The VISION for KAMA SUTRA ME

Below are some stills that we are inspired by and the direction we want to take this story. As you can tell, we wanna get weird! 

In order to achieve high quality cinematography, lighting and set design, we are using our resources to the best of our ability. In other words, a little money goes a long way! 

Please consider sharing this Seed & Spark page and/or pledging. With the funds, we will be able to compensate these artists for their hard work in completing the project. 

For alternative support, you can follow @kenshi.killzzz on Instagram to follow the process. 

THE BEGINNING

As we know, Covid shut down everything in 2020. For me, it fostered a new period of my life where I was able to make music everyday. I had so much time that I finished up an EP entitled Bedroom Pop (because I made the whole thing in my bedroom). All I had was my laptop, Garageband, a keyboard, and a Yeti microphone.

I was definitely not a pro--I taught myself by spending most of that time on YouTube figuring out how to do it on my own. It was challenging, but I was still learning, having fun and most importantly: it planted a huge music seed in my brain and in my heart. However, after releasing Bedroom Pop, I still had no direction and the project sat on it's own, collecting dust on streaming services. 

But a year later, I was called back to music. 

CREATION WITH FRIENDS and FAMILY 

In 2020, I eventually created a music video for my song “Deep Unnerving Filled Fears" with my best friend. We had a simple set up for this shoot. We grabbed a camcorder, a kiddy pool and a couple more friends to be extras. We bounced all around Seattle with balloons and animal masks, just to see what we could capture without much of a plan. It was new and exciting and a completely new way to express myself. 

I soon shot another music video for my song “Quiet Paradise” with the great crew of my dad and my boyfriend at the time. We found a beautiful scene while we were vacationing in Hawaii, with a long, winding road. I biked for the whole video as my dad drove the car in front of me to get the shot. 

These experiences taught me a lot about visuals within music videos, as well as how much work it is to put it all together. But it only made me want to keep pushing with music more and more...and more. I also realized how much of a key role a visual can have for a song. Their meanings are intertwined and can influence each other, intentionally or not. 

FROM BEHIND to IN FRONT of the CAMERA

Before fully diving into this new EP Ruby Lane, I began to shoot for Seattle artists in concert. The energy of the crowd and the raw expression in intimate venues was inspiring. And even though I wasn't on stage, I started to realize how much I loved to be in concert spaces. 

I networked with a few people at these shows and started landing more gigs while documenting these performances.

One day, I messaged the DJ prior to a show and asked if they could play one of my songs during a transition between performers. It was nerveracking to put myself out there, but they agreed. I was excited  to have one of my songs play out loud for people and to see if they could vibe out to my own creation.

The night of the show, I got there early to take photos of the performers. After the first artist, the DJ called my name and asked me to come up for my sound check. I froze instantly. I quietly whispered to him “Oh, I thought you were just gonna play it, I'm not actually performing tonight.”

He looked at me with the mic in his hand and asked, “Do you at least wanna try?”

I hesitated, but the moment took over me. I grabbed the mic and decided to give it my best try. I did my so-called sound check and it gave me the energy and hype I needed. I just got a little taste that night as to what it's like to perform and I absolutely fell in love.

After that, I had my first performance and I haven’t stopped doing shows since. 

As I performed more, I began to crave different music because I only had a few songs that I would usually prepare. I began to write new songs individually, but I asked myself, "Why not make a new EP. A fresh deck?"

This sparked the idea to create Ruby Lane and I have to say--I am so proud of myself. But mainly, I am so excited to have people listen to and engage with my new music. This EP has allowed me to find myself as an artist and I can’t wait for people to see it expressed visually as well. 

RUBY LANE and IDENTITY

My producer Evan George and I worked six months on this EP. During that period, I experiented and shaped my musical style. Creating this project has allowed me to discover my art form and how I want to express my identity.

I learned that I am influenced a lot by my culture. I am mixed--my mom is Indian and my dad is White. Because of this I have always struggled with identity issues, but music has always allowed me to feel comfortable and explore my identity with a guiding hand.

I also feel that there is not enough South East Asian representation in the music community in general, not just within Seattle-- and our culture is beautiful. I truly just want to share it with the world. Through this project I want to take my supporters on a visual journey so that they are able to experience the music in multiple ways. 

I explored this a little bit with my most recent music video for my song "Shanti" but I am so excited to keep evolving my approach to my identity. 

On set for the "Shanti" music video (2022)

We have also shot teasers for the title track "Ruby Lane" and another track "Boss Man." All of these in tandem with the "Kama Sutra Me" music video will represent myself as an artist and my identity.

Check them out on Instagram: @kenshi.killzzz ! 

THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT!