Kai Exos is one of America’s most up-and-coming musicians of this time. The Toronto based singer and songwriter Kai creates a one-of-a-kind sound from his creative Lo-fi, Rnb and jazz techniques. Kai is a native of Miami and spends his days currently writing and producing in LA, he is a prominent soul music advocate and has managed to accumulate as many as +30k monthly listeners on Spotify as well as growing his fanbase to +50k.
Growing up around God and musicology, Kai was gifted with harmony from a young age. “Both my parents are musical and all four of my grandparents as well. Music was such a joyful thing for us growing up in and out of the church. I would wake up to my mom or grandma playing music so it was just part of my makeup.” Kai was very close to his mother, she, being a female powerhouse, taught Kai many things about life and music “Every single moment in the first 10 years of my life was connected to my mom.”
Kai’s head was forever submerged in books throughout his childhood his fate was to become a songwriter “I was reading full novels at like 5…I also read every single thing in the house, anything that came in – newspapers, flyers, catalogues, encyclopedias, everything. I was obsessed with words. I was that kid who my mom was like, ”If you’re bored read the dictionary” and I totally would do it.” To this day Kai uses his bookworm interests in his music, he says “I’ve grown from privately writing in a journal as a kid, to now where I tend to write stuff down with the melody in my head. There are times that I can make a song in under two hours, like on ‘Big Dream’, we did that in two hours. There were five of us in the studio. It just happened. “
Kai delivers universal messages through his work and the artists and brands he creates for, his music style is signature and cannot be found elsewhere! Kai is clever when it comes to distinguishing individuality in his work, he explains he has a certain tonal frequency, whether he is singing or playing an instrument, he calls this the “pocket”. He goes on to say “I like to ask “What is this song about?” or “What is it that we’re trying to say in the composition.” Kai’s musical production is a little bit more technical because he never wants to “overwork” a song “like not to sit there for hours, days, weeks, messing around just get in the flow and let it happen. It’s an adventure. You want to do it at the moment that it is in and it’s so wild.” A hallmark of Kai’s music is the consistent sound if you go back in time to his track “Vigilante” and compare it to newest track ‘We Don’t Care” you can hear Kai’s signature flare in both. Kai goes on to explain his signature is “what feels right and it feels good. I liken music to sex like I don’t really know why it’s fun and enjoyable and silly and romantic, but it is and thank goodness.”
In 2013 and 2014 Kai was blessed with his first ever world tour for his critically-acclaimed debut album “Telegraph” featuring 11 well-produced tracks. Since then he has played a huge range of shows across North America and overseas including House of Blues, Piano Bar, NXNE’s Main Stage, Sundance Film Festival, Rockwood, London UK, Indie Week Ireland, Soho House, Sofar Sounds, Camp Wavelength, amongst other legendary venues. Kai’s most well-known moment was when he performed as the headliner for Cannes Lions Festival. Kai’s self-titled R&B iconoclast EP followed the spring of 2018 along with tracks, “Fire & Brew” and “Hold Out The Light” – which accumulated 5MM+ worldwide streams and appeared on #14 on Billboard’s Next Big Sound.
“I’m a mixed-up third culture kid so all of those elements just blend together…” – KAI EXOS Kai’s latest body of music “Houseplants” consists of 10 signature tracks, it indulges all of Kai’s jazz, Lo-fi, RnB techniques “It’s all a mix and blend for sure. Like there’s, classical things in there. There are afro beats in there. It’s a lot of stuff that comes together in the final collection… I’m a mixed-up third culture kid so all of those elements just blend together” says Kai. From the album “Houseplants” Kai’s biggest hit yet “We Don’t Care” has gained massive attraction it was described “the best example of his ability to rally listeners and get the party started” by The Mermaid Music. Kai explains the concept behind “We Don’t Care”; “Martha Reeves’ “Dancing in the Street” was really the inspiration. That’s the spot I wanted to be in. Because I mean, my hope is when it’s safe for us to emerge, that the way that we come together is like it was in the 60s. I love that era and the togetherness and awareness of civil and human rights. Music is really the thing that brings us together and gives us hope at the risk of being an idealist. When I wrote the song I really thought of a parade like Carnival or Mardi Gras where it’s that kind of energy."
Expect Kai Exos to become a household name in the upcoming years, with his high ambition and skilled songwriting the American musician is one to watch. In two years time, Kai thinks “the way that I create music and the way that the volume of music that I create will be… double. For even farther into the future, I’d love to just be a hologram in your house, in your living room. You could change what I’m wearing if you don’t like it. Change the setlist, everything. Either that or let’s sell out arenas. (laughs).”
See the full feature on Equate Magazine here.
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