Published: October 05, 2009 11:52 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight October 2009 Edition
KChari
KChari
Miriam (Mik), Joshua, and Sarah KChari are the classically-trained siblings out of Atlanta, GA who have created the band known as KChari. What makes this family trio act fun to listen to is their originality and unique flavor that gives alternative music a new sound. Mik's soft harmonious vocals blend nicely with the sweet pulsating vibes of Joshua's electric guitars/cello and Sarah's rhythmic drums/keyboard. If you want to experience something that you will soon not forget, then KChari is going to give you the exepreicen of a lifetime. Sit back and read on as our Webzine gets the 411 about KChari. Enjoy!
Band Members:
Miriam KChari: female vocals, electric bass
Sarah KChari: keyboard, drums
Joshua KChari: electric guitar, electric cello
Isaac: What's the name of your band? What's the origin of that name? Have you changed the band's name before?
Mik KChari: The band's name is KChari. When my brother, Joshua, my sister, Sarah and I started the band, we tried coming up with different band names but settled on using our last name: KChari
Isaac: What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
Mik KChari: We consider ourselves AA/alternative rock but have a ton of influences from a lot of different genres. Our influences include Beatles, Sting, U2, No Doubt, Pink, matchbox twenty, KT Tunstall, Coldplay, Keane, The Killers, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, NIN, Collective Soul and that's just the beginning but that's probably too many as is so I'll just leave it at that. ;-)
Isaac: How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?
Mik KChari: Well since we're all from the same family we've known each other all our lives. I'm the youngest so I've been stuck with them literally my entire life. :-)
Isaac: When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?
Mik KChari: We started working together about 8 years ago developing our sound and composing but we didn't release our fist album until 2007. Growing up, our family was all into classical music so we always played music together. We all got into alt/rock music and composing so it was kinda natural for us to work together since it was a shared interest.
Isaac: Do you have a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?
Mik KChari: We're not on a record label yet. We self release our music and videos through our publishing company Mentil Lentil Publishing. Also, we're all members of NARAS and BMI.
Isaac: What can you tell me about your instruments? (i.e., Are you subject to brand loyalty or will you play with whatever's available? What made you choose the instruments you have now? Was it cost or was it a style/model/brand/color preference?
Mik KChari: I'm the singer for the band but also play the electric bass and violin. Growing up I studied the violin, Sarah studied piano and Joshua took cello. Now in the band Joshua plays the electric cello and guitar and Sarah does drums and keys. We're all pretty particular about what instruments we like. Generally, we choose what we use based on tone and feel. For keys and electric drums Sarah sticks with Roland. Joshua loves Bogner amps for guitar and Stienberger electric cellos. I use Sure mics and Fender basses. Anyway, I could go on and on but except for some gear heads out there this is probably getting a little boring…sorry normal people. ;-)
Isaac: Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
Mik KChari: We've played at a good number of venues here are some highlights.
*American Music Festival (Harrisburg, PA)
*Moss Rock Festival (Birmingham, AL)
*Andrews Upstairs Buckhead (Atlanta,GA)
*Flicker Theater Athens (Athens, GA)
*Smith's Olde Bar (Atlanta, GA)
*Eddies Attic (Decatur, GA)
*Sandy Springs Festival (Sandy Springs, GA)
*The Monkey Barrel (Gainsville, GA)
*SOHO (Columbus, GA)
*Red Light Cafe (Atlanta, GA)
*Atlanta Downtown Festival (Atlanta, GA)
*East Cobber Festival (Marietta, GA)
*Douglas Corner (Nashville, TN)
*Little Kings (Athens, GA)
*Drunken Unicorn (Atlanta, GA)
We're really looking forward to playing the Masquerade on September, 11th and we're playing the East Cobber Festival again this year. Check out www.myspace.com/kchari for a complete list of our upcoming shows.
Isaac: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?
Mik KChari: We tend to perform our newest songs (right now those are Sketch, Slippin Under, and Walk Away) more frequently. We have over 40 original songs and close to the same number of covers we tend to rotate what we play. -Keep the audience interested and of course increase the chance of us having a really funny meltdown. :-)
Isaac: Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?
Mik KChari: We all are equally involved in the composing process. I write all the lyrics. My lyrics tend to be a little less literal than some and I try to use imagery. So hopefully the listener has more freedom to interpret the lyrics as something that relates to his/her life. Topic/theme wise most of my lyrics involve relationships and just general life emotions/circumstances. I'd imagine that my lyric topics will change as my life does. In 60 years I'll probably be writing about dentures and jello. ;-)
Isaac: Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
Mik KChari: I think of the music making process as three stages. Composing is probably the most creative phase of the process. Because of that, it can be the most rewarding part but if everyone's not on the same page and wanting to take the song in different directions it can get pretty frustrating. The second stage of music making is rehearsal/practice/recording -trying to get the music perfect so it represents all the musicians well. Generally, this stage is about time commitment and working together with your band mates. The last stage is performance of course. I really enjoy live shows because it's the time when everything that you've been working on has to come together and it's a lot more spontaneous. It gives you that incomparable high.
Isaac: What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?
Mik KChari: Since we all have different schedules we try to coordinate them the day before or so. We just never have early morning rehearsals cause none of us are morning people and that would most likely not end well. :-)
Isaac: How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
Mik KChari: Our sound has definitely changed over the years. When we first started, I'd say our music was a bit more abstract and now we're still very alternative but comparatively more straight ahead.
Isaac: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
Mik KChari: All three of us have strong artistic opinions and ideas. I'd say our biggest challenge was in coordinating all of our visions when we are composing/recording etc. Over the years it's gotten a lot easier. Each of us are now really finding and defining our own individual identities within the band.
Isaac: What's your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune?
Mik KChari: I think for us, like most musicians, we really want to share our art with as many people as we can. For all of us we're just going to keep composing, recording, and performing …and basically take it as far as it goes. And trust me; I'll take the fame and fortune if it gets thrown our way. :-)
Isaac: What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?
Mik KChari: Pick other musicians who you really respect to work with. Know it's a long road and try to find ways to really be happy in every step of the process. That's something I really try to think about because sometimes my goals get so all consuming it can start to affect my happiness/creativity and at the end of the day it's about the love of music and art.
Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
Mik KChari: Sure, we have a monthly show on YouTube called "KChari and Larry TV" which includes our music videos in each episode. You can find the show at www.youtube.com/kchariandlarrytv. Our debut album, Out of Line, is available on iTunes or off www.cdbaby.com. Also, we have several tracks posted on our MySpace page www.myspace.com/kchari, and at www.kchari.com. On Facebook, our profile name is Jsm KChari so you can friend us there also. For our EPK visit www.sonicbids.com/kchari.
Isaac: Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
Mik KChari: Definitely want to thank all our fans, friends and family.
Isaac: Any last words?
Mik KChari: Hmmmmm…is this the part where I ask for blueberry pancakes as my last meal and request to be cremated when I'm gone? ;-) No seriously, really appreciate your support and interest in my band and want to give a shout out to all the other artists and fans -keep on making and supporting music!!
