A fresh single from Karly C brings out a crisp and cinematic feeling approach and all in the form of a vibrant and honest pop song that takes elements of other genres that blend in like her soulful and Americana undertone vocally, the guitars that come in and out giving that southern twang as well, and this incredibly descriptive display of words that manage to paint such vivid pictures.
" I Was Gonna Love You" is a wonderfully woven single that shows such an outstanding songwriting style that breeds this almost simplicity that lets you really get taken in by the song.
It makes you think, feel, and picture these things she's describing, and you know the song is emotionally driven.
This is the type of song you can relate to. You understand where she is coming from, and you want to hear more.
Musically the song is an absolute pop banger. It's got a subtle approach but also has such a memorable pop chorus that it sticks with you for days on end.
This was impactful and felt real. Like this came from someplace real that she felt and experienced and that in itself is part of why this is so addictive.
As a performer Karly C is perfection. She hits everything with a passion and her vocals bare heart and soul with every note. She has a way of grabbing at you and pulling you in from across the room and it's excellent.
With the release of such a killer single, we wanted to talk shop with the artist to see wher this actually came from and what may be next for her.
Here's what happened.
RAG: Okay so let's start with "I Was Gonna Love You" This single had a country soul and an honest vibe to it! Where did this track come from?
I was just noodling around on the piano one day playing some chords and humming an idea that I had in my head for a melody. Then for no reason whatsoever, other than maybe drawing from my experiences playing in bars and writing for television for ten years, I envisioned this scenario where two people instantly click through their love of making music. But, with the twist of bad timing, making it a bit more of an interesting love story.
RAG: So how did this all begin for you? When did you fall in love with music really?
I grew up with my mother always playing music around the house, usually 90s country, oldies, disco, and some current stuff. Then my parents noticed that I would always sing in my room as a kid, so they bought me a karaoke machine when I was around 7 years old, and my first keyboard when I was around 10 or 11. So I taught myself how to play piano by watching YouTube videos. My mom also took me for singing lessons when I was 13 years old, but after less than a year of lessons my teacher said that there wasn’t much more that she could do with me.
RAG: There are a few remixes of this single. Was this your idea? Which is your favorite?
There are? I don't know of any. Maybe you're confusing it with my song "All In The Name of Love"?
RAG: Who is in your headphones right now?
All Time Low. I love pop punk and have been on a binge listening to it for like a year now lol
RAG: What inspires you to write a song?
Usually just the process of sitting at the piano and experimenting. It usually starts with a chord progression and melody, then I create lyrics around it. Although, I do have a bunch of lyrics in my phone's notepad that I pull from now and then.
RAG: I'm hearing some great styles on this song. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Wow, where do I begin? Vocally I'm a huge fan of 80s singers. Steve Perry (Journey), Lou Grahm (Foreigner), Michael Bolton. I also like 90s country singers like Martina McBride and the Dixie Chicks. As for modern artists, definitely Adele and Sia. Composition wise, it's hard to say. It's most likely a mashup of 90 Country, 2000s pop punk, 2010s pop, and 80s hair bands.
RAG: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
I spend a lot of time outdoors kayaking, fishing, jumping on my trampoline, riding my dirtbike, rollerblading, going to the beach, and shooting my bow and arrow. I also have hundreds of Batman comic books and I customized my Jeep in a Nightwing theme. lol
RAG: Would you say live performances are a big part of what you do?
Not so much lately. From 2012 - 2019 my fiance' and I were gigging very heavily to the point where we were getting burned out. We probably played close to 250 live shows in that time span. Then when COVID hit it gave me a much needed break and allowed me to focus even more on my writing and recording. Since things opened back up, we promised ourselves we wouldn't play out more than 6 times/year, tops. That's in bars mind you. Obviously if I had a touring opportunity, festival, television appearance, or anything like that, I'm all about it. I just don't feel the need or see the value anymore in the weekly grind of the bar circuit. At least not for what my goals and interests are with music. But more power to anyone who does enjoy it.
RAG: This song feels like a big undertaking, is there any advice you'd give to other up and coming artists out there?
There is definitely much more to it than just coming up with an idea, recording it, and having your distributor push out to all of the streaming platforms. When you push a song out to radio not only does the quality of everything (writing, performance, engineering, production, etc..) need to be to a certain standard, but an even bigger, longer term daily effort and expense is the promotion of it. Without a great radio promoter, PR team, manager, and most importantly....budget, you're song will most likely never reach the audiences you're trying to. So I'd say the first thing to do is write down what it is you're trying to accomplish, then do your research on what's needed to get there, set a realistic goal, and find the resources to make it happen. Even the biggest artists out there are all fighting to get a place on the charts and stay there right now. Especially after the long break from COVID with everyone putting out single after single. So if you're expecting some big windfall thing to happen where you're song goes viral, you get signed to a deal, and money falls from the sky like confetti, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. And then even after you've pulled together all of those resources, nothing is guaranteed. So it's not for the faint of heart or someone looking for instant gratification. It's all about the end game.
RAG: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
I'm working on 5 pop-punk songs that are kind of a blend of Avril Lavigne and All Time Low. Hoping to release that EP early 2023. I also work a lot with a songwriting and production team in the UK who releases our collaborations under the artist name "Sharmystic". Our next single called "Anymore" is scheduled to hit all streaming platforms on September 23. I'm also in the middle of finishing up a demo recording of what could be my next country single, and there's a dance pop track soon to be released by producer Jason Nevins (Ariana Grande, Florida Georgia Line Ft. Nelly, etc...) that I was featured on. And on a totally fun note, I've been collaborating with a group of musicians all over the world who do covers of 80s rock songs. We've release two of those so far and are working on our third one (Bed of Roses, Bon Jovi) which will be out sometime before the end of the year. Those covers along with a bunch of my own are all on my YouTube channel. So yeah....lots of things in lots of directions! lol
RAG: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Thank you for listening and supporting me along my journey! I appreciate all of the shares on social media and requests to your local radio stations for my songs!