When did you know you wanted to be a singer/performer? 

My love for singing started when I was a child. I used to walk around singing obnoxiously so my parents bought me a karaoke machine. My grandma started taking me to talent shows when I was in fourth grade to introduce me to performing. When I was 15, I worked at Club Fathom downtown and that was the first time I got to feel like I was a part of the local music scene. 

What is your favorite thing about performing? 

When I am on stage, literally nothing matters; all of my anxiety and problems go away, and I get to share the things I’ve been creating in my room and see people having fun. I get to feel deeply connected with people in ways that you don’t get to in regular situations. Being heard and feeling like I’m making people feel like they aren’t alone, is something I really treasure and it motivates me to keep creating. 

How long have you been playing music? 

I didn’t know what type of style music I was making for a long time. I actually made my first legitimate song at 22 even though I had been writing songs since I was in elementary school. I was big into metal and hardcore, so I tried to start an emo type band and it came out super cringey.  

But that all changed when I met local producer Rock Floyd (@irockfloyd) in 2012. I had just put out a cover song– Roads by Portishead–and he heard it and reached out to me, and we started recording together right away. During a few sessions, he would be making beats while I wrote on the spot. Eventually, I realized I was making pop music. It felt really good to be able to identify that because for years, I didn’t know how to explain what I was making. He is incredibly talented and has been making music since he was 11 and posting it online. It was exciting to get to work with someone like him. We have now been together for 10 years and we still make music together to this day! 

How would you describe Chattanooga’s music scene and how it has changed over the years? 

Our local music scene is awesome and has been strong for a while. Venues such as Rhythm & Brews (now closed), JJ’s, Cherry Street Tavern, and Poor Taste are so important to our city. Nightfall music series, Sidewalk Stages, SoundCorps, and NPR’s local shows all give artists great opportunities. Chattanooga Girls Rock teaches girls about music and how to prepare to be a musician. We are fortunate to have so many great resources for the industry. 

You just went on a national tour and played at SXSW. How did those opportunities come about? 

In 2014, I heard Bbymutha on SoundCloud. I couldn’t believe she was from the same town as me; she was so talented and creative. I messaged her to see if we could all hang out and we instantly became friends. We have now been working together for years, spending long nights recording, and playing shows together.  

Earlier this year, she asked me to be her opening act on her tour leading up to SXSW, where she also asked me to be her featured act. We got to perform at 30+ shows around the country including in Denver, Seattle, and New York City. In New York, the first show sold out, so we had to stay another day to perform again. It was truly an incredible experience. 

What advice do you have for other musicians? 

Create! Everyday! Learn as much as you can from other musicians and artists.Collaboration is important and makes us all more successful while building a community and friendship – it does not only have to be with other musicians; any type of art can be inspiring. Get a job that pays the bills because it may be a while before your music does. Be persistent, do it because you want to, not because you think it’ll make you rich! 

TIP!

You can check out @kindora’s music on Shazam, Spotify, iTunes, and more. Just a little tip – she gets paid per Shazam so try to use that as often as you can!