Exclusive Interview with John Kairis

Artist Spotlight: John Kairis

Musician and songwriter John Kairis celebrates the release of “Come on now, that’s not how you do it” off his latest album, Magic Flag. The Indie folk single features J. Meddow (Javonte Meddow) as a vocalist and creative partner.
 

John Kairis’ musical foundation combines a knack for instruments with higher level composition studies. Raised in Delaware, his first foray into instruments began as a young child learning the piano. “I learned the basics - scales, chords, harmony. I didn’t pick up the piano as a major instrument again until college. At that time, I was into midi synths using the keyboard as my apparatus. It wasn’t until my 20s that I learned a more technical approach,” shares Kairis. As a teenager, John Kairis picked up the guitar and joined the Wilmington School of Rock. Around that time, he started a punk band with friends called “Static Yaks,” which later morphed into a solo electronic alias when the band dissolved.

As one of music’s most enduring voices, John Kairis reveals what fuels their creativity and keeps them grounded.

MusicsWeek: What keeps you motivated and inspired on a daily basis?

John Kairis: I am motivated and inspired by the innate strength of the human spirit, the many gifts given unto me by God, including breath, thought, sense, and intuition. Each day, I attempt to do what is required of me.

MusicsWeek: How do you balance your personal life with the demands of a music career?

John Kairis: They both must exist harmoniously, and one cannot exist without the other. Music is a vocation that demands regular attention but can also be smothered from overwork and obsession. People, and spirits, are like that too. And so we must refresh ourselves with genuine interaction and communion with the world. 

 

MusicsWeek: What helps you stay grounded amid the pressures of fame and success?

John Kairis:I am grounded by family, by my faith community, and by my girlfriend, who all connect me to the real. 

MusicsWeek: How do you remain authentic while continuing to grow and evolve as an artist?

John Kairis: Growth and evolution are the most authentic, natural things there are. We can see it in nature. There are periods of relative stagnation, but change is a constant. 

MusicsWeek: How do you view failure and success in your career and life?

John Kairis: What a wonderful question. Within failure, there is a great opportunity for success. The wound will heal. Within success, there are many opportunities for failure. The higher we fly, the further we fall, and we all must fall, and the dead must rise.  

MusicsWeek: What drives you to keep creating music, even during challenging times?

John Kairis: Challenging times provide the best opportunities and the greatest necessary for creating music. For one, I often understand the world and myself through writing music. And writing a song can provide great hope, to the songwriter and to those who see themselves in the story told. Many a musician will tell you of how they wrote some of their greatest work while absolutely broken, but determined to heal. 

MusicsWeek: Outside of music, what activities or hobbies bring you joy?

John Kairis: I enjoy the company of loved ones around a good meal, out on a stroll through town or some natural landscape, out at a show of some sort, appreciating fine art in a museum. There are many wonderful things to do as a human being. Mostly, I focus on my vocation. 

MusicsWeek: How do you define happiness and fulfillment in both your personal life and your career?

John Kairis: Happiness is always there if we can grasp it. Oh joy that seekest me through pain. It's not always painful though, sometimes it's just real good, the joy. I would define happiness and fulfillment in moments, and also the grand arc of the universe. 

MusicsWeek: Beyond charts and awards, how do you measure success for yourself?

John Kairis: I'm very proud of all my releases. They are my children, and I think they're good songs. Every time I release a record, I feel a touch of sadness over leaving it behind. So, I love producing music, and I love performing. I would measure success in moments. Some of my most precious moments have been playing songs for close friends and loved ones. 

MusicsWeek: What advice would you give to emerging artists striving to find their own voice in the industry?

John Kairis: Speak your voice, and you will find it. Sing your voice, it is there.