K. Flay

Early life

K.Flay was raised in a suburb north of Chicago, Illinois. Her father was a guitarist and loved all music genres. Her parents divorced when she was seven, and each re-married soon after, bringing an extended step-family. Flay described herself as a tomboy in her youth, preferring baggier clothing and rejecting "all things girly". She attended New Trier Township High School at 14. Her father died her freshman year. Many of K.Flay's songs are a tribute to him.

In 2003, she entered Stanford University in California, pursuing a double major in psychology and sociology. She claims many people there would influence her musical style.

2003–2007: Early career

In 2003, she believed that most hip-hop hits on the radio were simplistic, misogynistic, and formulaic, and bragged to a friend that even she could do a song like that. That night she wrote a song called "Blingity Blang Blang" which she described as "a low-budget rap parody that contained far too many obscenities." Realizing she enjoyed creating music, she wrote two more songs before the end of the year.

The following summer, she experimented and continued to write songs, performing and recording them on her laptop computer. In the following few years, she released a mixtape, Suburban Rap Queen, produced on her laptop, and began performing in the local scene.

2008–2013: Self-released material, growth, and RCA Records

The self-titled EP in 2010 brought attention, though she has cited the 2011 self-released mixtape of I Stopped Caring in '96 as her career decision turning point. Though associated with rap, she shows influences across indie, hip-hop, and electronic music. This eclectic style brought diverse touring offers with Passion Pit, Snoop Dogg, and Icona Pop.

She eventually signed with RCA Records in 2012 and released two EPs, 2012's Eyes Shut (Stop Focus and I Hate Everyone, produced by Liam Howlett from British band The Prodigy), and 2013's What If It Is. Her genre-bending sound is ultimately what led to her parting ways with RCA in 2013, leaving behind 60+ songs she had written while signed, but that she no longer owned the rights to. She described her time with RCA as similar to "an ill-advised marriage". She opened for artists such as Snoop Dogg, Passion Pit, and Theophilus London.

2014–2016: Life as a Dog

She started a PledgeMusic campaign, reaching 196 percent of her initial requested amount. She wanted the project to be "DIY [and] self-motivated." It was recorded and produced in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with the final mix produced at SF's Different Fur.

She peformed on the Vans Warped Tour in 2014, noting that it was "almost like an exercise in becoming a better performer". Life as a Dog released independently on Bummer Picnic Records on June 10, 2014. The album reached #14 on Billboard's Rap Chart, and #2 on Billboard's Heatseeker Chart. Flay has subsequently toured extensively since this album was released. She headlined a tour, then joined separate tours with AWOLNATION, Third Eye Blind, and Dashboard Confessional in 2014. She toured in Germany and France in 2014, and returned to Europe in the Fall of 2015.

2016-present: Crush Me, label change, and Every Where Is Some Where

The single FML released on March 25, 2016. On August 9, 2016, K.Flay announced she signed to Night Street Records, a subdivision of Interscope Records. The EP Crush Me was released on August 19, 2016. The single Blood in the Cut was released on September 20, 2016. The song appeared on the soundtrack for xXx: Return of Xander Cage.

In February 2017, Flay released the single "Black Wave" and revealed the name of her upcoming album, Every Where Is Some Where, set to be released April 7, 2017. Another new single, "High Enough", was released in March 2017.

Musical style and influences

Flay has cited Lauryn Hill, M.I.A., Missy Elliott, Metric, Cat Power, Liz Phair, Garbage, Royal Blood, Tame Impala, Shlohmo, OutKast and Jeremih as influences.

Flay describes her sound as "genre-defying", and draws from lo-fi pop and hip hop, with a strong indie component.

Views on education

Flay is an outspoken advocate for higher education and encourages students to complete their degree, citing the "supportive community" that school provides.