Meet Kalen Shay | Songwriter, Producer, & Singer

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

Hi Kalen, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
For the first half of my life I can’t remember being musical whatsoever. My parents weren’t musicians and we only listened to radio every now and then. It wasn’t until I started taking piano lessons and playing percussion in 5th grade when music was truly introduced in my life. And for some reason it came easy to me, but I never appreciated it or took music seriously until I was older just because I didn’t even know that I could pursue music when I was 11. I was that music student that never practiced but somehow managed to play every piece memorized without issue. By high school I was writing my own songs and was even in a small Twenty-One Pilots cover band as the singer and keys player. My older cousin Alex influenced me to learn how to produce and my mom was gracious enough to let me explore my talents with her work laptop. I still remember the first keyboard I got as a gift from my parents, and it’s funny because they actually used their credit card points to purchase the keyboard we couldn’t afford at the time. I went from Garageband on my iPod Touch to learning Logic Pro on a Macbook. From that moment I was recording, producing, songwriting, and singing at the age of 14. Every instrument, audio interface, and microphone I used were all hand me downs from my producer cousin. By 16, why wouldn’t I want to pursue a career doing the thing I love the most? It’s a simple answer for people like me that are independent and ambitious from an early age. I can’t even wrap my head around pursuing anything else in my life besides music. I started singing covers, took a Monthly songwriting class from Ryan Tedder, and even interned at a studio while finishing up my Music Industry Bachelors Degree at CSU Northridge. Although my parents weren’t musicians, they still supported my every decision because of the dedication they saw in me and I am forever grateful for that. Without a strong support system, I feel like it would be nearly impossible to pursue a creative or artistic career.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The core of my music will always include a good story, creative melodies, and inspiration lyricism. Songwriting is my biggest passion and I want that to be what I’m best known for. In terms of my brand, I’ve been really passionate to go about music the way that Finneas has with his sister Billie Eilish. The most authentic songs come from your life experiences and I’ve become somewhat of a bedroom producer since I’ve moved to LA. I’m most proud of the songs I’ve recently produced for my friends Amber Buenaventura and Lynzie Law. We started with a blank canvas and created something that is both catchy and unique, while showcasing the talents of both of their voices. To be able to get to that position where I can help bring someone’s song to life with my production is something that took many years to achieve. It’s not easy to create professional sounding recordings from your bedroom. Not only have I been a co-writer on the recent songs I’ve been a part of, but I produced, mixed, and mastered them as well, which isn’t an easy task for someone to do on their own. The hardships I’ve encountered really stem from the difficulty of doing things by myself because the lack of self-motivation can be an impossible obstacle to overcome sometimes. Being surrounded by musical minds and friends has been my greatest motivator in giving me that reassurance that the result of what I’m creating will always be fulfilling. A lesson I have learned along this journey is that every step you take, no matter how small, will bring you closer to your end goal. It takes persistence and perseverance to be successful in the music industry. I want the world to know that it takes up to 40 hours, if not more, to perfectly craft a 3 minute song, but the journey a song can take you on while listening will always be worth the wait.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I moved to Los Angeles just over a year ago, so I might not have the best opinions when it comes to this matter, but here’s what I would recommend. The first thing on my to-do list would be to visit Disneyland, I mean come on, you can’t go wrong with the happiest place on earth. Down the street from Disney, I would also check out the Anaheim Packing House which has 2 floors of incredible dining experiences and a variety of different options to choose from when it’s time for lunch or dinner. A personal favorite restaurant that my girlfriend and I have recently obsessed over is the famous Salsa and Beer located in Van Nuys, which serves authentic Mexican cuisine. My mom’s from Mexico and I grew up eating my grandmother’s incredible cooking, and Salsa and Beer makes me reminiscent of those times. The good news about being in Los Angeles is that there are endless places to visit that aren’t too far away, like the Malibu beaches, or the multiple hikes you can take in Topanga. When it comes to nightlife I recommend checking out the 626 Night Market in Arcadia for good food and fun games. If you’re in the mood to get your singing on then I recommend the Universal Bar and Grill (UBG) for the open mics. This is also a great place to meet people from the local music scene! Being in LA, you already know we have to visit the Hollywood strip and check out some of personal favorite stops, like the Funko Pop store or Amoeba Music. You can also never go wrong with getting carne asada fries or chicken tacos from any taco truck, especially on Taco Tuesday. And lastly, a fun little spot I’ve enjoyed has been the Grove, which has a really nice shopping area, and what seems like a farmers market of available food options right in the heart of LA.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would be nowhere without the never-ending support of my parents and family. They get so excited when they hear I wrote a new song and I’m sure my little brother still remembers the songs I played on repeat growing up. I want to shoutout my girlfriend Anamarie who has been by my side for over 6 years supporting my every decision in my music endeavors. She was actually the person that introduced me to older iconic bands like Queen and the Beatles which shaped my songwriting skills to be what it is today. I also have to thank my cousin Alex because he really gave me my start when it came to my production skills. Some other people that I want to recognize that have been impactful in my life include: my piano teacher Katie Venner, my high school band instructor Jeff Kumagai, the music staff from both San Joaquin Delta College and the California State University of Northridge, Augie Ray from Hype Studios, Simon and Luke from The Chapters, as well as many friends I’ve made along the way, like Justin Malogan, Emily Winsatt, Sujoy Shah, Anthony D’Souza, Verena Fuentes, and Justin Tinucci. And lastly, I want to shoutout some of my recent friends that have been huge influences in my life since I’ve moved to Los Angeles last year including Lynzie Law, Amber Buenaventura, Geneva Colcol, Ben Pearson, Tiona Alilin, Joe Cefalu, Ryan Zin, and Raz Davidov.

Website: https://linktr.ee/kalenmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalenmusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kalenmusic_

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV3wW89eWnjMz7WkaBlSvvg

Image Credits
Don Marcelo Photography, Geneva May, Nick Sanchez