With “Don’t Come Around” out now, we took some time to hear from Ki To. Read below to learn more about Ki To, the story behind “Don’t Come Around,” and what’s to come.
Hi Ki To! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
Hi! Yes, so my legal last name is my mom’s last name, which is To. My first name, ‘Ki,’ was inspired by the word Qi, the Chinese word for energy. Although the Chinese pronunciation is different, if you pronounced it in an American way, it could be pronounced as ‘Ki.’ My hope is to give people energy through my performances!
What city are you from and where are you based now?
I’m currently predominantly in San Francisco! I’ve always been in and out of the Bay Area, so that’s where my roots are, but I’ve also lived in Los Angeles as well.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music?: How did you get started?
I started writing music when I was eighteen. It started off with poetry and then it got turned into a full notebook with pages and pages of lyrics. I started working on music when I was eighteen, but never fully found my sound until twenty-two!
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
I would describe my sound as dreamy and lush. My vocals skew a bit soft, and I typically try to go for a melancholic sound, so it can convey different feelings that I want to portray.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
Music adjacent, I love dancing! In fact, it’s my profession. It’s really interesting because my dance persona is so different from my music! When I dance, I typically have a strong attitude, but my music is soft and vulnerable.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
My main music influence is a genre itself rather than specific artists. I am just in love with indie and bedroom pop. To me, the songs just feel so raw and honest. I also love supporting small artists like myself. It feels like we’re in it together.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
I’m still far from where I want to be, so I wouldn’t say that I have a major moment that I can think of…But I would say the music video for ‘Don’t Come Around’ is something that I’ll be fond of for a very long time.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
If you show up for the people you love, they’ll show up for you in ways that they know how.
Now onto your release, ‘Don’t Come Around.’ What inspired this song? What is ‘Don’t Come Around’ about?
‘Don’t Come Around’ came about when I wanted to explore a different but similar sound. If you listen to previous tracks, the BPM was a lot slower. And for ‘Layin,’ although happier and upbeat, its still more on the bedroom pop side. During the creation of ‘Don’t come Around,’ I was inspired to try a bit more of a rock sound. When it was finished, I had imagery of school and the stories around my younger self. Due to the strong vision and my strong belief in the song, I just had to make a music video, and thus ‘Don’t Come Around’ era was born!
What was the creative process like when making ‘Don’t Come Around?’
It felt naturally like a glove. I think the key that the song is in made it feel more natural for me to record than my other tracks.
How long did it take to complete ‘Don’t Come Around?’
‘Don’t Come Around’ was complete within two to three weeks.
How did the music video for ‘Don’t Come Around’ come about? What was your vision for the video?
‘Don’t Come Around’ is special because the full cast of people involved were all of my friends. I really want to give them a special shoutout because they rallied for this! It’s also extra special because this was everyone’s first time on film, which in my opinion made the MV more authentic and natural. My vision/statement for this film was ‘An ODE to our youth’ which to me, meant rewriting all of our past negative experiences in grade school. ‘Don’t Come Around’ features a fully Asian cast with different ethnic backgrounds.
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
