ARTIST SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

Tell us about the key contributors to this project.

The KarynO Project is a solo artist endeavor for me.  I not only wrote the music and lyrics, but also performed all the instrumental parts,  keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, vocals and beyond!  In addition, I was also the producer, engineer and took it all the way through to mastering everything myself.  Two of the tracks included are collaborations with my former songwriting partner/guitarist and a top pro drummer friend from a busy time back when I was writing songs for feature films.

Who/what influenced this release? 

The creation of the KarynO Project was driven by a number of things including an excitement to get back into songwriting to express a lot of built up inner music concepts and personal expressions.  It has been exhilarating to “turn the tap back on” and start letting out all these new ideas again - the songs in my mind just start pouring out - even at times when I’m trying to go to sleep!

The concept for the album was originally more progressive rock in the beginning but evolved more into art rock, album oriented rock and ballads.   I purposefully created a story for the voice of the songs, with personal emotions of the personality being presented in the stories.  

What's the story behind this release? 

I’m celebrating the release of this all new music after a long hiatus from the industry and creating music after experiencing some bumps in the road of life, and also moving many times to different areas of the US.  I’m back and stronger than ever - and back home - in California!

Tell us what makes this release stand out and why it's unique.

Probably the most significant thing is that my creative voice lives in a bubble - so I don’t get overly influenced by trends to I do keep up with modern music production which can help sculpt the sound in many ways.  As such, it an album full of adventure and surprises with a lot of emotions expressed.  There’s a range of bright uplifting songs, to deeply personal or thought invoking darker recesses of the mind.  My hope is that it touches people in a way that connects individually, and is memorable and unique.

What was unique about the recording process? 

All of the music was written and created conceptually first - then recorded within Logic Pro, which is a state of the art digital audio workstation technology for recording and soundware.  Additionally, I used Ample Guitars and Synthesizer V for sound sources.   These kinds of tools are cutting edge and seem a bit like science fiction compared to the days of multitrack analog tape - it’s amazing, studio quality recording right on a MacBook Pro laptop! 

Do you have any recent or upcoming performances to highlight?

I won’t be playing any live shows any time soon as I’m currently a solo studio recording artist and don’t have a group of supporting players assembled at this time.  Meanwhile there are already plans to release a follow up album - “The Karyn O Project Volume II”, in late 2025.

You mentioned writing songs for feature films - tell us more.

I had a period of about 10 years where I was making a lot of industry connections in L.A. and was given the opportunity to write songs to fit for specific placements in successful film projects with headliners including Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage, Emilio Estevez, Sean Penn, Judd Nelson, Charlie Sheen, Pete Berg, Woody Harrelson, Hank Azaria, Cary Elwes, Gilbert Gottfried, Clint Howard, Greg Evigan and more.

Could you share a memorable quote about this release or your journey as an artist?

Whatever you can imagine is possible through music!  It also can be very cathartic for the writer and listeners to participate in.

Is there anything additional that would be valuable for people to know? 

Prepared to be surprised with each different track and record release - I’m a unique and somewhat mercurial artist that is likely to change styles and genres when you least expect it.  Stay tuned!