A Rockstar In The Making: Kaia Jette
By Néya Sridhar
“I woke up in my crib as an infant, singing instead of crying.”
Kaia Jette; Photo Taken by Vasi Belokon
Kaia Jette always knew she wanted to be a rock star. Born and raised in Park City, Utah, Jette started out in the headliner band of “Park City Rockers.” This conservatory gave her the practice and experience she needed to navigate her passions. She did this for two years until parting ways for something better.
“I had roots in rock from the time I was 10 years old, and I’ve been performing live from the time I was 10 to now. Live performance is my favorite area of music because I love being able to connect with audiences and feel the energy in the room of sharing what I’ve made,” she said.
Jette’s mom found a program called “Caleb Chapman Soundhouse.” Jette explained, “Big names like Imagine Dragons came out of there. Basically, you go and audition, and then they place you in a band of a different genre. So if you make it into the program, they will place you.”
Jette had the opportunity to explore various different genres here, which she used to develop a diverse musical palette. These genres include vocal jazz, Latin jazz, soul-funk, and pop.
Caleb Chapman Soundhouse; Photos Given by Kaia Jette
Kaia Jette Performing at Park City Rockers
While this experience fed into Jette’s love for live performance, the pandemic shut down human interaction, causing Jette to get creative.
“When COVID hit, I couldn’t perform live anymore, so I thought, ‘I need to figure out my own projects.’ I had never written on my own before. I’ve written in bands, but for the most part, when I was trying to write on my own without a backing track, I didn’t know what to do,” she said.
Since she was already good at writing to melodies that were already pre-structured, Jette used YouTube beats to help guide her songwriting process. Jette recalled, “I started exploring with some indie pop. My first show with some of the songs that I had written, opening for a band called ‘Blue Rain Boots.’”
It was at this performance that Kaia Jette found her true calling: being a rockstar.
Kaia Jette Performing at The Viper Room; Photo Taken by Matt Sargent
Jette elaborated, “The slow indie-pop songs that nobody knew the words for just weren’t hitting for me as a performer, I was personally bored. And if I am bored, my audience is bored. So, I knew I needed to write some upbeat songs. I needed to have a drummer. I needed to be able to give every single person in the audience a fun experience, even if they don’t know a single word that I’m saying.”
“Let’s go back to my roots. Let’s start writing rock.”
Jette started posting covers of songs, acapella, consistently on TikTok. Her cover of “Arabian Nights” got over 13 million views. She asked herself, “How am I going to get all these people from my TikTok over to my Spotify?”
“Let’s take the pre-chorus, chorus, and melody of Arabian Nights. Let’s change the key, change the lyrics, change the genre. I basically wrote a rock song about Medusa. That first draft was the final draft lyrically,” she expressed.
To this day, “Medusa” is her favorite song to perform live. With the audience feeding her energy, Jette can bounce off it and have special moments on stage.
Kaia Jette “Medusa” Photoshoot; Photo Taken by Vasi Belokon
Jette calls many stages home. Having a mutual producer ultimately landed her a gig as an opening act for MTV sensation “Emblem3” on their North American tour in 2023.
“Tour is awesome. It’s phenomenal. But I think that it is not as glamorous as people think it is. Your workday starts at 2 p.m. and ends at one in the morning. And I’m not going to bed until four in the morning. Sleeping is hard since you’re in a moving car the entire night.”
Having to share one bathroom on a bus with nine others is not easy. Kaia shares a helpful tip regarding it. “ClassPass was so clutch because I could put in a filter for showers. I would just take a yoga or pilates class and shower after,” she revealed.
Kaia Jette and Drummer, Johnny Lugo, on Tour; Photo Taken by Matt Sargent
Despite the reality of life on tour, Jette believes that live performance makes it all worth it. She shapes her projects, as an artist, on the concept of having a fun experience live. “I feel like concerts are a really fun time for people. As an artist, you can really be the highlight of somebody’s week; maybe even their year. Music can change people’s lives, and especially in the live performance aspect, it can shift people’s mindset from a really dark place into a good one,” she expressed.
From sharing insights about tour life to discussing the inspiration behind her latest single, “Lovesick Idiot,” Jette’s authenticity shines through in every aspect of her career. Being inspired by Netflix’s hit show Lucifer, Jette wrote the single “Lovesick Idiot,” which was released on April 25, 2024.
“This song, actually, was the first song that I ever wrote as my own personal rock project. It took me maybe 30 minutes to write. I recorded a vocal demo in Salt Lake City, and six months later got it produced in LA,” she discussed.
“Lovesick Idiot” Photoshoot; Photo Taken by Joe Corea
“The song isn’t about me falling for anyone, but it’s about falling for the wrong person, or the devil. Lucifer, in the show, is charismatic and charming. People fall for him and there’s nothing that they can do about it.” “Lovesick Idiot,” is available on all streaming platforms.
Her advice to aspiring musicians is straightforward: dedication and passion. With unwavering commitment and a genuine love for music, anyone can flourish in the industry. “I don’t remember a time in my life, ever, that music wasn’t the plan. There is no Plan B. There’s never been a Plan B. There’s literally no other option.”
“It’s music or die,” she exclaimed.
Kaia Jette in “Sweet Talker;” Photo Taken by Vasi Belokon
Jette concludes the interview with an announcement. “My final song of the Greek mythology-themed Rock EP that I’ve been doing a waterfall release of, from ‘Medusa’ all the way down to ‘Lovesick Idiot,’ will be on my EP called Apollo that is dropping on May 30th,” she announced.
It is evident that Kaia Jette is an artist on the rise, certain to leave her mark on the music world.
Apollo will be available on all streaming platforms on May 30.
CONTACT:
Kaia Jette email: kaiajette.s@gmail.com
