Moving On To Something New Doesn’t Mean You’ve Failed with Kai Brown

After knowing Kai Brown for only a few months, Dr. Larry had experienced a break up that Kai had helped him through. Kai and Debbie Nova came together to create a song that captured something they were both looking for and really resonated with Dr. Larry.

[5:15] Kai moved to the US from Australia in 2005 with only a suitcase and a guitar. He landed in Dallas and was lucky enough to find a mentor that helped him develop into the musician he is now.

[7:20] Prior to moving to the states Kai was in a band that fell apart. They had jobs and girlfriends and other commitments so they weren’t willing to take the chance that Kai was. One of Kai’s goals was to surround himself with some of the best musicians in the world which was why he traveled to the US.

[8:30] Before writing the song Kai moved to California with his girlfriend and fell in love with the area. He lived for a couple of years in San Diego and then moved to Los Angeles, eventually making his way to Venice. As an artist, you are trying to reinvent yourself all the time, being around like-minded people is crucial to the process.

[10:45] Debbie came into the picture through some mutual friends and they started to explore the writing process. Writing a song with someone can basically be impossible if there’s no chemistry between them, but with Debbie, the flow clicked almost immediately. They ended up creating that song the first time they met in only two hours.

[14:30] Kai grew up with American folk rock music whereas Debbie has more of a Latin vibe. The song they wrote together was a fusion of both styles that wouldn’t have been possible with just one perspective. Kai tried recording the song on his own but quickly realized that it wasn’t working without Debbie.

[18:30] Debbie had already found success in Costa Rica so when the song started getting some traction it ended up on the radio there with people assuming it was her new single. After climbing the charts to the number one song in Costa Rica Kai invited Debbie to his shows and they started singing the song together.

[20:50] Music is the fabric that is the connection within our culture, it means so much to people in so many different ways. Going to Costa Rica and seeing the way their song had impacted people’s lives helped him realize how powerful music can be. Music is a universal language that touches people in a way that’s not possible with basic communication.

[21:30] The success of the song was an affirmation of his journey. Up until that point, Kai wasn’t sure he had done the right thing in pursuing his dream of music. He realized that making a difference and connecting with people is one of the most special experiences you can have in your life.

[22:40] A lot of the creation of the magic in songwriting is staying out of your own subconscious. For Kai, the lyrics meant something along the lines of holding the people you love close but also stepping out of what’s comfortable to find new homes. The subconscious is powerful if you can get out of the way. It’s also impossible to control, you just have to show up.

[27:30] You should be creating whatever it is that’s yours because it’s your calling and passion, not because you want to chase likes and public approval. The punk rock ethos of dedication to the craft for the sake of the craft has been central to Kai’s life.

[29:20] Kai tries not to attach anything to his music beyond intention. The success of the song was due to good timing and luck, not because it was planned that way. Your job as a creative is to make people’s lives meaningful, attaching success to it is the wrong reason. If you are connecting who you are to whether or not people like what you’re doing, you’re going to have a pretty disappointing life.

[32:35] Kai started playing music because it was something he loved, but somewhere along the line, it started to feel like a job. When iTunes and Spotify came around he couldn’t make a living with his music anymore. He loved music too much to grow to hate it, now he has a business creating embroidered denim jackets.

[40:00] Sometimes we ignore signs when they come to us because we are dogmatic about our identity. It took time for Kai to realize that he can be more than just a musician. Fast forward to today, there are plenty of artists that are multi-disciplined and have multiple streams of income.

[42:20] Kai had to change his limiting beliefs about who he was. He had to understand that the way we communicate and how technology has changed society meant that he could be more than a one-dimensional person. He also had to realize that just because he was transitioning from something, that didn’t mean that he was a failure. Kai performed his last show for the Dalai Lama which was very appropriate for that moment in his life.

[45:10] To learn his new business Kai took the same mindset he had with his music and packed up his life and moved to Seattle. He found a mentor with an understanding of what he was trying to do and now, a few years later, Kai has a thriving business making denim jackets for people.

[47:30] American vintage clothing was a unique time in American history. Clothing is not manufactured the same way today, which is one of the reasons that Kai works so much in Japan. The Japanese are very focused on quality and also happen to be obsessed with vintage American denim.

[48:50] Kai has a mission to create beautiful things for people who will appreciate them and are interested in them. The most precious thing we have is time, which is why Kai tries to buy himself as much time as possible.

[49:45] For Kai his biggest challenge is balancing between work and life and knowing when it’s time to step away.

[50:45] Kai is working on several projects for Japan at the moment, putting together some new music as well as a design podcast that will be launched in the next year or so.

All My Relations
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