We know Flay is an artist of originality, and it’s showcased effortlessly on Crush Me. As a whole, the EP is impressive and reminds us that K.Flay hasn’t changed. As a whole, the EP is impressive and reminds us that K.Flay hasn’t changed. New Album Releases – download full albums, daily updates!
For K.Flay, what started off as rapping for fun during college at Stanford University has turned into a full-blown music career, and is now the first artist signed to Dan Reynolds' (Imagine Dragons) Night Street Records Imprint, and with Interscope Records. The 31-year-old singer/songwriter from Wilmet, Illinois, real name Kristine Flaherty, just released her EP Crush Me, which features four songs -- including her first single to ever land on the US Billboard Alternative chart, 'Blood In The Cut.' She will also be out on tour this fall in the U.S. and Canada, which you can learn more about here.
The official K.Flay merchandise store. Close search. ALL ITEMS SWEATSHIRTS ACCESSORIES. Pulls no punches. K.Flay called SONiC to talk Blood In The Cut, Doritos and honesty in art. Enjoy our chat below and pick up K.Flay's brand new Crush Me EP HERE. Audio Player. K.Flay is the stage name of genre-hopping American songwriter and vocalist Kristine Meredith Flaherty. She began writing music in 2003, when she enrolled at.
K.Flay recently told us about her new EP when she recently stopped by iHeartRadio HQ in New York City during an exclusive interview. She also told us about how she ended up being the first artist signed to Night Street Records.
'Connecting up with Dan happened totally unexpectedly. I was out in Nashville working on music with a guy named JT Daly, who actually I worked on three of the songs of the EP with, and JT's manager is Dan's brother. It just so happened we were gearing up for an independent release, and then Dan got in contact with me, and he and I started chatting. We're very aligned in our orientation of music and creativity, and how we want to be as people, and as I got to know him and the way that they run things in his family and vice versa, it was a great friendship and partnership. I put out this first release with him, and it's been really cool, because I think he has an understanding of very high level stuff in terms of being an international commercial crazy popular act, but he's super in touch with all the DIY aspects of music that are so important to me, too. It's been really good.'
K.Flay also revealed the meaning behind each song on Crush Me. She explained what each song is about, what inspired the lyrics, and what they mean to her.
'Blood in the Cut' started as a breakup anthem. I wrote the lyrics and the riff in 20 minutes, and I was actually at home for Christmas, so I was in my parents' basement doing that. I was in a somewhat dark emotional place. I wrote that, and I immediately felt filled with this vigor that I had previously been missing. And then producing the song, just embracing that spirit of release in the chorus.'
'I just moved to LA about five months ago, and I had been thinking about this idea of our image and how we interact with that right now, because I think it's very complicated and has never been this complicated ever. And then I was driving down Santa Monica passing this cemetery in Los Angeles called Hollywood Forever Cemetery. I was like, 'That's a good title for a song.' Then I was just thinking about celebrity and notoriety, and how we look at ourselves.'
'Dreamers' is a song I wrote for myself, a bit just as a reminder. I have a lot of friends who are artists and do creative things, but I also have a lot of friends who don't, and sometimes I look at a more mainstream lifestyle, and I'm like, 'What am I doing? I did it all wrong.' I think in order to be creative as your profession, there needs to be a little voice inside you spurring you to continue, despite your own doubts and the doubts of others, and whatever obstacles may come. That song was me talking to myself saying this life and your reality is whatever you make it and it's whatever you strive for it to be. It's a reminder to keep dreaming, keep going.'
'You Felt Right' is really just a storytelling song. There's not much metaphor or extra meaning. It's a straightforward thing about the progression of a relationship that doesn't work out. But I think at the end, there's at least a sense of empowerment on the narrator's side. As a narrator, you have the ability to disseminate stories and tell them the way that you want to tell them, which is kind of cool.'
K.Flay performing in December 2015 | |
Background information | |
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Birth name | Kristine Meredith Flaherty |
Born | June 30, 1985 (age 33) Wilmette, Illinois, U.S. |
Genres | |
Instruments |
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Years active | 2004–present |
Labels | |
Website | Official website SoundCloud |
Kristine Meredith Flaherty (born June 30, 1985), better known as K.Flay, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and musician. Her debut album Life as a Dog was released in 2014, peaking on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart at number two[3] and Billboard's Rap Albums chart at number 14.[4] In 2016, she signed with Interscope Records[5] as the first artist signed to Dan Reynolds' Night Street Records imprint.[6] K.Flay was nominated for two awards at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (for Every Where Is Some Where), and Best Rock Song (for 'Blood in the Cut').
Flaherty was born and raised in Wilmette, Illinois.[7] She attended New Trier Township High School. When she was seven, her parents divorced. Soon after, her mother remarried, bringing in an extended stepfamily. She has described herself as a tomboy during childhood, preferring baggier clothing and rejecting 'all things girly'.[8] When she was 14 years old, Flaherty's father, a guitarist who loved all musical genres, died. Many of her songs are a tribute to him.[7] In 2003, she entered Stanford University in California, pursuing a double major in psychology and sociology. According to Flaherty, many people she met during her time at Stanford influenced her musical style.[9]
Flaherty has been in a relationship with fellow musician Miya Folick since 2018.[10]
K.Flay began her music career in 2003, believing that most hip hop hits on the radio were 'simplistic, misogynistic and formulaic'.[11] After bragging to a friend that she could write similar songs, she wrote 'Blingity Blang Blang', which she described as a 'low budget rap parody that contained far too many obscenities'.[12] After writing and performing the song, Flaherty realized that she enjoyed writing and recording music.[11] She continued to experiment with music by writing songs and performing and recording them on her computer. She released a mixtape called Suburban Rap Queen in 2005, which she produced on her laptop, and began performing.[13]
In 2010, K.Flay released her self-titled EP, and in 2011 self-released the mixtape I Stopped Caring in '96, which she later remarked was a career turning point.[5] K.Flay signed with RCA Records in 2012, releasing two EPs: Eyes Shut in 2012,[14] with songs produced by Liam Howlett from the British band The Prodigy,[15] and What If It Is in 2013.[16] She parted ways with RCA Records in 2013 because of differences of opinion. Upon leaving RCA Records, she left behind more than 60 songs she had written while signed under RCA Records, but no longer owned the rights to. K.Flay has described her time with RCA Records as similar to 'an ill-advised marriage'.[17]
In late April 2014, K.Flay announced[18] the release of her album Life as a Dog, by offering fans the ability to pre-order via PledgeMusic, reaching 196 percent of her initial goal.[19] She wanted the project to be 'DIY [and] self-motivated'.[12] It was recorded and produced in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco, with the final mix produced at San Francisco's Different Fur.[20]
Life as a Dog was released independently on June 10, 2014.[21] The album reached number 14 on the Billboard Rap Albums chart[4] and number 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart.[3] K.Flay toured extensively once the album was released, including headlining a tour and joining tours with AWOLNATION, Third Eye Blind and Dashboard Confessional in 2014. In 2014 and 2015 she toured Germany, France and other European countries.[19]
K.Flay also performed on the Warped Tour in 2014, saying of the experience, 'it was almost like an exercise in becoming a better performer'.[22]
In 2015, K.Flay collaborated with Louis the Child on their song 'It's Strange'. The single was praised by Taylor Swift, who added 'It's Strange' as one of her 'Songs That Will Make Life Awesome' list[23] and was featured on the FIFA 16 soundtrack.[24] The song peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.[25]
On March 25, 2016, K.Flay released her single 'FML'.[26]
Later that year, on August 9, 2016, K.Flay announced she signed to Night Street Records, a division of Interscope Records.[6] Her EP Crush Me was released 10 days later on August 19.[27] The EP's song 'Blood in the Cut' appeared on the soundtrack for xXx: Return of Xander Cage,[28] Netflix's original series BoJack Horseman (season 4, episode 6),[29] and in a 2017 NFL promo commercial drive.[30]
K.Flay's album Every Where Is Some Where was released on April 7, 2017.[31] The album's first single, 'High Enough', was released in March 2017.[32] She was the opening act for the North American and European legs of Imagine Dragons' Evolve Tour.[33] In September 2017, Flay released the book Crush Me, a compilation of notes received from fans.[34]
At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, 'Blood in the Cut' received a nomination for Best Rock Song and Every Where Is Some Where was nominated for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.[35]
On March 1, 2019, K.Flay announced that she was working on her third studio album and released its first single, 'Bad Vibes'.[36] The second single, 'This Baby Don't Cry', was released on April 28. The next day, K.Flay revealed that the new album would be titled Solutions and announced Solutions Tour. The album is set to be released on July 12.[37]
K.Flay has cited Lauryn Hill, M.I.A., Missy Elliott, Metric, Cat Power, Liz Phair, Garbage, Royal Blood, Tame Impala, Shlohmo, OutKast and Jeremih as influences.[38][39][40] She has described her sound as 'genre-defying' and draws from lo-fi pop and hip hop with a strong indie component in her sound.[2]
Year | Award | Nominee | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Grammy Awards | Every Where Is Some Where | Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical | Nominated |
'Blood in the Cut' | Best Rock Song | Nominated |
Year | Album | Chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [41] | US Rap [42] | US Heat [43] | CAN [44] | ||
2014 | Life as a Dog
| 133 | 14 | 2 | — |
2017 | Every Where Is Some Where
| 118 | — | 1 | 50 |
2019 | Solutions[37]
| — | — | — | — |
Year | Title | Label |
---|---|---|
2004 | Suburban Rap Queen | Flayzer Beam |
2009 | Mashed Potatoes | |
2011 | I Stopped Caring in '96 | |
2013 | West Ghost |
Year | Title | Label |
---|---|---|
2010 | K.Flay | Self-released |
2012 | Eyes Shut | RCA |
2013 | What If It Is | |
2016 | Crush Me | Interscope |
Year | Title | Other artist | Label |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Single and Famous EP | MC Lars | Horris/Flayzer Beam |
2018 | Lucky One | Tom Morello | BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Alt. [45] | US Main. [46] | ||||||||
'2 Weak' | 2011 | — | — | Non-album singles | |||||
'Fuck & Run' | — | — | |||||||
'Rest Your Mind' (featuring Felix Cartal) | 2012 | — | — | ||||||
'LA Again' | — | — | |||||||
'Hail Mary' (featuring Danny Brown) | 2013 | — | — | What If It Is | |||||
'Rawks' | — | — | |||||||
'Make Me Fade' | 2014 | — | — | Life as a Dog | |||||
'FML' | 2016 | — | — | Non-album single | |||||
'Blood in the Cut' | 4 | 18 | Crush Me | ||||||
'Black Wave'[47] | 2017 | — | — | Every Where Is Some Where | |||||
'High Enough'[48] | 20 | — | |||||||
'Giver' | 25 | — | |||||||
'Dreamers' | — | — | |||||||
'Bad Vibes' | 2019 | 27 | — | Solutions | |||||
'This Baby Don't Cry' | — | — | |||||||
'Sister' | — | — | '—' denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Title | Lead artist | Year | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US Alt. [45] | US Rock [49] | |||
'It's Strange' | Louis the Child | 2015 | — | — |
'Favorite Color Is Blue' | Robert DeLong | 2018 | 16 | 36 |
'Make It Up as I Go' | Mike Shinoda | 22 | — | |
'Called You Twice' | FIDLAR | 2019 | — | — |
Title | Year | Director(s) |
---|---|---|
'Party' | 2011 | Frank Door[50][51][52] |
'Less Than Zero' | ||
'Doctor Don't Know' | ||
'We Hate Everyone' | 2012 | Erik Beck[53] |
'Rest Your Mind' (Feat. Felix Cartal) | Mariana Blanco[54] | |
'Sunburn' (LIVE) | Emily Dyan Ibarra, Mark Spencer[55] | |
'The Cops' | 2013 | Mariana Blanco[56] |
'Rawks' | Ben Fee[57] | |
'Thicker Than Dust' | 2014 | Frank Door[58] |
'Everyone I Know' | OMG! Everywhere[59] | |
'Make Me Fade' | Ben Fee[60] | |
'Can't Sleep' | 2015 | Emily Ibarra[61] |
'FML' | 2016 | Ken Edge[62] |
'Blood in the Cut' | TJ Andrade[63] | |
'Black Wave' | 2017 | Jeremy Cole[64] |
'High Enough' | Lorraine Nicholson[65] | |
'Slow March' | 2018 | Tom Cole[66] |
'Bad Vibes' | 2019 | Lorraine Nicholson[67] |
Year | Track featured | Album |
---|---|---|
2008 | We Have Arrived (featuring K.Flay & the Former Fat Boys) | The Digital Gangster LP |
Guinevere (featuring K.Flay) | ||
Other People's Property (featuring Beefy, K.Flay, MC Router) | ||
2013 | 'Hail Mary' (featuring Danny Brown) | Need for Speed: Rivals |
'Ribcage' (featuring K. Flay) | Heart on My Sleeve | |
'Easy Fix' | This Is the End: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
2015 | Golden Features – 'Telescope' (featuring K.Flay) | XXIV |
'Say It' (featuring K. Flay) | Dopamine | |
'Promise' (featuring K. Flay) | Automatic | |
'It's Strange' (featuring K. Flay) | Non-album single | |
2016 | Louis the Child – 'It's Strange' (featuring K.Flay) | FIFA 16 |
2016 | 'Blood in the Cut' | NBA 2K17 |
2017 | 'Blood in the Cut' | xXx: Return of Xander Cage (Music from the Motion Picture) |
'Heartbreak Summer' (featuring K. Flay) | Ego | |
'Black Wave' | Need for Speed: Payback, Asphalt 9: Legends | |
2018 | 'Make It Up as I Go' (Mike Shinoda featuring K.Flay) | Post Traumatic |
2018 | 'Run For Your Life' | Tomb Raider: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
2018 | 'Lucky One' (Tom Morello featuring K.Flay) | The Atlas Underground |
2019 | 'Called You Twice' (FIDLAR featuring K.Flay) | Almost Free |