The Syncopated Life of Kristen Warren in Jazz and Beyond

From the hallowed pews of her childhood church to the spotlight as Brevard's jazz sensation, Kristen Warren's voice has been a beacon for the soulful and the sincere. Our latest episode is a melody of memories and milestones, with Kristen recounting the evolution of her harmonious journey. She takes us through her formative years, her ascent into the realm of jazz,  her poignant portrayal of Billie Holiday, and her recent opportunity to take part in the prestigious TED talk. It's an inspiring narrative that underscores her dedication to her craft and to elevating the voices of her fellow artists.

As we navigate the syncopated rhythms of Kristen's experiences, we wander the vibrant jazz clubs of London, feel the pulsing heartbeat of New York City's music scene, and take a roadtrip with her on the big stage in Nashville. These cities, each a canvas for the artist's soul, have left their indelible marks on Kristen's life and work. We also tackle the realities of gigging and the nuances of today's music production, revealing the sheer joy found in the live connection between an artist and their audience. Kristen's stories echo the sentiments of musicians worldwide, painting a vivid picture of life on and off stage.

In a heartfelt note, we address the profound personal impact of autism and the vital role of creativity as a sanctuary during challenging times. The release of the song "Yellow," inspired by the joy observed in a child with autism, becomes a beacon for awareness and compassion. This episode is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, the unspoken language of music, and the supportive embrace of community. Join us as we celebrate the harmony of shared stories and hint at the melodic dialogues that await in future episodes.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

This podcast is brought to you by Place Pros, commercial and investment real estate, and Nikotourboutique, your one-stop shop for everything cool. What do you give us? A little something, something, a little song.

Speaker 2: 0:25

Yeah, it's a little early. I bet people ask you that all the time, you know do you have like a practice where you like lubricate?

Speaker 1: 0:33

your what is?

Speaker 2: 0:35

that. What is that?

Speaker 1: 0:35

with whiskey.

Speaker 2: 0:36

You're like a true nighttime singer, unless you're drinking whiskey during the day jazz all the way. No, I could never. I yeah whiskey. No, not during the day. That's. That's a little rough.

Speaker 1: 0:51

Yeah, that's a little rough all right, we are here with kristen warren. You are like brevard's leading lady when it comes to jazz and everything music. I've heard so much about you and I'm so happy that you're here with us today. Thank you for having me. Yes, absolutely so. I want to know everything so well how did it start for you? Yeah, it all started.

Speaker 2: 1:20

Well, let's see what is. What is the short way that I can sum that up. Well, did you grow up here? I did, I did my father's. See what is the short way that?

Speaker 1: 1:25

I can sum that up for you. Well, did you grow?

Speaker 2: 1:26

up here I did. I did my father's military. As you know, we have a lot of military families in the area, yes, and so my dad retired at Patrick Air Force Base, so I was actually born in Texas. Okay, we moved here. We moved to Utah, which was whoa whoa culture shock okay, and then? It was cool, it was really cool, it was different. Um, and then we came back and so, um, I've been back since I was 11 years old, okay, and I grew up in a very musical family.

Speaker 2: 1:58

Even though nobody else sings, my father is a huge enthusiast, massive record collection that he won't let me touch to this day yes, my mother uh used to teach dance, um beautiful dancer and um, and so I grew up hearing all kinds of music, um being exposed to all types of different artists and eras, and so, um, I began singing for audiences when I was seven years old in church, wow yes. In church they gave me my own song. I was seven years old and they just kind of threw me up there by myself and no stage fright.

Speaker 1: 2:33

Oh, terrible stage fright Really. Oh yeah, I thought at that age maybe it was like, I don't know.

Speaker 2: 2:40

It was exciting, I wanted to do it. I knew I wanted to do it, but I wanted it to be good. So I was very nervous and it meant a lot to me, right, and so that was kind of to me the sign because, as nervous as it made me, I wanted to do it and I wanted to do it again.

Speaker 2: 2:57

Yes, yes, and so that's where it started was church Fast forward? You know, when we came back to Florida, um, it was about uh 2008, and I met a local pianist who had just lost his singer and he asked me if I say I met him at a coffee shop and he said do you sing? And I said, yeah, a little bit, you were a teenager Um somewhere around there.

Speaker 1: 3:18

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 3:20

And, um, he said, I just lost my singer, I you know, and uh, and we started rehearsing and I started doing open mics around town and it just kind of built from there. So I've been really blessed since 2008 to have been able to build basically a music journey career if you want to call it that in the area. And now, as I continue to do that and travel and grow, now I'm really passionate about giving the platform to other people oh, you know, yes, so that's what a true master does, though, right, thank you.

Speaker 2: 3:58

Yeah, I'm trying. I don't know if I'm a master yet, but I'm working, working on it.

Speaker 1: 4:03

Word on the street says otherwise, so did you go to school?

Speaker 2: 4:08

in the area. I did, I did. I went to Holland, elementary Satellite Beach Delora and Satellite High. Cool, I'm a Scorp. Yeah, I'm a Satellite Scorp. Go Scorp, are you?

Speaker 1: 4:21

a Scorp no.

Speaker 2: 4:30

I'm a bulldog, jesse's, jesse's, not a scorpion, all right. I hear the football games like patio. Nice, yeah, yeah, okay, that's acceptable, I'll accept totally and you're I'm a bulldog.

Speaker 1: 4:42

So that's mel high, mel high right class of 2000. Rock on, yeah, okay, yeah, mel high is awesome.

Speaker 2: 4:48

I did a lot of uh theater competitions there. Oh, that was my thing in high school theater yeah, cool.

Speaker 1: 4:54

Have you ever done anything like, uh, locally, like henninger, center? Oh, yeah, yeah, oh, yeah do you still?

Speaker 2: 5:00

oh well, now I kind of curate my own, but back in the day, the most recent community theater production that I did was actually a one-person show about Billie Holiday called Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. When was that? That was 2017, directed by Pam Harbaugh.

Speaker 1: 5:20

Do it again, do it again.

Speaker 2: 5:22

Oh, we plan to bring it back.

Speaker 1: 5:23

Oh good, I will be there To Heidi's Jazz.

Speaker 2: 5:24

Club. So we want to do it again. Do it again. Oh, we plan to bring it back. Oh good, I will be there to Heidi's Jazz Club. So we want to do it at Heidi's yeah what's really cool about that play is I think a lot of people came thinking it was just a musical review. Yeah, and it is not that at all of course there's music in it, but you're getting like kind of an up close and personal encounter with Billie Holiday at the end of her life oh it's based on like her last, like her last string of shows before her unfortunate passing.

Speaker 1: 5:52

How did she pass?

Speaker 2: 5:54

Well, unfortunately, she had a an addiction to heroin. Oh, wow, and it caused her, I think, some kind of cirrhosis, some kind of organ failure.

Speaker 1: 6:07

Okay.

Speaker 2: 6:08

And she was actually under arrest when she died, so they had her handcuffed to the bed. Oh no, it's really crazy how she passed. But that was basically. She was hunted by the law at that time because she refused to stop singing Strange Fruit, if you're familiar with that song yes, yes, so she, they had banned that song.

Speaker 2: 6:29

It was, you know, controversial, it's going to get these people in an uprise and she was like, no, this is something that I have to sing, this is a message, I have to continue. And so, against the law, she continued to perform that song and so, um, ultimately, you know that that's what kind of caused her demise.

Speaker 1: 6:45

Oh my gosh, I had no idea.

Speaker 2: 6:47

Yeah, amazing woman, powerful woman, brilliant songwriter. So it was really an honor for me to portray her Absolutely, and so I'm dying to touch that role again. So we're hoping to bring it back in the next year.

Speaker 1: 7:01

In the next year. Mm-hmm At Heidi's, at Heidi's.

Speaker 2: 7:06

Woo-hoo in the next year, in the next year, at heidi's, at heidi's? Yeah, all right, looking forward to that. Yeah, that's, that'll be cool. It's really powerful. So just bring a box of tissues, okay.

Speaker 1: 7:12

Thanks for the warning um, I saw you did a ted talk. I I did tell us about that. Was that in london?

Speaker 2: 7:20

um, it was in new york city and in london. Oh wow, really wild how that came about. Yeah, so there, uh is a friend of mine, uh, named samir, who does uh, he's basically like a. He advocates for the environment and global warming and his whole thing is he wants to make that conversation mainstream. How do you make that conversation mainstream? You use music. Um, music, you know, is something where you can reach younger people, because that's who needs to be, you know, involved and and aware, yeah, and in the efforts to.

Speaker 2: 7:58

You know reverse, you know global warming. However, we can't right. And so he reached out to a friend of mine named my verse, who is a female emcee, and she had started to write a song and she realized she needed someone to write and sing a hook on it. And her fiancé's brother used to produce for me and he was like, why don't you call Kristen? It was just like boop boop, boop, boop, boop. So she calls me literally I don't know where. She's like hey, you want to do a TED?

Speaker 1: 8:27

talk. Are they from NYC?

Speaker 2: 8:29

They're from Orlando. Oh, okay, she goes. You want to do a TED talk? Yes, and I was like, let me think about yes, of course. And so next thing, I knew, you know, you know, we're in the studio. And then you know, probably a month later we were in new york at ted, at ted studios performing it, and then it went over so well, they were like would you like to go to london and do it at ted countdown? And I said absolutely yeah when was that?

Speaker 2: 8:54

that was 2022. It was the end of 2022, oh wow it's not too long ago, nope, not long.

Speaker 1: 8:59

And then you got a spot on cnn because of it, because of the song, yeah, but but the underlying is the climate change movement. So was there like a talk? Was there a speaker or was it all just a message spoke and then he would bring us up to close out his his talk.

Speaker 2: 9:16

So it was just, it was just really really surreal. Being there, I couldn't believe it I really couldn't. I was like I can. Is this is this real?

Speaker 1: 9:24

no, well, because they have those like I don't want to say generic ones, but the ones were like it's just lectures or like they're not. I don't know if they're affiliated, I don't know like a friend of mine was standing next to the TED, but I don't think it was a real one, it was just something sure so, like all all Ted's, official Ted's are connected okay um.

Speaker 2: 9:47

So there's um, basically ted. I think what you're talking about is ted x yes, ted x, yeah, so ted x you, can you know that's anywhere you know you can have but ted yeah.

Speaker 1: 9:57

No, that's like the real deal. Okay, and is ted x affiliated absolutely? Okay, it is, but it's just a local chapter branch about it. Exactly that's exactly right, but you went to the real deal.

Speaker 2: 10:11

It's all the real. It's all real. But like this was like the like if it's a tree like this is the.

Speaker 1: 10:18

Yeah, it's the bark. Yeah Cool. Have you ever been to? Had you ever been to? Had you ever?

Speaker 2: 10:25

been to london, never been out of the country, ever. Really, what did you think about london?

Speaker 1: 10:29

I loved it, yes how long did you get to be there?

Speaker 2: 10:32

we were there for five days. That's a good amount of time. Um, it was supposed to be four, but I missed my flight, so I ended up that's the way to do it.

Speaker 1: 10:40

That's the way to add an extra day, yeah one of the coolest things that happened there.

Speaker 2: 10:44

I have to tell this story, one of the coolest things that happened. We had some down time and I was like I wanna, I wanna find a jazz club. Like, yeah, let's find a jazz club, let's go and and my verse and her fiance, they were like, yeah, let's just so. We just hit the hit the pavement, let's find a jazz club. And and we saw three, is that my phone? I'm sorry, let me turn this thing off. So no, that wasn't. Yes, that's my phone vibrating.

Speaker 1: 11:13

I hope it doesn't pick up on the microphone Anyway.

Speaker 2: 11:16

so we hit the town First. Jazz club was really swanky, beautiful. And they were cool until I asked to sing. So you know, I was like, hey, this is my first night ever out of America, do you mind, if you know?

Speaker 1: 11:29

and they're like, you have to ask the manager. You can't just get up. That's so bold of you though.

Speaker 2: 11:31

Yeah, like, yeah, yeah but they said no, so we just left, okay. The next jazz club was so packed we couldn't even get in. It was like a line around the building, right. What was cool about that was young people. It was all like people like our age that are like lined up to see, like you know, music.

Speaker 1: 11:51

Yeah, so that was cool. Did you get in? No, couldn't get in. Couldn't get in.

Speaker 2: 11:55

All right Next. So we come across this little hole in the wall called Jazz After Dark and the doorman says 20 pounds, 20 pounds to get like 20 dollars, a little hefty for this right shoe box and uh, so we're sitting there like do we?

Speaker 2: 12:14

these locals walk by and they're like 20 pounds, I wouldn't pay 20 pounds to go. And I don't do it. Doorman gets mad at them well, you can't fall right. And we're just like whoa, what do we do? And it was like wow, this is really authentic. We were like you know what, let's just go, let's just do it. We're here, when are we gonna be back here? So we paid 20 pounds ahead to get inside and immediately you notice portraits of am Winehouse all over. My friend, my verse is very bold, so she walks right up to the band. Yo, my girl's amazing. You got a letter, okay, so they let me get. They did. And then they kept calling me back up and calling me back up. So I sang like three times. It went really great and I kept noticing like I was like man, there's a lot of a lot of Amy in here. I went to the owner and I said did you know Amy Winehouse? Yeah, what's up with that. And he goes. This was her spot. Oh, this was her hangout. He goes.

Speaker 2: 13:15

The VIP room is where she wrote back to black holy cow me that was massive because I'm a huge like that's a huge idol of mine.

Speaker 1: 13:24

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 13:24

And to know that I pretty much accidentally stumbled upon.

Speaker 1: 13:28

Yes, and were willing to pay the 20 bucks.

Speaker 2: 13:30

Yeah, yeah, almost didn't, but like I sang in a place where one of my idols sang, do you remember what you sang. I sang, you Go to my Head, I sang like three jazz standards. Okay, you know.

Speaker 1: 13:45

Because that's stuff that you. That is really cool. It was awesome. Did you get to go to the backstage or the VIP section? Yeah, it was right there. Yeah, you were in the Little red room Cool. Yeah, yeah, that's a wonderful story.

Speaker 2: 13:55

It was so cool. It was just such a blessing to have that experience.

Speaker 1: 14:06

And so I do want to return to london with my band next time. And yeah, cool, did you have anything?

Speaker 2: 14:09

like that going on in new york? Uh, yes, we played. Uh, actually, yes, my band uh met, met up with me, and so after ted, we played a place called queen's brewery, yeah, and you know, just just jammed out, got to meet some cool people. Yeah, new york is amazing.

Speaker 1: 14:23

Yes, yes yeah, I was there for a long time, so yeah, you lived there yeah, I lived there for almost two decades whoa yeah, it was. Uh, I just came back here two or three years ago, so do you miss it? I do, and then you know we go and visit and then I don't. It's a little grimy right now. Yeah, you know, like when we were there it was, I feel like it was like the Disneyland era, where everything was clean and where did you live?

Speaker 1: 14:56

in New York. I've lived on the Upper West Side the whole time. Okay, yeah, I didn't I.

Speaker 2: 15:03

Yeah. So yeah, you, you lived in it and then nicer in a nice, nicer private town.

Speaker 1: 15:08

Yeah, I would have loved to live in like Chelsea, though or somewhere further down, West Village, of course but, I, Think you get the most for your buck on the Upper West Side.

Speaker 2: 15:19

Well, you're gonna spend a lot of bucks regardless.

Speaker 1: 15:21

Yes, you are, oh my god, looking back, I'm like why?

Speaker 2: 15:30

Yeah, yeah, it's, it's not it is not cheap, but I mean the energy, the vibe is there's and the experience there's. Nothing like it, nothing like yeah, I couldn't have.

Speaker 1: 15:40

I couldn't have gotten to where I am without packing my bags after the hurricanes hit. And what was it like? 2002 or three? He says four. I couldn't have been four, but yeah, I was like I got nothing left to lose. Let me just pack up and go that's awesome. Yeah, it was an adventure and it kind of feels like a different lifetime now it's weird.

Speaker 2: 16:04

Well, I mean look at how much has changed in the world since 2003 2020.

Speaker 1: 16:10

Like can you?

Speaker 2: 16:10

like go going back, like if I were to go back in time and tell my 2003 self okay, in about uh, 17 years it's gonna be like this thing called covet and it's gonna come and like change everybody's lives and it's gonna be creepy and people are gonna have masks and they're gonna create their own masks out of like stuff around the house and nobody's going to really know, like, how to handle this nobody knew and now like coughing or sneezing in public is like totally bad.

Speaker 1: 16:38

I feel like now it's okay, but there was there was a point where you're just like I have to run out of the store to cough my god, because it was like a sin, right, yeah, right or like better.

Speaker 2: 16:50

Now, though, people would like pull their masks down to cough oh my god, I know why.

Speaker 1: 16:56

No, that's not the point.

Speaker 2: 16:59

I know it was crazy nobody could have ever fathomed what we would experience. We had no idea what we were doing.

Speaker 1: 17:06

Well, there was nobody left that actually went through the last plague, so we had no, no idea what to ask those folks yeah wow, that's funny we need to write stuff down so that you know four generations from now do we though?

Speaker 2: 17:27

because we didn't really. I don't know how. What can we really say?

Speaker 1: 17:31

I know I kind of wish I did record. We don't know, but it was terrifying. You were here during that time, which I don't think florida was as terrified as no, we were.

Speaker 2: 17:43

That was the problem.

Speaker 1: 17:44

We were very relaxed yeah, I came here like a year or two into it and that's why we like we finally were able to relax. We were going to the beach and we're like, well, maybe we should just be here. Everything became remote, so it was easy to get up and go.

Speaker 2: 18:01

Yes, in New York, everything was locked down no, I.

Speaker 1: 18:05

I spent months, months in my home. Wow, it was that would dry.

Speaker 2: 18:09

I mean, granted it's for public safety of yeah, at least you know no but it that would drive someone crazy, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 18:18

I remember the first time we like ventured out. It was we were freaked out by people so weird, especially new york like yeah, we were in jersey by then, but oh, wow just right on the outskirts of new york, but it was still freaky and you know I have a daughter who was in like preschool or kindergarten aged and she was like I remember the first time we went on public and she and somebody got really close to her and she you have kids.

Speaker 1: 18:50

Yes, I do. How many do I have? One? One? One is good, one is good, one is good yes, um.

Speaker 2: 18:59

So, speaking of that, um, he, my son, is on the autism spectrum. Okay, and this month is autism awareness month, right, and today I, with a friend of mine named Brandon V, actually released a song for autism awareness month. Yes, I will send it to you.

Speaker 1: 19:18

Hopefully we can, yes, place it in. Where can we listen to that?

Speaker 2: 19:21

um, it is on all platforms. It's called yellow. Brandon V, who you would love, an incredible artist. He has a daughter who was diagnosed recently and she unfortunately, like a lot of kids on the spectrum. I was dealing with bullying at school to the point where he had to remove her. Um, it's happened with my son as well. It's just a thing, you know, with kids that are different. You know, it's just a part of life, unfortunately. Yeah, and I'm just talking to her and he goes well, what is your joy Like? What is you know? And she said yellow and he said, well, don't let anybody take your yellow. So that's the name of the song.

Speaker 1: 19:57

I love that.

Speaker 2: 19:58

Yeah, that he wrote for her and then he asked me to be on it. So I'm on it and my, my son, is on it. Really, um, yeah, is he a singer too? He, yes, yes, he has a beautiful voice and he is an all-around ham. Um, how old is? No idea where he got the pro. Uh, he's 10.

Speaker 2: 20:16

he's 10 okay years old, um, and when I told him I said, all right, I said today you have your first recording session. He was so excited. He's okay, you know. And he got to the studio and he goes what time do I record? Like 10 minutes, goes 10 minutes, okay, you know. And we're like wow, this kid is is very serious. And he got in there and he knocked it out.

Speaker 2: 20:36

Um, it was like he'd been waiting his whole life I was really proud of him, like I was really proud of him, and I think that that's um, that's so important, you know, for children, whether you're on the spectrum or not, honestly to have that outlet, to have something to express yourself. I feel like all children are very creative.

Speaker 1: 20:56

And to give them.

Speaker 2: 20:57

that is important for them Because life can be tough dealing with peers and learning how to socialize and just learning how to navigate the world?

Speaker 1: 21:05

Is that the biggest sort of challenge that you guys are facing is the socialization. Okay, oh yes, without a doubt.

Speaker 2: 21:12

I'm learning more and more about autism because it wasn't when we were at school.

Speaker 1: 21:17

Yeah, it wasn't diagnosed or recognized, yeah, they were just weird kids. And then you look back and you're like, hmm, right, exactly. You know, so what are sort of the things that that encompass that, or what are the challenges, or?

Speaker 2: 21:32

well, um, like you said, um, so with kids on the spectrum yeah their biggest challenge really is relating to people socially and and you know, navigating uh things, that I think, uh, if you're not autistic, because, uh I believe, because it's called a spectrum for a reason right, because it could be mild or it could be very pronounced exactly and so, um, you know, I've become kind of a social coach for my sons.

Speaker 2: 21:59

I was like, okay, when you, when you go to the playground, you introduce yourself and you say hello, you know things like that, yeah, um, and just because he does want to make friends, he actually really values interaction. It's just he goes about it differently. And so for a neurotypical child, you know, they would kind of see his behavior and think, hmm, you know, and that's normal you know. But I think it's important to educate kids and say you know, just because someone is different doesn't mean that you can't be their friend or that they don't want to be your friend right just learning, just kind of to, how to recognize that and and maybe how to learn how to communicate with them.

Speaker 1: 22:33

So yeah, that they can, you know, have friends vice-versa. I mean, you said you're coaching your son. Yeah, is he picking up on it?

Speaker 2: 22:39

yes, he is with a lot of, with a lot of help, like we have you know we have therapy yeah things I I go through parent training with his therapist yeah, um, to help him better so amazing yeah, it really is. It's.

Speaker 1: 22:52

It's really beautiful but maybe there should be training on the other end too, there there should be.

Speaker 2: 22:59

There should be a lot of things right right right, right. And so, um, you know you know what better way to kind of introduce that conversation than than with you know song and you know, maybe you know taking that song and kind of going further and like helping kids understand how to relate to other kids that are, that are different.

Speaker 1: 23:20

Right, so you're using music through climate conservation, through autism, climate conservation through autism. Are there any other sort of causes? Causes that you see you can like.

Speaker 2: 23:31

use your power for good so the shirt that I'm wearing right now it says black on the front box on the back, yeah, so.

Speaker 2: 23:38

I am the founder of black box blackout, yeah, which is an organization that I started in 2022 and it's all about uplifting artists of color in the area. I feel like representation is really important. I think everybody's voice is, you know, deserving. So I kind of saw a need, because it was funny, like when I started playing out, I was like man, you know, I'm kind of a rare bird, special special bird, right, and so you know, I was like I really would love to give more platform and voice, you know, more diversity and inclusion, and it includes theatrical productions, live art, sunday dinner, all kinds of All around town All around.

Speaker 2: 24:22

Cool, primarily in EGAD, but like we've definitely expanded and now we're expanding into kind of a year round thing, so we're going to have a monthly show at Funky Dog Improv a first Friday show called.

Speaker 2: 24:36

Rhythm and Rhyme. It's a it's poetry music, kind of an open mic deal with, like headliners at the end. Um, I'm running that with, uh, my friend, eric diaz uh, also known as class, who is a local um and an incredible artist um and the founder of blindman production. So we're collaborating on bringing kind of this cool uh, hip-hop, jazz, poetry kind of night every month to the area so it's just you know, we just want to kind of, you know, uh, have more, have more inclusion is it scheduled yet?

Speaker 1: 25:12

oh yes, the first one is uh, may 3rd oh, first friday of next month, first friday, yep, okay, and it will. It be on first friday every month. It will be every month. Nice, I love that. That. Uh, funky dog improv is there. Oh, they are great, I know they are great.

Speaker 2: 25:26

Shout out to aaron and holly, the owners um, they're so open to different ideas and um, when I first came to them with the idea of black box, um in 2021, the end of 2021, um, aaron, immediately he had never met me, he did not know me at all, and it was a phone conversation. I called, I said hey, I really want to use your space for this and he said sure, right away oh my gosh.

Speaker 1: 25:54

And I said really that's great okay that was easy, he's.

Speaker 2: 25:59

They are just wonderful people and they're all about the community and, uh, yes, definitely support funky dog. They have an improv show that is killer every Saturday night. Every Saturday night Cool.

Speaker 1: 26:11

I went there for a comedy show Not the improv, but yeah, I love that it's there. We didn't have anything like that growing up. I think Makoto's might have used to have like a comedy Makoto's. Yeah, isn't that weird. If you wanted comedy, I think you had to go to Makoto's. Wait, the restaurant, the restaurant, that lounge. They had like a lounge that is now just like seating.

Speaker 2: 26:32

We have come a long way.

Speaker 1: 26:37

Going to.

Speaker 2: 26:37

Makoto's. Check out some comedy. What yes?

Speaker 1: 26:40

No. Yeah, I know it was crazy, but now we have Funky. Dog Yep, and I know you've partnered up with Derek Gores. Oh yeah, yeah, Plenty he's actually the first person that brought you to my attention. Really, yes, thank you.

Speaker 2: 26:54

Derek Gores Love Derek Gores Tremendous, tremendous, incredible artist.

Speaker 1: 27:00

Yeah, and also a type of artist that is all inclusive.

Speaker 2: 27:05

Absolutely All about the community of artist. That is all inclusive, absolutely all about the community. Um, he's always bringing you know different painters and artists and featuring them in his gallery. Yeah, you can come to him with ideas and he he'll sit down, he'll take a meeting with you and listen to your ideas yeah um, and like you said, you know and not saying this about myself, but like you said, with people who are masters of their craft, you know the the next step tends to be that they want to to bring other people on board, and I think that's the right thing to do.

Speaker 1: 27:36

I think so don't be a gatekeeper. Right share the knowledge.

Speaker 2: 27:39

Share the knowledge spotlight?

Speaker 1: 27:41

absolutely yes, and I love that, and it brings so much success you know it does because it Because you're just including everybody. And yeah, you're not hoarding the light.

Speaker 2: 27:53

Absolutely. Don't hoard the light.

Speaker 1: 27:57

What are your upcoming gigs? Let me see.

Speaker 2: 28:00

What do I have going on?

Speaker 1: 28:01

Well, I saw that you go to Nashville. Yes, are you catching that really cheap flight from Melbourne out there.

Speaker 2: 28:09

Is there a cheap flight?

Speaker 1: 28:10

I heard there is like a $34 flight. You're lying $40?.

Speaker 2: 28:15

Yeah, okay, because we have been driving and when. I tell you I'm really bonded now with my team.

Speaker 1: 28:31

We have been driving I didn't know there was a cheap flight out of Melbourne. It's like one of two cities, right, one of them being Nashville and the other one is like Pittsburgh, right, when I'm like it's something that you'll probably be uncomfortable, I'm sure Allegion is great flight okay you can sit in a lawn chair with no leg room right for two hours with no door, it will fly off.

Speaker 2: 28:55

I didn't know that. No, thank you for that, because the drive is is intense, yeah, but uh, yeah, we've been driving, we've been up there twice. Shout out to Rudy's Jazz Room in Nashville. They adopted us Basically. It's an incredible venue.

Speaker 1: 29:13

How did you hook up with them?

Speaker 2: 29:15

Well, that's very funny. So a girl I went to high school with her mother is friends with the owner of. Rudy's A satellite beacher. Yes Wow, friends with the owner of Rudy's satellite Beecher. Yes, wow, her name is Miss Valentina and she's incredible. She's a healer, she's a massage therapist, and she came to one of my concerts and was a loyal supporter ever since, and so she reached out to her friend Lindy, who owns Rudy's Jazz Room in Nashville, and she got me booked cool and she goes yeah, yeah, come sing.

Speaker 2: 29:52

And when I tell you that's the coolest audience, is the coolest room, um, so we're going back in august and uh hopefully. You know it's going to be a regular thing yeah, well, now with the flight. That you know, girl.

Speaker 1: 30:05

Thank you so much you can get a gig in pittsburgh too absolutely.

Speaker 2: 30:11

I've never been to pittsburgh. Let's go either.

Speaker 1: 30:13

I want to know what to do. Is it cool? Oh, I didn't know he said hip wow, okay, well, we should both take advantage of those flights. Let's go cool, all right. Yeah, what are your upcoming gigs?

Speaker 2: 30:29

well, um can we see you next, uh, so on the 25th I have a show in orlando. That is actually a um, it's a live recording type of show. Oh, wow, yeah, in downtown. Um, if you give me a second, see, that's the thing I also, I should have looked it up, I should hold on, that's okay.

Speaker 1: 30:56

You could also tell us afterwards um and we'll. We'll put it on the comments or whatever. All right um. I saw you were on pbs too.

Speaker 2: 31:04

Pbs, that's so cool it was cool, I just fast forward through the intro because it was so mellow it's. It's called uh the melrose center and they do um like live uh concerts and it was so cool and they record them that's in the, it's in the public library what that must be a big public life it's massive and they have a whole floor dedicated to music production and, uh, so they do live concerts there and I had always wanted to play that and finally I got the call and yeah, any other big dreams yes, oh, oh, yes, so many, so many.

Speaker 2: 31:53

I'm hoping uh well, not hoping I will have you have some singles released this year, which is a big one.

Speaker 1: 32:03

I was going to ask you about that. Have you recorded? Do you have albums?

Speaker 2: 32:05

Oh, yes, I record all the time it's releasing. That seems to be the problem. Really, I'm the kind of artist I go in the studio and I, I start, I always start projects, but then when I go back I want to start something new yeah, I go back and start something new, and then I you know. So that's the. Would you have a producer that?

Speaker 1: 32:26

you work.

Speaker 2: 32:26

I do, professor West. Don't they finish it for you? Um well, if I, if it's, if it's not finished being written oh, finish it for me. Right so, but yes, the person I work with the most is Professor Wes in.

Speaker 1: 32:45

Orlando Okay, he's in Orlando.

Speaker 2: 32:48

And his production is incredible. He knows my voice and so, and he creates an environment where I feel very comfortable, kind of playing. You know you have to play to find, you know to find the song, and you have to feel kind of a judgment free zone, like you, you know, yeah, and he is a master at creating that. So I would say most of my catalog is with him and most of my best work is with him.

Speaker 1: 33:16

But a lot of it's unfinished.

Speaker 2: 33:17

A lot of it is unfinished we have. That's so embarrassing, but yeah, no it's so artistic.

Speaker 1: 33:24

Yeah, you know yeah.

Speaker 2: 33:26

Very much. You should see how many canvas I have. Very much an artist I am.

Speaker 1: 33:29

Yeah, unfinished things.

Speaker 2: 33:31

You have to have unfinished things to be an artist yeah, and then what happens is you go back and you say what do I want? To finish like yeah, yes what, what deserves you know what time effort and to be revisited, and so that's that's what we are dedicating our time to now is finishing things. So we have we have two that are ready for release, and so that's that is coming this year and then do you release them just as, as they're finished, like there's no.

Speaker 1: 33:56

I feel like the album is dead. Is that I've? I've?

Speaker 2: 34:00

gotten that a lot. I have a lot of friends who do this, that do not release albums anymore.

Speaker 1: 34:06

They just drop singles and videos.

Speaker 2: 34:08

Yeah, and videos um I.

Speaker 1: 34:11

I'm old school, I want to have an album yeah, there's something to it, especially if you're if the songs sort of, yeah, have an art story, yeah and so I forget who it was.

Speaker 2: 34:21

It was an older person that told me this. You know about kind of the 60s and 70s and going to the record store, yeah, buying the, the album and, you know, picking the perfect time to yourself to really put the record on and listen to it and he said to me whoever this person was, he said to me people used to listen to albums, the way people read books, absolutely, and that always stuck with me and I was like I want to make an album like that.

Speaker 1: 34:52

I want to make an album that you receive like a message you receive like a like you're reading a book, you sit and you meditate with it.

Speaker 2: 34:59

Yeah, I you know. So, while I you have to appreciate where music is now and and the nature of music, as far as you know how people are getting seen and you know this, it is a singles world. It is, yeah, but uh, you know, um, as an artist, I a singles world. It is. But, uh, you know, um, as an artist I want to make something I'm proud of first, and if it's well received, cool. So I, I want, I want the album. That's that's a goal of mine.

Speaker 1: 35:26

Okay, I think you'll get there.

Speaker 2: 35:28

I thank you yes.

Speaker 1: 35:29

I have faith in you. I really appreciate it. So cool. Well, where?

Speaker 2: 35:40

can we listen to the things now? Um, well, and where can we find you online? Well, I uh I do have a soundcloud account um soundcloudcom slash kristen warren. I do have um some things up on spotify, but right now they're mostly features um today, um, again, I have the song that was just released today called yellow with brandon v, and that's on all platforms. Um, I have a youtube channel with um some live performance, uh footage and things like that um instagramcom slash chris and warren music. I do have a lot of uh songs and performance videos on there as well, um, but the releases the official releases that are just solo releases are later this year, cool.

Speaker 2: 36:21

We're looking forward to that Stay tuned.

Speaker 1: 36:24

Awesome, we will stay tuned. Do you have any music videos that you've?

Speaker 2: 36:29

produced yeah.

Speaker 1: 36:31

You have, yeah, and are those on YouTube? Yeah, they're performance videos Okay, but nothing artistic, yet no. How do? Yeah, they're perform. They're performance videos okay, but nothing artistic, yet no. How do you feel?

Speaker 2: 36:39

about that. Um, well, yeah, I mean that's, that's kind of the natural next step. Um, with, I was kind of like, should I release the singles, um, without videos, or should I wait until there's a video to release them? Right? So I'm thinking it's, it's going to be song first, then video, cool. But yes, we do have some videos set up to be released after the release of the song it is exciting Cool.

Speaker 1: 37:05

So, excited.

Speaker 2: 37:07

I think people will like it.

Speaker 1: 37:09

I think so too.

Speaker 2: 37:10

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 37:10

What's not to like. I mean the voice of an angel really.

Speaker 2: 37:13

Oh, thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 37:18

voice of an angel, really thank you so much. Thank you, I'm excited for everything to look forward to, yeah, the billy holiday thing, your albums, everything else. Thank you so much for being here today.

Speaker 2: 37:24

It was really nice to get to know you. Great meeting you.

Speaker 1: 37:27

You're welcome anytime oh, thank you back and uh, if you have anything to release or say, or okay, we would be happy to have you back.

Speaker 2: 37:35

Yeah, get to know you more. Absolutely, thank you. It's been a pleasure, and great coffee as well.

Speaker 1: 37:39

Thank you, apocalypse oh, do you want to nominate someone to be the next guest on our local celebrity podcast? Um, you were technically nominated I was by steve keller.

Speaker 2: 37:54

Thank you, steve. Shout out, ste shout out, steve Keller.

Speaker 1: 37:57

I love you, man.

Speaker 2: 37:59

He's just such a sweet spirit. Okay, so it's a tie for me, okay. So I guess it just depends on, I mean, bring them both on at different times. So actually, I'm sorry, it's a three way tie so the first the more the merrier. First nomination, of course, is Creek.

Speaker 1: 38:21

That's your band.

Speaker 2: 38:22

Yes, Creek is my backing band, but they also have a lot of material of their own. Cool. These are my brothers and I admire their artistry so much. They've all really dedicated their lives to just being masters of their instruments and I'm amazed every time I hear them play. So definitely bring Creek on. Jamala and I have been friends for years. She's a beautiful soul gospel artist. She does have, I think, her first single released and just a tremendous voice and spirit and I definitely think more people need to hear her. She is homegrown, she is from the area and just a phenomenal singer. Jamala scott shout out to my girl. And then, lastly, is the speed spirits.

Speaker 1: 39:23

I know that steve keller oh yeah, talked about the speed spirits.

Speaker 2: 39:27

I first saw them at memento music festival in 2021, was it, and it was like I had. I felt like, because I just walked onto the grass and I just see these guys. I see, like melbourne's mick jagger like killing it in the front, and it was like I literally felt like I was back in time watching them. Um, they are. They are so talented like the energy and the electricity that they bring is just ridiculous and I'm so proud of them.

Speaker 2: 40:00

They've made a lot of strides, they're traveling too, but um, I, I love them and I I'm a huge fan and I think it would be great to have them yes, so those are my nominees.

Speaker 1: 40:11

Sorry, I couldn't pick one. No, no, we like more than one. We like as many as we can get. Yeah, all right, awesome. Well, thank you again for coming and I hope you have a wonderful day. Thank you so much, thank you we'll be hearing more from you soon. Three, two, one to be a sponsor or nominate a guest. Hit us up on instagram at local underscore celebrity underscore brevard. Until next time, goodbye.