An interview with Lina K.O.
On January 13th, Lina K.O. released her EP, Earth Apple, into the world. And if you’ve been following the blog, you are likely aware that we are big fans of hers, as we’ve featured the singles, “Arrhythmia” and “Two-Player Mode.” In the spirit of keeping tabs on our favorite artists, we decided to ask her a bunch of questions.
UpToHear: First of all, what does the “K.O.” stand for?
Lina K.O.: I think some people think it’s ‘knock-out’, like in boxing, but it’s actually just my initials! My last name is Ostrow, which just doesn’t sound as cool...
UTH: Your brand new EP, Earth Apple, was released on Friday the 13th. Is this because you are a massive fan of horror films or is it just a coincidence?
LKO: Well, I knew it was going to come out in January, and when I saw there was a Friday the 13th, obviously it had to be Friday the 13th. I love spooky stuff, but horror is an entirely different category, and I absolutely, decidedly, am NOT a fan of horror films... hard pass!
UTH: We first found you when you released “Arrhythmia.” Did you know that it and “Two-Player Mode” were going to be singles when you wrote them? Or did you record the entire EP and then decide?
LKO: I recorded it and then decided. I honestly didn't even know which songs were going to make the final cut for the EP until a few months into recording!
UTH: You do a great deal of the work yourself, including writing, recording, and mixing. When did you decide that this is who you wanted to be and what inspires your work?
LKO: For this project, I really wanted to challenge myself, and it was also largely out of necessity - budget-wise, pandemic-wise, and also because I was being a massive perfectionist. I originally wasn’t going to mix it myself, but I found that after recording and producing it, I had a particular vision for the songs, so I just ended up doing the mixing too. I had help from talented friends recording some of the drums and bass though!
So that’s who I wanted to be for the EP, but it is probably not who I want to be for the next project. It took a lot out of me. And it took a long time! I'm happy to know I was able to do it, but for the next album, I really want to work with some folks on the recording and mixing parts. I’m much more ready and excited for a more collaborative process next time.
I’m inspired by a lot! One artist in particular whose process and production style I love is Gordi - an Australian musician, she has this way of fusing digital elements into classic folk production that I really love and admire.
UTH: Your first collection of music was entitled Starter Apartment Recordings and this title sets a tone for who you might be as a human being. With it, we are imagining Lina K.O. as she first embarked on the solo journey of life, finding her first apartment and using the newfound isolation to write and record music. How far off are we?
LKO: A bit off, but I really like this story and I want to know how she’s doing now!
I’d been writing and recording casually for ages, but Starter Apartment Recordings was the first time I released music more seriously, and a project I only started after moving to NYC. And I actually moved here when I was, I think, 25, and I had already done that first solo journey and lived in a couple other cities, and quite a few other apartments, before that.
So it’s really more the idea of a starter apartment in this city specifically, and also actually less of a solo journey and more about a first apartment together in a relationship, which was a theme of those two songs. But I also really just liked the term “starter apartment” and the concept was amusing or interesting to me for some reason.
UTH: When we first heard your music, we drew an immediate vocal comparison to Julien Baker (one of our faves). Are you a fan?
LKO: Big big big fan! Thank you!
UTH: There is a great deal of anticipation that goes into releasing a body of work. Then it is released and that anticipation is generally replaced with a sort of emptiness. What are you doing to fill that space?
LKO: Oh, that’s really good to know that this vast emptiness is normal, ha. It is definitely weird to have a release in sight for so long and then that day is suddenly over. Right now I’m just trying to sit with it and attempt to be proud of myself. I have a small video project to work on still for the EP, but I’m probably going to just start recording my next album very soon to fill that void.
UTH: When you perform live, is it generally solo or do you have a full band? Do you have any ambition to tour? What is the end goal with releasing your music?
LKO: I’ve always performed solo, but I’d love to play with a band at some point! It just hasn’t made sense so far, but I hope to, especially with some of my newer stuff. Same goes for touring, would love to do that as well! I don’t really have a firm end goal, I have a lot of mini goals. Overall, I really just want to be able to keep writing and improving and putting out songs.
If you have not already done so, stream or purchase Earth Apple now!
-TM