We had the good fortune of connecting with Kira Hooks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kira, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I felt impelled to write songs about everything I was going through. I wanted to craft a beautiful, virtuous life…and that meant a lot of traveling, connecting with all kinds of people, and seeing myself for who I really was through the act of creating. I’m grateful to have had incredible mentors that helped and inspired me to be well-rounded.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I’m most proud of releasing my latest record ‘Love AtLas(t)’ on vinyl last year. This is something I’ve been wishing to do for years, and it finally came to life. This record was crowdfunded, and it made me realize how much support I actually have. It reminded me of the community I developed through years of performing, touring, co-writing, going to friends concerts, attending jams, hosting couchsurfers, and cultivating relationships with teachers and friends from college and high school. Reaching out was a definite challenge. There was shame involved in asking for money, and I had to overcome that hurdle. Everyone values music differently – and I could only hope the people I met in my life valued my songs and success. I also had to trust in my ability to follow through with my promises…mostly the promise to myself to put out something great… and to work with the people that cared about the process of making a great record. This record felt like the end of an era. That can seem like a pretty bold statement, but it was a representation of me finally putting myself first… doing what I really wanted to do. It took a lot of realizing how much I put myself last before I realized it’s time for me to be first in line for what I have to offer.
As far as my background goes, I’m Filipino-American, born in Houston, TX, and grew up from the age of four in The Netherlands, Nigeria, Scotland, and China till my senior year. I moved to Los Angeles to attend the LA College of Music for a year and a half, and a few years later, I decided to experience life in Nashville and New York. I recently moved to the Bay Area. I’m very used to major changes in my life on the exterior. I’m just now learning to enjoy stillness without disregarding the inner nomad. There’s a few things I felt like in this life on a consistent basis…those being an intermediary and an optimist. I’m not always sure what sets me apart, but I tend to have a cinematic approach to writing music, and I’m never shy of incorporating themes from different genres. What sets me, and I guess everyone apart, is the personal story I have to share. My voice is what strings everything together, no matter what I conjure up.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ve only lived in the Bay Area since the end of February, so I may not have much to offer, but I have done a fair share of exploring since then.

Monday: Hike at Windy Hill, enjoy dinner outside at Buck’s of Woodside
Tuesday: Hang out at home, have lunch on the rooftop, enjoy coffee and make watercolor paintings or write poetry in Downtown Redwood City…. We’d probably also get Pho.
Wednesday: Morning hike at Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve for wildflowers and gorgeous views, hang out in downtown Burlingame, and then watch the planes depart in San Bruno. .
Thursday: Walk along ‘The Dish’ and walk through Stanford and Palo Alto…. maybe get some Boba Guys 😉
Friday: Play tourist in San Francisco – Go to the Embarcadero, see the Painted Ladies, enjoy Fisherman’s Wharf, see the Golden Gate Bridge, go to the SF MoMA
Saturday: See the elephant seals at Ano Nuevo (if it’s that time of year) OR hang out at Half Moon Bay.
Sunday: Grab a croissant at Arsicault Bakery, walk through the Clement St. Farmers Market, and hike the Presidio trails…. hang out at Crissy Field afterwards. Then head over to the Marin Headlands for the sunset at Hawk Hill.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to Jay Miners, a beautiful artist, for this incredible opportunity to have my voice be heard on this platform and for being a wonderful friend.

Website: www.kirahooks.com

Instagram: @kirahooks

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kira-hooks-5445b054

Facebook: Www.facebook.com/kirahooksmusic

Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/user/kiracatherinehooks

Image Credits
Photographers: (Photo of me at Rockwood Music Hall) – Leonardo Mascaro (Photo with denim shirt performing) – Kylie Rebecca (Photos of me recording) – Jon Estes (Photo of me with hat) – Sara Bello

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.