by Donte Kirby
K.Flay, the nickname given to Kristine Flaherty during her time at Stanford, is bad with names. As an artist it’s what she goes by. She sits on the equipment case in the alleyway behind the TLA in Philadelphia, feet dangling and clad in a black, leather spike studded jacket looking as cool as you would expect (probably more) a rapper to be. K.Flay has a bit of a cold and she apologizes if her voice sounds a little scratchy but it’s the last leg of Icona Pop’s Iconic tour and to be fatigued or sick is to be expected, the show must go on.
The Iconic tour isn’t K.Flays first time at the rodeo, she’s been riding this bull for three years. In the past she would perform alone, now K.flay is accompanied by a DJ and drummer which she says is less stress. Although the Iconic tour is a little different from her usual crowd.
“It’s kinda a girl power show that talks to the kids. Every night there’s a healthy contingent of young girls at the show,” says K.Flay enjoying the opportunity to reach a different audience. Whatever the crowd it doesn’t change how she performs.
“I have fun every night. I enjoy turning something made in the studio into a live performance.” When it comes to knowing how the transformation turned out, “it’s hard to judge, everyone consumes music differently, sometimes I just want to sit there and be still.”
K.Flay’s latest release was the EP What If It Is which she says “is about being a little outside of things. You look at the things you’ve done, your dreams and goals and feel a disconnect.”
Despite what the themes of What If It Is might be, it is more up tempo than her previous work, “it’s all sonically upbeat, except for the last song which is more of a ballad.”
When the interview is over and we part ways, ten minutes before her Philly show, I walk pass the contingent of young girls K.Flay spoke of, eager and giddy to see what K.Flay, Icona Pop and Sirah do best.
