Interview by Carol Wright | Photo Courtesy of Highland Kites
We got to chat with musical duo Highland Kites about their music-making process and their song “Long Road.”
Marissa, beating a severe case of neurologic Lyme Disease led you to music. During this chaotic year with the coronavirus pandemic has music been an outlet for you?
It definitely has, though it has been on and off in terms of wanting to write or feeling inspired. I did manage to write and finish a lot of songs, which is good, but there was a long period in there where I sort of took a break and focused on other things for a bit, which I honestly needed. I realized that I gain a lot of inspiration from interacting with humans, going out, and experiencing life. The lockdown put me in an odd headspace for a little while, but I did come out of it and start writing again which I am VERY happy about.
Tell our readers about your song “Long Road.” What story are you trying to tell through the song?
It’s really about finding myself again and realizing that all the things I had thought were “flaws” were just part of me. It’s about a period of growth where I shed some people, mindsets, and ideas from my life and came out with greater respect and love for who I am as a person. I think learning to love or even truly respect yourself can come with intense growing pains, and I was moving through those when this song was written.
“Long Road” surpassed 10K streams which was a huge moment. Have streaming services played an important role in you two finding new listeners?
I think it has! It’s hard to see how many people who are streaming your music end up following you, etc but I think it all matters and makes a difference in the long run.
Do you think the collaboration process has become easier for you two over time?
I think so, but we’ve honestly always been sort of natural with our collaboration process which I feel grateful for. We have a rhythm and way we work that we figured out early on and it just seems to work for us and run pretty smoothly. We’ve been in a band together for seven years or so now, been on six tours through the US, have done tons of shows, and at this point just really know each other and how the other works and thinks. I think if you can survive six tours together and still like one another, you can be friends for life.
Has the process changed at all as the world was in and out of quarantine / lockdowns?
I actually started really diving into production and recording. We both had to because we weren’t able to see each other in person for so long (a mix of quarantine and us living in separate states for almost two years). So I think if anything we got a bit more efficient and creative with how to make art under any circumstance or despite any barriers. We produced the last few songs ourselves and I don’t know if we would have been able to do that if we didn’t have to work out how to adapt a bit when the world started changing.
What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?
Stay true to your artistic vision, stay persistent, remember why you’re making art, and have fun. Try not to get too involved in things like numbers and what it all means, just make great art and communicate your truth, your audience and team will build. Also, keep learning and creating, you get better with everything you make so make as much art as you possibly can. It’s weird with social media – we get the feeling or idea sometimes that we have to share everything about ourselves, everything we create, and every part of our process, but I truly feel there’s part of this process we need to keep private, for our own growth and our own mental health. We don’t need to put every piece of art we make on display to get judged in some way. We can just create, give ourselves the room to make things that maybe aren’t so good, and then move on and make something better. I guess my point is it’s good and ok to make and share a lot of art, but you don’t have to share everything about yourself always. Realizing this has helped me with my creativity and mental health immensely.
Keep up with Highland Kites on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, and YouTube.