Never Retallack | Entertainment Editor
Interested in hearing music from a unique artist? Check out Kali Das, a musician living in New Mexico, reaching out to universities on his college radio tour so that his music travels far and wide.
Q: Tell me a bit about yourself, how long have you been making music?
K: I have been recording music for over ten years. I mainly play synthesizer and guitar although I am more well-versed in synth.
Q: What inspired you to start creating music?
K: I initially started playing music as a part of my spiritual practice. I did a lot of chanting music but have transitioned from that to more mainstream music. I still try to put out conscious messages that I feel will help the audience or make them think. I think though I wanted to have some separation from my spiritual practice and my music although I guess they are still interlinked in a more subtle way.
Q: What is your goal when it comes to producing music?
K: My main goal is to be in the moment and expressive of where I am at for better or for worse. Musicians are either praised or ignored, and of course there is everything in between, but I think a true artist tries to express his own unique voice regardless of whether that voice is popular or not.
Q: How would you describe your music or your style?
K: It is multi-genre. Like many artists these days, I have so many influences that I do not particularly feel comfortable in a box. So I have done everything from hip-hop to world music.
Q: Are you part of a band? How exactly do you write and create your music?
K: I bring in musicians as needed. In terms of the writing process, I pretty much always write lyrics first if the song has lyrics. I try to focus on what I am trying to say. Once I have the lyrics and message, it becomes much easier to add instrumentation to drive the point home.
Q: Are you working on anything else besides music?
K: I am also a healer and have an energy/body work practice. I plan on getting a masters degree at some point but have been procrastinating.
Q: What are your implications with your new EP?
K: The lead song of the EP “Don’t Vote 4 Trump” is a call to move our country in a more progressive direction. Trump and what he represents are not conducive to moving forward in a healthy way. The other songs are mainly love dirges. “So Beautiful,” for example, is a song about a guy who falls in love with his dentist, yet he doesn’t feel he’s good enough for her. That one is supposed to be funny. “Pale Blue Moon” was with regard to an epic heartbreak, epic for me, not necessarily for anyone else… “Learn to Fly” is about letting go of those we love when the time comes. The title of the album “Don’t Vote 4 Trump and other love songs” implies that even the first song is a love song because love isn’t always about a partner, but it’s also about your commitment to the world.
Q: Why are a couple of your songs on the EP purely instrumental, or rather, why no lyrics?
K: I just thought they were great songs. I feel music sometimes captures what words never can.
Q: What is the reaction you are hoping to receive from your EP? I am hoping it helps encourage people to be more open and expressive about who they are and to question the political process which has been dominated by money for decades now. Our political lobbyist and election systems need a total overhaul to get money out of politics, which I believe is possible, but there (are) a lot of powerful forces against change.
Q: What is the most important element of creating music for you?
K: Authenticity. There are a lot of talented people. A lot less authentic people. I have met a lot of people who will say something to your face, but something totally different is going on inside. I strive not to be that way. I strive to be authentic.
Q: Where can people find your music?
K: On my website kalidasworld.com or gottaimpeach.com It will also be on Spotify and Youtube and all major digital platforms on the official release date November 15.
Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu
Photos by Kali Das
