Check out our interview with Los Angeles based talented Singer-Songwriter Kris Angelis who just released her new single “Win The Game” on June 17th.
Her newest single, “Win the Game,” reflects on the healing that must be done to be your best self when you’re at your worst. The slow mix of tender piano and heart aching cello, played by Dave Eggar (Coldplay, Beyoncé, Pearl Jam, Ray Lamontagne), launches a track that pulls at the heartstrings with every changing chord. The track, which centers on being real, raw, and vulnerable while fighting for the important things, encourages listeners to strip away societies desire for apathy and instead live in our emotions. Soft vocals billow and sway as the chorus grows to a satisfying swell of harmonies and layers of expertly crafted instrumentation.
Follow Kris @krisangelis
Hi Kris, please tell us a little about you?
I grew up on a farm with horses and cows in Northern Florida. I have an identical twin sister. I like playing board games and running charades, cooking, knitting, handwritten letters, reading, dancing, hiking, camping, and travel. I’m learning Spanish and Greek so I can visit where my family came from and speak their language.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Thoughtful, Excitable, Creative
We’re sure you have been asked this million times but how did you get in the industry?
I’ve always been drawn to music and performing and then I made friends with some talented professional musicians, learned a lot from them and just kept going!
How has this changed your life?
Pursuing music shifted me from the pursuit of acting which I did a lot of throughout school and for several years in LA. I still do act sometimes but it’s not my main focus. I also was going to be a Physical Therapist. I took all the biology/pre-med classes and got into the PhD program for Physical Therapy at USC but then decided to continue pursuing music instead.
Describe your sound in 3 words?
Organic, emotional, hopeful
Who influenced you and why did you choose to make music?
So many artists have influenced me but the most impactful has to be Brandi Carlile and her band Tim, and Phil Hanseroth. I had the extreme fortune of becoming friends with them at the beginning of their rise in music and getting to learn how to play, craft songs, tell stories, and behave with integrity and service from them was invaluable and probably the reason I’m still on this path today.
Do you play any instrument?
I play acoustic guitar and a little piano and ukulele
Do you ever get nervous?
I get nervous about things all the time! More about decisions in the creative process and anxiety to do with promotion than actually performing these days but I can still get nervous (or I like to frame it as excited) for a show where there a lots of people I know and care about in the audience.
Tell us about your new single “Win The Game?”
It’s a bigger production than a lot of what I’ve put out and I love it! It’s also piano based in the recording which is different because I mostly play acoustic guitar. Dave Eggar (Frank Ocean, John Legend, Taylor Swift, Coldplay) played cello on it and added so much awesome texture and moodiness to the track!
What’s the story behind the song?
The main idea behind the song was rejecting the idea of pretending you don’t care in situations of conflict or when you want something. That’s not really a game I want to win. I’d rather communicate with love and respect for myself and others. I have definitely done that clumsily/less than ideally so it’s also about acknowledging and apologizing for that and forgiving myself.
And about the success of your previous hit single “Run?”
Run has been getting a lot of play on SiriusXM which has been awesome as well as on FM stations around the US. I’m really happy with how that one turned out and it’s going to be on the upcoming album as well!
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
Getting to see how my music touches and inspires other people just as I have been affected by the music I love
What book should every entrepreneur read?
It’s not a business book but it’s called Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach. It helped me with dealing with the emotions and thoughts that come up in everyone’s life and definitely when you’re trying to make a career. It helped me understand how to allow my feelings so that they aren’t being suppressed while not letting the stories I tell myself about what’s going on take over my life. I think most people will tell you that mindset is huge in entrepreneurship.
What you would say are the greatest lessons you learned so far?
I’m still learning but I think its that you have to believe in yourself – it allows you to take risks and not get tangled up and pulled down by comparison, instead allowing you to learn from and connect with the people who are “above” you and be part of a community rather than feeling like you’re in a competition.
What advice would you give to your younger self and why?
Don’t believe the lies you’re telling yourself about not ever being good enough and not getting to have what you want.
How would your best friend describe you?
I have an identical twin sister named Alix. When I was very young, I called her Lalix and she called me Lalix because…if she’s a Lalix, I must be one too. I asked her and she said Spritely, Bubbly, Effervescent, Champaign, Caviar, Poetic 🙂
If you are a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
My first thought was “But Why?” because I was always wanting to understand the deeper cause of all kinds of things when I was little and I haven’t outgrown it. I’m learning to let go though.
What’s next for Kris Angelis in 2022?
I’m putting out the album “Damn Shame Waste” on Sept 9th
What is your favorite healthy food?
Broccoli
And your favorite cheat food?
Speculoos cookie butter
How would you explain your fashion style?
Comfort and a dislike of shopping – that’s true but really I like things that make me feel feminine, fun, and free
What is your own definition of happiness?
When you know your value, are grateful, and can embody and share love and joy in the world in an enthusiastic but peaceful way
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
There are so many, but one of them is Barack Obama. Because he seems fun and I’m inspired by his dedication to making communities better.
What would be the dream holiday, and who would you go with?
The places I’m craving to go of late are Greece, Bali, and Ireland and who I would go with is for me to know 😉
Best advice ever given?
If you don’t believe in yourself, why should I? Also, “keep going. The ones who make it are the ones who didn’t stop.”
Do you support any charity?
Greenpeace, Charity:Water
Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years from now?
I see myself playing large venues all over the world and working with great artists that I admire to make music and positive change
Favorite song? Why?
I have so many favorite songs I can’t choose just one because it depends on my mood but on of my favorites is Gregory Alan Isakov’s “Astronaut” His lyrics are so poetic. In that song there is a line that goes:
“Won’t you come to my house tonight
We could sleep on the floor
I got this window that looks out to Orion
I paid extra for
Oh forget about the sun
He’s forgotten us by now
Kiss me so I remember how”
And then there is this space in the music and you can just imagine the kiss. It paints such a lovely picture.
What do you think of Social Media?
I think it’s a double edged sword. It gives incredible access to the world to anyone which allows artists to make their own way and create their own fanbase without a label but it’s also incredibly distracting and time consuming and can be unhealthy if you put to much stock in the numbers
Where we can follow you?
All of my links are at krisangelis.com
IG: @krisangelis
TikTok: @krisangelismusic
Twitter: @krisangelis
Youtube: /krisangelis
FB: /krisangelismusic
Spotify: bit.ly/spotifykrisangelis
Book: Harry Potter series, Radical Acceptance, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Quote: “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” – Victor Hugo
Movie: When Harry Met Sally
Tv Series: Schitt’s Creek, Parks and Rec, Outlander
Favorite Food: Sushi, angel hair pasta
Travel Destination: some places I want to go that I haven’t been: Bali, Ireland, Greece, New Zealand, Colombia
Sports Team: Florida Gators
