Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Carly at SANGKRIT.net, please tell our netizens about yourself.
Carly Krantz: My name is Carly Krantz and I’m a southern rock singer from Atlanta, GA. I’ve been playing piano a writing music since I was a kid but I wasn’t always able to sing. It was something I decided I wanted to do in high school, so I joined choir and practiced 24/7 until I sounded even halfway decent. When I turned 21 I joined a band called Kenotia and we signed to Sumerian Records out of LA. We released our ep You’ve Dug Your Grave, Now Lie in It in October 2007 and had multiple songs on MTV’s The Hills. After Kenotia disbanded I started working with different producers and writers in Atlanta and really focused on my songwriting. After working with so many talented musicians I finally found my musical niche in country/southern rock music. I’m currently working on my first solo ep and I hope I have it recorded by the end of this year. You can keep up with my shenanigans at https://www.facebook.com/CarlyKrantz
Shardul Pandey: Would you like to briefly explain your sound, your First EP to people who have not yet heard your music ? How long have you been working on this project for ? Tell us about the songs which you have already recorded/written ?
Carly Krantz: My sound is southern rock/country influenced. I’ve always loved the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and even Kid Rock’s newer stuff because I feel like it’s a good solid mix of country and rock and that’s what I hope to capture with my ep. I’ve been writing with a very talented writer named Jeff Silver who lives in Atlanta and we have been working on this batch of songs for a good 6 months, but really I’ve been working towards this specific project for the past couple of years, experimenting and trying to find where my voice belongs.
The songs I have now are different from any songs I’ve written in the past not just because of content but even just the thought process behind them. Being in an indie rock band, you kind of have the liberty to just say what’s on your mind, but when you’re writing mainstream music and especially country music, you really have to put in a lot of thought as to what you’re saying and how you’re saying it. Sometimes Jeff and I will spend an hour on writing just one line, which is something I’ve never done before but you can definitely see the quality difference in the lyrics i’m writing now as opposed to lyrics I wrote 5 years ago. As far as lyrical content, the songs are loosely based on me but are more relatable to the general public and that’s something I’ve never done before. I used to write songs so specific to my situation that I think it may have been hard for people to relate to but the songs I have now can be enjoyed by anybody.
Shardul Pandey: You said that your most important goal is to finish writing songs in Nashville with top country songwriter. Do you have any ultimate goals ? Success can mean many different things so what does success mean to you ?
Carly Krantz: My ultimate goal is and always has been to be able to make a decent living off of music and to be able to tour most of the year. I’ve never specifically wanted to be a superstar, I’ve always just wanted to be able to do music full time. If I could look into my future a few years, what I’d really like to see is me touring 500 person venues and writing for other artists. I don’t need a label, if that comes along it’s a bonus. I just want music to be my career. Success can mean a lot of different things to different people, and I think someone is successful when they’re completely happy and satisfied with what they’ve achieved.
Shardul Pandey: So how our netizens can help you finish and record your EP with professional musicians and producers ?
Carly Krantz: I really struggled with the idea of a fundraising campaign for myself, it’s not something I decided overnight. I hate asking for help and I especially hate asking for money but when I got the invite to Nashville and Atlanta, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to travel, record and pay musicians unless I reached out for assistance. The main reason I gave in and created my campaign was because Indiegogo creates a reward system for both parties, so not only are people donating to me but I also get to give them things in return. People can see what my campaign is all about here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-carly-record-her-solo-ep
And yes, donations help me immensely but even just sharing the link on Facebook is a huge help!
The most important thing I want to leave people with is that this ep is something I’ve wanted to do my entire life, my music on my terms the way I want to do it. It’s something I’ve been working towards for the past 13 years and to get to finish this ep would be a dream come true. I truly appreciate every one’s help whether it was money, sharing my links or just a general appreciation for the music I’ve created, it means the world to me and it’s not something I’ll ever take for granted. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you!!!