Meet Kaylin Karr: Singer/Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kaylin Karr and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kaylin, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
For as long as I can remember, the one thing that made me truly happy, day in and day out, was music. In my opinion, in the typical American household, the path to success comes with a college degree and a secure career plan. As artistic as I am, taking risks and taking the path less traveled is actually extremely out of my comfort zone. I had to come to the point where I had to make a tough decision in staying in a secure mapped out route, or branching out and taking a risk to make a career as a singer/songwriter. I feel an immense sense of gratitude for how blessed I’ve been on this path. Doors continue to open for me, and daily I am closer to where I’d like to be. I really am a believer in staying true to your heart, gut, and path. Not everyone fits into a mold, and if you never try, you’ll never know. Everyone is born with unique gifts and talents. It’s beautiful to me when people share those with humanity. I’m forever grateful that I’ve been able to share my passion with the world and to walk through doors that continue to open for me. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Of course I sing, and play a couple of instruments, but where I feel most “artistic,” is songwriting. There’s nothing more satisfying to me than to write something I’m proud of. To me, it’s an indescribable, addicting feeling. Even writing one line, or phrase that I’m proud of is a unique feeling for me, that doesn’t come with anything else. More times than not, I’ll wake up, out of a dead sleep with a melody, or a phrase in my head, grab my phone, then record it in a voice memo for the next day. Working hard, paying my dues (long shows, loading in heavy gear, trial and error, audio engineering courses, etc.), long nights, early mornings… It’s all molded me as an artist, entrepreneur, and has really taught me responsibility, and most importantly, how NOT to be taken advantage of. As a young woman, growing up in a mostly male dominated scene, and for a very long time, being young and naive, it’s really taught me how to value my time, and how to say no to things, such as getting lower pay, or not paid at all, longer hours, etc. It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s safe to say, in the last year, a few of my biggest dreams are coming true, by opportunities that have been presented me through my hard work and dedication. Although I’m not at liberty to talk about these opportunities yet, hopefully you’ll keep watching and be able to share them with me soon!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Lets start from morning to night… If one of my best friends were visiting Austin, the first place I would take them would be to Kerbey Lane Cafe. A carafe of mimosa’s, and a yummy breakfast. Other mornings, I would start them out at one of my favorite coffee shops, Summer Moon Coffee for their Moon Milk, or Round Rock donuts, for the best donut in the area! Depending on the weather, I would take them swimming, or sunbathing at Barton Springs, or rent a stand up paddle board or kayak and float Lady Bird Lake! Maybe walk South Congress, play around in Lucy in Disguise, and definitely hit TOMS Roasting Co. I would definitely rent a couple of scooters, and race them around downtown. Once the sun started setting, I would probably take them to see the bats on Congress Bridge, because you have to see it at least once! Once the sun goes down, and we’re ready for a night on the town, I would recommend eating dinner at Russian House, Tyson’s Tacos or El Alma! Really, there’s too many amazing restaurants to choose from. From dinner, maybe hop around on West 6th, or find some live music (maybe even one of my shows, depending on my calendar!) To top the night off, walk Rainey St., grab some Little Lucy’s donuts, and find a photo booth to document the memories in one of the many popular spots.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shoutout my mother. She’s the one person who has been my biggest fan and supporter from day 1. From attending every performance she can to listening to and answering weekly 2 am texts of random song demos.

Website: www.kaylinkarr.com
Instagram: @kaylinkarr
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kaylinkarrmusic

Image Credits
Sarah Karr, Hillary Mokolo, Abby Nakhro.