s your favorite part about performing in front of an audience? 

I love recording in a studio, but there is nothing like performinglive. I love playing with my band, being able to feed off of each others’ energy along with the energy of the audience. I have a background in musical theatre, which I think definitely impacts my performance onstage versus in a recording studio.

You are currently attending Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest thing Berklee is doing for your career? 

This is super difficult for me to pin down - I think a lot of students came in with a lot of experience and knowledge of the industry, and the most popular answer would be “the connections” or “the community” or “networking”. I came to Berklee having gone through high school with the intention of being a neuroscience and applied mathematics double major, and then took a gap year in which I was an assistant teacher in a 3rd grade classroom while I applied to schools for musical theatre and aerospace engineering. So for me, Berklee has taught me almost everything I know about music and the industry, or at least presented me with resources or peers/professors who had resources that taught me anything and everything I wanted to learn. I don’t know if I can pin down the biggest thing Berklee is doing for my career, because I would not even be pursuing this career if I had not applied to Berklee after being rejected from Boston Conservatory.

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

Sara Bareilles, Carrie Underwood, Janet Jackson, Emeline, Alanis Morissette - I try not to limit myself to a specific genre, but I am so drawn to the powerhouse, incredible women who are just knockouts in their fields. I look to them as inspiration not only when I’m writing and composing, but when I’m deciding how I want to present myself and interact with other professionals. I don’t think I would be the artist I am today without any of those five women.

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

Long-term? I’ve already found it difficult at times to be takenseriously as an engineer, a self-managed artist, and just a non-male in the industry as a whole. I’ve been asked where the engineer/producer is on sessions that I am running. I’ve had male members of my band asked questions that are clearly meant to be directed towards the frontman. I’ve been told that it’s “awesome [I] got into such a male-dominated major”, rather than just being congratulated for being accepted into a competitive major. It’s difficult to not be immediately dismissed as an assistant, or a token, or just a try-hard who will never be as successful as my male-presenting peers.

Short term, I would just say time - I definitely struggle to write/compose, schedule gigs and rehearsals, record/engineer my upcoming album, and of course stay on top of my schoolwork, all while giving myself enough time to sleep and eat and at least try to get a little sunshine every day. 

What are your immediate career goals?

I want to continue putting my name out there as a Boston artist. I am trying to gig more this Fall/Winter (plans were unfortunately pushed back due to a horribly timed case of mono). I am also working on a self-produced, self-engineered album that I hope to release in 2023. I want to work with more artists as an engineer or producer, and I want to connect with Boston artists outside of Berklee.

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Sounds like a lot of great things on her plate!

As always, I want to thank Kirsten for visiting, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview.

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow along with her to see what she's up to. I would definitely follow her on Instagram and/or Spotify. In fact, go do both right now!

Thanks again Kirsten, and good luck reaching your goals!