Interview with KG Crown

Hello! It is Adam. Welcome back to Bringing it Backwards, a podcast where both legendary and rising artists tell their own personal stories of how they achieve stardom. On this episode, we had a chance to hang out with KG Crown over Zoom Video Kg was born in St. Louis, moved to Michigan and eventually landed in Los Angeles. And she tells us how she got into music. She started singing at a very early age. At seven years old, she formed band with her siblings. Her and her three brothers had a Christian band that would tour around the country and play various shows and at different churches. She did that for a number of years before moving into her new artist project, which is called Kg Crown. 6 (2m 13s): She talks about putting out her first few songs, her social media presence, and all about her most recent record, which is called Porcelain Queen. You can watch our interview with KG Crown on our Facebook page and YouTube channel at bringing it backwards. It'd be amazing if you subscribe to our channel, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at Bringing back Pod. And if you're listening to this on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Podcast, it would be amazing if you follow us there as well and hook us up with a five star review. 7 (2m 46s): We'd appreciate your support. If you follow and subscribe to our podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts, 6 (2m 52s): We're bringing it backwards with Kg Crown. Hi, how are you? I'm 3 (2m 57s): Good, how are 6 (2m 57s): You? I'm doing well. I'm glad that we're able to do this. Thank you so much. Thank 8 (3m 2s): You for having me. 6 (3m 3s): Of course. My name is Adam and this podcast is about you and your music journey and we'll talk about the new song. 8 (3m 10s): Cool. Sounds good. 6 (3m 12s): Awesome. So I was doing some research and I did see that you, are you born in St. Louis, Missouri? Is that what I saw? 8 (3m 18s): Yeah, I'm born in St. Louis, but I live in la. 6 (3m 22s): Oh, you live in LA now? Okay. How long did you live in St. Louis? 8 (3m 25s): Oh, it was really weird. I was literally like just birthed there and then like right when I got outta the hospital, my parents moved to Michigan. So I was raised in Michigan until I was like 13 and now I live here in la. 6 (3m 38s): Okay, cool, cool. So Michigan was, you know, majority of your life was spent there. Yeah. What was it like growing up in Michigan? 8 (3m 46s): It was fun. We lived on like a farm woods type area, so we had like chickens and goats and yeah, it was a lot of fun. There's a lot of woods by us so we would go like camping all the time and stuff. So it's definitely different than the city. 6 (3m 60s): I was just gonna say, it must be very different from Los Angeles. 8 (4m 3s): Oh yeah, very different. But I mean I still love Los Angeles. I love both. They're both different. 6 (4m 8s): Sure, sure. I, I grew up in San Diego so I'm, and I recently moved to Nashville, but I live in the suburbs so it's like totally different than my, my up. It was more of like where you're at in LA and then coming to like there's farms in, in greenery around me. It's just so bizarre now. 8 (4m 25s): Yes, it's different 6 (4m 26s): For sure. Awesome. So how did you get into music? 8 (4m 30s): I got into music when I was seven. I just felt a calling to do music as like a little girl and ever since I felt that calling, I started the sibling band with my brothers and we did like Christian pop music, so we would tour like the us and play like different states and like coffee shops and schools. Nothing, nothing big, but it was still a lot of fun and after a few years with that I branched off into a solo career and now I do full-time pop and 6 (5m 1s): Wow, that's awesome. So you have, are your siblings older, younger? 8 (5m 5s): I have three older brothers, so I'm the young and the only girl out of like all my cousins too. So it's fun though. I like it. 6 (5m 13s): Yeah, you have your older brothers to protect you as well, like I'm sure they're very protective of their younger sister. Wow. So what did, what did your brothers play? Like how, how did the family band kind of get going? 8 (5m 26s): It was really just my idea. I kind of bossed him around when I was little. Like, you're gonna do the guitar, you're gonna do the drums and his, So my oldest brother Jake, he played bass guitar and vocals and then my middle brother, he did piano and precautions, so he played the drums and then my youngest brother, he did electric guitar and then I was lead vocalist out of the group. 6 (5m 51s): Wow. Did your brothers play instruments prior to you having this, you know, idea of the band? 8 (5m 57s): I think we all kind of started at the same time. 6 (5m 60s): Oh, interesting. 8 (6m 1s): Yeah, it was kind of just ever since we decided to start the band, we started doing like lessons and learning about instruments and all that. So yeah, we really just started same time. 6 (6m 11s): That's cool. So at seven you said? 8 (6m 13s): Yeah, seven. 6 (6m 14s): And you didn't have like, it was just like you just had this calling come to you like, oh I need to be doing, 8 (6m 19s): I was like in my bedroom and I was about to go to church that day and I was like flipping through the radio and then the song came on and I just like, it's just like hit. It was weird but I mean I'm glad because I'm here where I am now and I love music. It's my favorite thing. 6 (6m 33s): That's cool. Do you remember what song it was that you heard on the radio? 8 (6m 37s): Yeah, it was, I'm trying to remember the artist, but it was Love Story by 6 (6m 44s): Taylor Swift. 8 (6m 46s): No, it was, it 6 (6m 47s): Was just 8 (6m 53s): Was my Swift Laura's story. 6 (6m 58s): Oh cool. 8 (6m 59s): Its called it, it was by the artist Laura's story. But yeah, 9 (7m 2s): You can't get much for five bucks these days unless you go to Wendy's for a $5 biggie bag. Get your choice of double stack junior bacon cheeseburger or crispy chicken b OT plus four piece nuggets, fries and a drink all for just five bucks. 10 (7m 18s): You got that Biggie bag. You got that 9 (7m 21s): Bag. That was smooth wasn't it? That's how you're gonna feel when you get that biggie bag at Wendy's. 11 (7m 27s): US pricing participation may vary, include four piece nuggets, small soft drink and small fry prices may be higher in Alaska and Hawaii. 6 (7m 32s): Awesome. So with that, you in, you are in Christian band, correct? Does that, that was the music you guys were doing? Yes, we did. 8 (7m 41s): We did Christian music and then we kind of got more in the pop space and then now that I'm solo, I'm full pop secular and my music's very like, I mix K-pop in it too, so Yeah. 6 (7m 53s): Yeah, even with your imagery, like your graphics and stuff are like kind of have that K-pop or anime ish vibe to it. 8 (8m 1s): Thank you. 6 (8m 2s): Yeah, it's awesome. So were you guys writing originals or just doing a lot of cover songs when you were with the band, with your, I know we're staying on your brother's band, but I'm, or the band that you had with your siblings, but I wanna move on is kind of probably a big part of how you started. Did you, were you, is they original songs or were they all covers or? 8 (8m 21s): We did a little bit of both. So we would cover like Christian songs and we would like churches at the time for like little kids, which was a lot of fun. And we actually had, we would write original songs as well and we got number one on a lot of Christian charts as a band. So like for like the younger audience we did really well and it was a lot of fun. But yeah, we would do a little bit of both. 6 (8m 47s): Wow. That's in, that's really incredible. I mean obviously validating, knowing that you guys kind of just had started the band and then you're getting, you know, that kind of recognition and having number one records like were you on like Caleb and stuff like that. 8 (9m 2s): I can't even 6 (9m 3s): Remember. So, Oh, that's cool though. Wow. And it was churches, obviously your parents were very supportive of this venture to and at seven you'd have to like, I'm sure they were taking you around on these tours. 8 (9m 17s): Yeah, it was a lot of fun. Very, We, we didn't start touring until I was like 12, 11, 12. 6 (9m 24s): So, but still, I mean at 12. Wow. Okay. That's cool. And then to, I don't know if this is skipping head quote too, but but like how do you get to la Was that just because of your career, you decided that's the spot to be? 8 (9m 38s): Yeah, it was. It was really just because LA's kind of like the place where a lot of artists and actresses and models are. So it was kind of just a decision that me and my mom made and the family made. It was a sacrifice, but I'm grateful to like be here and yeah, I still, I go back to Michigan quite a bit, I visit my family and FaceTime them every day so it worked out. 6 (10m 1s): That's awesome. Very cool. So before you get to la, this band, the band kind of you, you wanted to branch out and do something different than and more in the pop realm. Is that kind of what happened? 8 (10m 13s): I think it was more my brothers didn't wanna be in the band anymore and we just, I just started kind of getting more interested in like the pop secular world. I feel like I could reach like a bigger audience and share like just, I don't know, I think I just really started getting more like interested in that area of music and I really found myself enjoying and connecting to that area more. So I kind of just decided to do that after my brothers didn't wanna do it anymore cuz they got, they got like girlfriends and like I, you know, in jobs and 6 (10m 46s): They broke up the band. Just kidding. Okay, that's cool. So then at that point, are you, how do you just then start this, this pop career? Did it all start off like were you online posting stuff online or like how did you start getting some momentum? 8 (11m 4s): It started with social media, so I started joining social media when kind of right after that I took social media more seriously and I remember posting like a singing cover once on my Instagram and somebody in India had, we posted the singing cover in like in India, like all over India websites and magazines and stuff. And like the singing cover went viral and it got like millions of views and overnight I remember having like 6,000 followers and I woke up with like 30,000 what? And then they were all like from India and all these different countries and it was amazing. But that's kind of really where it started and started doing more covers and just posting on social media and yeah, that's where it all started from there. 6 (11m 52s): Wow, okay. Oh my, my gosh, what was that like waking up the next morning and being like, whoa, 30,000? Like what just happened? Yeah, 8 (11m 58s): I didn't expect it cuz it was just a normal day for me. Like I expected to like wake up and I don't know, play basketball practice, do normal stuff and then I'm like, oh wow, that's a lot of people. 6 (12m 10s): Sure. Wow. Do you, you were playing basketball before your basketball player? 8 (12m 15s): Yeah, I played basketball for like my school at the time, so 6 (12m 18s): Cool. Do you still play at all or no, mainly focusing on this, 8 (12m 22s): I'm mainly focusing on music. Like I don't take basketball serious, like I'm not planning to go to like the nba. But yeah, I play for fun like when I see a court or like I have a court near me so I play Oh cool. Not on a team or anything. 6 (12m 38s): Yeah, that's awesome. So you start getting this fall, I mean 30,000 and then it's like whoa, like this is awesome. So you just keep putting up covers or like how, how does it, you now you have the attention of what, 30,000 people, how do you continue to build the momentum? 8 (12m 53s): Yeah, I mean it was pretty crazy. I just started posting more on social media. I joined TikTok a little bit late. Like it wasn't musically, it wasn't TikTok like, so I joined TikTok a little bit late and I started just posting more stuff in growing my platform and then when I moved to LA I got with some producers and we started creating stuff and yeah, it's what I do now. 6 (13m 20s): Wow. Wow. Did you start TikTok when pandemic had happened or was it before that? Cause that's kind of when everyone, I mean I know that that's when it really, really went to the kind of the next level, but 8 (13m 33s): It was right, it was right before the den, like right when it started. 6 (13m 37s): So okay 8 (13m 38s): Quarantine. I was in my house like posting a lot of stuff on social media and my numbers climbed so that was pretty cool 5 (13m 46s): Bringing, Zocdoc (13m 50s): As many of you know, my family and I recently moved from San Diego, California to Nashville, Tennessee as if moving 2000 miles away wasn't stressful enough. Once we got here, there was the added stress of then enrolling our kids in new schools, getting new driver's license, finding a doctor, a dentist, and the list goes on. That's why I was so relieved when I found OC Doc. Zocdoc is a free app that shows you doctors who are patient reviewed, take your insurance and are available when you need them. Zocdoc makes it easy to find quality doctors in your network close to home. Many of you know I've gone through four cervical spine surgeries, so finding a quality orthopedic specialist for me that was crucial. 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That's zocdoc.com/b i bocock.com/biv 5 (15m 46s): Bringing backwards. 6 (15m 49s): Wow. And were you doing similar things? Just covers Different covers or 8 (15m 53s): Just kinda stuff that I've doing for fun too. 6 (15m 56s): Ok, cool. So then when you get to LA is that when you start writing these songs that are up on your Spotify and everything? 8 (16m 4s): Yeah, when I came to LA I really, I really strongly wanna focus on music. It's like my main focus. So I song write, I work with co-writers as well and we, I'll come up with like an idea of a song and kind of like scratch it a little bit, like write it from scratch and then I bring it into the studio with my producers and we make it kind of come to life and I just wanna keep making music. I write about things that like I relate to or I experience and I just really enjoy it and I love like having people listen and relate to it as well. 6 (16m 37s): Sure. Wow. So when you get to Los Angeles you, you meet with producers and you put bad, is the first song you release or was it one before that? 8 (16m 47s): I don't remember. I think I think Bad was Okay. Yes, I, I believe so. That one was one of my favorites. I really like that 6 (16m 56s): One. Yeah, tell me about that. Like how, what was it like, you know now, now you're in la you're in this big city and you're working with producers and like everything's kind of happening right at this point and then you write this song and what was it like going into these writing rooms and then eventually putting out your first song? Tell me about that. 8 (17m 12s): It was such a cool experience I think because Bad was like the first ever song that I wrote from something that I like relate to. So it was almost like, it's almost like a diary, like a journal, like getting something out there that's like kind of a part of you. And so it was the first thing I thought it was super cool that I was able to take one of my experiences and like bring it to life through music. I really enjoyed it. I worked with amazing producers on that song and yeah, I really liked, I did a music video as well. The music video was a lot of fun to film. It was like, it was like one of my first ever like super like all out big camera music video. It was was cool. 6 (17m 50s): What was that like? Yeah, where did you shoot it? What was the premise of the video? I haven't, I didn't see that one. 8 (17m 54s): We shot it at Playground LA which is a dance video, a famous dance studio California. And they have, we made it kind of like a school setting with like lockers and it was kind of like a being like an actress on set, which was cool. 6 (18m 9s): Very cool. That's awesome. And then the, you put out a, you, you've put out a handful of songs. I mean the most recent one was is Porcelain Queen, correct? That's the newest one. 8 (18m 19s): Yes. Porcelain Queen is the most recent one. I've just released that on September 16th. 6 (18m 24s): Okay, so after you put out that first song, it's out there on Spotify in the, in the world, like it, is it, were you worried about like how it was gonna, or you know, people were gonna react to it or did you test it on TikTok or like how did you, like how did you feel once it was out in the world? 8 (18m 42s): I don't, I like when I released songs I'm not like focused on like how many streams I get or 6 (18m 47s): That's good. That's a good thing. 8 (18m 49s): I truly release music because I like it, I enjoy it and I hope other people can relate to it and if they do and if they don't it doesn't really matter cuz it's like, it's just what I love doing. So yeah, I didn't, I mean I love like when people always like I have people DM me on Instagram and be like, Hey I really like your music. Like I really related to this song and that makes me feel like super proud because music is kind of a way for people to like express their emotions 6 (19m 15s): For sure. That's a great attitude to have instead of looking at numbers and being like, Oh I didn't do what I hoped, you know, or whatever it may be, you can get, I'm sure it's easy to get caught up in that. 8 (19m 25s): Yeah. 6 (19m 27s): So from, from that, like prior to, I mean after you put the video out and I wanna talk to you about Porcelain Queen, but what, what would you say, was there another big moment in between putting out your first song and putting out this current one that kind of kept you going or was like a big milestone or like a big validating thing that happened? 8 (19m 45s): Well for a while after releasing like that and gimme that and like three of those songs, I took a break off music and really focused on growing my social media again. And after that I got back into the music space and that's where I just released Picture Perfect Love and Parson Queen and hopefully I, I'm in the process of writing more and songwriting and hopefully I can release some stuff soon. 6 (20m 9s): Oh cool. So are these all new ones then? So you, you had those first out and then you stopped for a minute to, to focus on your social media present 8 (20m 19s): Pour Link Queen and Picture Perfect Love are the two most recent ones, 6 (20m 22s): Right. But I mean as far as writing the songs went, you said you took some time off to do Right, the social media stuff. Okay. And then you, what, was there something that kind of got you back in like, oh I, you know, I really wanna get back in the studio, I really wanna start focusing on music again? 8 (20m 37s): I think it was just like, I always like, I always wanted to write more and get in more in the music space and so I think it was just more like, okay, I'm ready. Like I have an idea, I wanna put it out there and I'm gonna write. And it was just, I don't know, it's just kind, I just kind of do it when I feel like it. And again, I really like realize like I don't, I don't really wanna focus too much on the social media space. I wanna be back to focusing on being an artist because that's where, that's where I truly am. 6 (21m 5s): And tell me about those two songs and Picture Perfect Love in Porcelain Queen. What were those, the premise of those songs? Did you come into the, the session with an idea for what you wanted to write? 8 (21m 17s): Yeah, so Picture Perfect Love was, it was actually written about one of my past relationships and it was really just about how you thought like you had this picture perfect relationship but in the end it doesn't work out and it's really hard to see like that person you love like move on in life and with other people. So I felt like it was a song that not only I could relate to, but anyone who's been through a tough breakup can relate to. Sure. So I really just wanted to put that out there. And the second song was Porcelain Queen. Porcelain Queen was a song I wrote based off mental health awareness. So Porcelain Queen is about how you can have this traumatic event that kind of breaks you and shatters you and you can't really be like put back together in the same way, but it does make you a stronger and better person in the end. 8 (22m 4s): So yeah, 6 (22m 5s): I love that. I love that. Are you, it sounds like you're a big advocate for mental health. 8 (22m 10s): Yes. I mean I, I do, I'm a anti-bullying speaker as well, so 6 (22m 14s): Oh wow. 8 (22m 15s): Yeah, I'm going on the tour soon called Be a Boss, Not a Bully. And I'm gonna be speaking out about anti-bullying. 6 (22m 21s): That's incredible. Is that from personal experience that you've had? 8 (22m 25s): Yes, and of course I hear a lot of stories that other kids and teens go through, so I just wanna use my platform in a good way. 6 (22m 33s): That's awesome. Are you, I'm just curious cuz having the social media presence you have and and doing what you're doing, like were you still in, are you like high school when this stuff was happening or did you end up, I mean I would imagine you probably went to the homeschool thing or doing something separate from that? Or are you like, did you have to like attend school and have like this big presence of people like, oh, tag me in your post, or you know, all that type of 8 (22m 56s): Yeah, so when I, I homeschooled now I'm in high school, I'm homeschooled now and I do like an online school program, but when I went to in-person school it was back in Michigan, it was very weird. Like at first it was great, but then when my social media grew it kinda changed like the way people like treated me and I noticed, I don't know, I think it was, I think they got like a little bit jealous because the things they would say is like, Oh, you fake followers. Like you're nothing like, we don't, like I noticed a lot of people kind of turning against me when my social media grew and I was not only bullied by the kids, I was actually bullied by their parents and teachers. 8 (23m 38s): What? 6 (23m 39s): Yeah, really 8 (23m 41s): Even That's cool. Like I remember getting like detention for like, no reason from a teacher, no reason. She's like, you're in detention. I'm like, for what? And then she like made up some stupid excuse. But yeah, it was, it was rough for me towards the end. It was kind of just an environment where I didn't wanna surround myself in anymore. So that's when I left and my mom's like, That's it, we're going to LA 6 (24m 4s): Good for her and good for you. 8 (24m 6s): Thank you. 6 (24m 7s): Wow. Oh my gosh, a teacher, she's like, Oh my dance video only got like 15 likes, like so angry and just put you in detention for it. Oh man, my, I have a son that's around your age and he, when he was in middle school or before Covid happened, that was, or maybe it was, I can't remember, but like his PE teacher like made all the kids follower on Instagram. Like, what is this? Like this is so random. 8 (24m 38s): That is so odd. 6 (24m 40s): Yeah. So I mean that's, it blows my mind that that's that big of a deal. But I can see how, you know, kids would be jealous and bully and just, yeah, total jealousy thing or tag me in your stuff. I interviewed somebody that had similar, where they had, they were on a Disney show and then they had this huge social media following and then some guy like asked her to prom but said, but I'm only gonna go with you if you post a picture on your feed and tagged me in it just like, what? 8 (25m 8s): Feel bad. That's so mean. 6 (25m 10s): Yeah, it's wild. Well, congratulations. I mean on the success that's so awesome that you're doing this anti-bullying thing. I think that's awesome. I think people need to hear other stories, especially from people like yourself that have these big platforms and are, it had been in through similar situations as somebody that may not have the same, you know, leverage or whatever. But I think that's awesome. 8 (25m 35s): Thank you. 6 (25m 35s): Yeah. And what about your, you have the poin queen's, the newest, and then do you have another stuff coming out soon or just focusing on that one? 8 (25m 44s): I mean, right now I'm kind of just like chilling, like writing when I want to. I'm not sure like what I'm gonna release next. So I mean obviously there's gonna be something coming up and yeah, not sure yet, but one day 6 (25m 58s): I love it. I have one more quick question before I let you go. I want to know if you have any advice for aspiring artists? 8 (26m 3s): For an inspiring artist? 6 (26m 5s): Yeah, 8 (26m 7s): Any advice? Just for like any upcoming artists? 6 (26m 10s): Yeah, anyone that's, you know, something that you've learned along the way. Maybe someone sitting at home, like how did you know? How did you get to the point where she's at now? 8 (26m 20s): I would say the one thing I learned and the one lesson that everyone should take is to always be yourself through your music, through your looks, through your branding. I think don't try to like change yourself because this person gets more clout if they do this or this person gets more success if they do this. I think really stay true to your sound, what you enjoy, what you like and that's how you're gonna be happy in the end with everything that you create.