(Photo Credit: Will Townsend)
Singer, Songwriter, Producers, KTJ & CARLY, return with another darkly introspective single on “Almost True.” Named Artists to Watch in 2020, the sisters achieved a massively successful 2019 with their first singles, “On Your Mind” and “MOONLIGHT,” which garnered a slew of write-ups in publications. They were hand-selected to play NAMM Dynaudio Unheard 2020 and recently partnered with Roland. The Berklee College of Music online students have performed to packed audiences at LA’s Hotel Cafe, and have signed on to score their first feature film, “God Save The Queens.” What better way is there to launch the new year than with new ventures and even more addicting pop tracks?
On their new single, “Almost True,” KTJ & CARLY reflect on the unique way we present our perfect life to the world. When we never really know what’s happening beneath the surface of a smile, it’s easy to take everyone at face value. The atmospheric synths meld into a booming rhythm that provides the perfect vehicle for their dynamic, soulful vocals. Each verse contains a story of its own, building on the idea that we’re all hiding a little pain inside. The duo, who consistently mixes urban pop influences with introspective lyrics, hit yet another single out of the park on “Almost True.”
Photo Credit: Will Townsend
Hello ladies and welcome back to OLC! So what has life been like since the release of your singles “On Your Mind” and “MOONLIGHT”?
We’ve been extremely busy since releasing our first two singles! We’ve been writing, producing and recording lots of music with each other and collaborating with some really amazing artists. We have several singles being released before releasing our EP near the end of 2020. We’ve also been working on the movie soundtrack for “God Save the Queens” which has been a completely new experience that we absolutely love! .If we are not working on music, we are doing our class work for Berklee Music Conservatory in Boston where both of us are working toward our undergraduate degrees, doing auditions, taking acting classes…and occasionally we sleep.—–Katie
What has been some of your most memorable moments from last year?
Our first show in California in July at Hotel Cafe when we released our first single “On Your Mind” was right up there at the top of great memories for 2019. All of our friends and family were here from across the country and it was just a magical night. Everything we do in California is new and unexpected to us so each day brings new experiences that we just couldn’t imagine a year ago when we were applying to colleges thinking we were going to do the traditional route. We feel extremely grateful for this opportunity we have been given and want to make a difference in the world with our music and by our deeds. We certainly want to give back to the world that has blessed us in so many ways. Hopefully someday, we can pay it forward in a meaningful way. —Katie
How important has Social Media become in your careers thus far?
All social media platforms are super important to all artists, as it’s the way to branch out, connect with new fans and artists and get your message out to the public. It’s how we communicate with our people, and honest communication is key in any kind of relationship. —Katie
You’ve recently signed on to score your first feature film, “God Save The Queens”, what can you tell us about the movie and how the opportunity came about?
We got this opportunity from our manager, Sera Roadnight, who we cannot thank enough for the help and guidance she has shown us this past year throughout our journey.
The movie is about drag queens, and it shows a real, beautiful, and genius representation of what life is like through their perspective. —Katie
How different is it writing for a movie compared to writing for a EP, and how challenging is it?
The level of challenge when writing for something all depends on a factor of things: what we are writing for, the vibe we write inside of, the chord progressions we decide to stick with, the concept, our moods, even the weather outside— it all affects the writing process. Writer’s block can sometimes try to creep it’s way in, especially when it comes to a more complicated topic, but we always try our best to make it right. —Katie
You have a new single set for release Feb. 19th called “Almost True”, what inspired this song and what can you tell us about it?
About a month before we wrote this song, we couldn’t help but notice how many strangers were walking through the airport on our way home after the holidays, and each had their own story. It was a really busy day– people were panicked, relaxed, tired, stressed, and some just going about their normal lives. We realized everyone is going through different things in their life, and it’s kind of sobering to think you never know what is on someone’s mind or in their heart. Out of the 7.7 billion people in this world, the average person will probably meet around 80-100 thousand people in their lifetime. Imagine how many people we haven’t met and how many people’s stories we never hear, or how many strangers we see in our daily life and never know what they are going through. That is the thing, we won’t ever know. Then, when we finally do meet someone out of the average 80,000 people in our life that we will meet, we are taught to hide back our emotions and who we are as people so our life seems sublime. Even if you have never met them. This idea is what started us writing the song “Almost True”. —Carly
Is there a music video planned for the song?
Yes! We will be releasing our first official music video for it a bit after the single release. We are so excited! We wrote it ourselves. A good storyline is important to us. —Carly
Now can we expect an EP anytime soon, and if so what kind of an EP are you hoping to release?
We plan to release our debut EP later this year in October or November. The plan is for the theme to company the idea of self-reflection or self-identity. How the world expects us to view ourselves, how we view ourselves, etc…—Carly
What would you like your careers to look like in 10 years?
We want to reach as many people as we can with our songs, for them to enjoy listening to them and maybe be that tune in their head they just can’t get out of their mind or stop humming. Within ten years, I see us meeting and collaborating with many more artists, expanding our live set, going on tour, and making more music for other artists. Our goal is to someday own a recording studio of our own where artists can collaborate and express their ideas through music and technology. —Katie
Do you have any live shows planned and if so where can people catch you?
We have a show February 19 at the Black Rabbit Rose (9pm) and February 21 we are opening for ‘On The Outside’ at the Skyloft in Newport (8:30pm). We also have a show May 2nd at Hotel Cafe on the books, Writer’s Block Performance March 10, a show at Summer Sunday Music Series at VSJ Winery/Vineyard on August 30, and more to be announced. People can stay in touch with our performance schedule by looking at our website www.ktjcarly.com or by following us on social media! instagram & fb: @ktjcarly twitter: @ktjcarlymusic ——Carly
What does the rest of 2020 hold for KTJ & Carly?
This early spring/winter season has and will be spent writing a ton of music, producing, and preparing for our new single releases which hopefully culminate in our EP release by the end of the year.. We are hoping to do some shows in NYC, our hometown Dallas, and definitely more shows across California, and just keep sharing our music with the world! Along with our personal artist journey, we will be composing and scoring our first feature film called, God Save the Queens. Directed by Jordan Danger. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10880158/) Lots of fun stuff happening this year! —Carly
Photo Credit: Will Townsend
Website: https://www.ktjcarly.com
Instagram: @ktjcarly https://www.instagram.com/ktjcarly
Twitter: @ktjcarlymusic https://twitter.com/ktjcarlymusic
Facebook: @ktjcarly https://www.facebook.com/ktjcarly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmVD5G4Zh1izxYsJj2LxPRQ
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