Karisa On Expressing Herself Through Art And Her Las Vegas Inspired Single ‘Sin City’

An artist you need to know!

If you haven’t been listening to pop artist Karisa, then you are definitely missing out. Her discography is amazing, especially her newest single ‘Sin City’, which takes you right to the Las Vegas strip.

We had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Karisa about her music evolution, ‘Mirage’, and more!

When did you first realize that you wanted to pursue a career in music ?

K: “I’d say the moment that made me realize “this is what I really want to do with my life” was when I saw Avril Lavigne’s Sk8er Boi music video. I was at a friend’s birthday party and she had a Wii with this music game on it. I don’t remember what game it was, but you’d sing along and try to hit all the notes. I saw Avril and thought, “she’s so cool, and she’s just being herself. I want to be like that too!” It was amazing to see a woman in the music industry just doing her own thing. This moment really inspired me to follow my dreams, and follow a career that wasn’t as conventional as other jobs.”

Can you tell us more about your amazing new single “Sin City” and how it came to be?

K: “Sin City” was written about a love that once was. It tells the story of gambling on love even if it means risking getting hurt. The idea came together two days before I was leaving for Las Vegas. I felt inspired by the vibes of the city, and wanted to build the imagery around that. This may have been the fastest song we ever wrote and recorded. We worked for hours well into the night trying to create the perfect melodies. Once we made the beat everything else flowed quickly. I also explored my vocal range a lot more in this song and in the harmonies, which I’m super excited for listeners to hear.”

If you had to choose, what has been your favorite single you’ve released so far and why?

K: “This is a tough one, I have a few favorites because they have a lot of deep meaning. If I had to name just one I would choose “Mirage” from my Endless Summer EP. This song captured exactly what I’d hoped it would— the end of summer. As a kid summer’s end meant going back to school; the ending to long hot days with friends and family and having to take life more seriously. In some ways I still feel that now, because during the summer I feel so free. There’s that nostalgia that summer days bring, and Mirage captures that. I’m most proud of the guitar solos I wrote in this song too, the guitar embodies a sense of longing words alone can’t express. I also want to give a big shoutout to my producer and co-writer Luke, he is brilliant and helps all my visions come to life! I wouldn’t be able to do this without him.”

Your music videos are so good! What is your general process when it comes to creating these visuals for your songs, as well as deciding which songs to do visuals for?

K: “Thank you! That means so much to me! The creation for my songs begins with a mood board, I build a story through found images and create a colour palette to work off of. I choose words for the lyrics that I associate with This imagery and create an entire aesthetic. The music videos for “Cherry Wine” and “Hostage of Paradise” were both created in collaboration with DuzziDaze, whose style is incredibly unique. She’s a Toronto-based videographer, and her entire vibe is something I’ve never seen before! It’s her magic that takes the aesthetic of a mood board and turns it into a reality. She and I are always on the same page, she just gets me and understands the vibes perfectly. In terms of choosing which songs to make a video for, I’d say it’s become a really fun way to promote each single that I release while also exercising creativity! So lately every song has been getting a music video or will be getting one. The Endless Summer EP will be having one out soon, also in collab with DuzziDaze!”

How do you think you’ve grown as both a singer and a person since your debut EP in 2020 to
now?

K: “I have grown in so many ways, I honestly have changed more in the past 4 years than I could’ve
ever imagined. When we wrote Vaporcoast in the beginning of 2020, I was facing a lot of
struggles with my grandparents aging and losing their independence. I was incredibly sad to see
them going through this, and wanted to write songs that were happier, sort of like a distraction
from my life. During the recording of this EP, I really struggled to find my voice and be comfortable with it. Recording a song is such a different experience than singing into a mic on stage or singing aloud. It was a learning curve for me, and I’d say I’ve only gotten very comfortable with it around my release of “Hostage of Paradise” in 2023. Luke has helped me to find my voice and learn how to record, and my mother, who’s operatically trained, helped me learn proper technique. Since my initial release of Vaporcoast my music has taken on more of a melancholic twist. I like to undermine lyrics that seem almost surface-level with lyrics are a lot darker in nature. This also reflects how much I’ve changed. I’ve experienced a lot of loss since 2020, and it’s definitely changed me. I tend to contemplate the concept of loss now a lot more, which directly influences my music.”

Can we talk about your art skills? You are amazing! At what point did you notice your talent
and how do you get inspiration for your work?

K: “Awe thank you! I’ve been painting since I was little, my mother raised me with a paintbrush in hand. I never thought I was that good at it until I was asked to paint a picture of the school in Grade 7. That inspired me to Try out for an art-based high school. When I made it into the program, they had us creating paintings, and I started to realize how much I could express myself through paint! The first painting I made that I actually loved was a circus-themed painting inspired by The Smashing Pumpkins’ album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. I loved the album so much and felt so inspired by the artwork and the songs that I painted what it made me feel. I get inspired a lot by music, and by other artists’ work or photography.”

What would you consider to be the most validating moment in your career thus far?

K: “I think it has been hearing people say they love one of my songs, or hearing how it makes them feel. To be able to connect emotionally to the listener through your music is an amazing experience. It really inspires me to keep going. I also felt so happy when I was featured in Earmilk for my single “Next to You.” That was a pretty cool moment!”

Where can we follow your amazing journey?

K: “You can follow my journey on Instagram @karisamusic and on TikTok @karisamusicofficial. You can also see all my recent video uploads on my YouTube Karisamusic and visit my website which is www.Karisamusic.com“

Make sure to stream ‘Sin City’, available now on all music platforms!

Je’Kayla Crawford– Founder and Director– Je’Kayla has been a journalist for years and decided to start a publication of her own, New Scene Magazine, back in October 2020. When not helping her team and working on their print issues, you can find her watching a movie on Netflix or baking using a viral TikTok recipe.