March 18, 2024

So Kohner, you started your music career at a very young age, what inspired you to try music at all?

Being in the family I’m in is the main reason I got involved in music. I come from a family of 6 kids and 5 of us all play music and sing. My father also plays guitar and sings. Music has been such a big part of all of our lives that it just kind of felt like I was going into the family business.

How would you describe your musical style?

My music is equal parts Pop, R&B, Funk and Motown inspired. You might hear one of my songs and it will remind you of 2000’s R&B and you hear the next one and it has the same feel as an 80’s Pop song. My upbeat songs will make you dance and my ballads will make you cry.

What artists do you look up to right now?

I definitely look up to Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake. They are my favorite livings artists. Bruno and Justin are probably the only people in the world that I would get seriously star struck over .

Whats life like when you are back home?

Relaxing and filled with laughs. When I’m with my family we spend about 90% of our time together laughing.

Whats your friends and parents thoughts on your career in singing?

All of my friends and family are super supportive! I don’t know if I could have gotten this far without such a solid team behind me supporting me and cheering me on. With my father being a guitar player and singer, we often have nights where we will be up til 2 or 3 in the morning going back and fourth playing and singing.

Can we expect any new music soon? If so can you spill some details about them?

Currently I’m working a handful of singles. I will have one out within the next couple weeks and then another in the weeks after that. My first single “Move” was a song that made a lot of people smile. I think my next release will likely bring on some tears.

I watched a few of your music videos for your original songs and they are amazing. Whats the process to make a “Kohner Rice” music video?

The process usually begins when I’m still writing the song. I try to visualize the story that inspired the song and then provide the fans and viewers with that exact visual.

Did you have a “break out” song that started things for you with your followers?

Definitely. Years back I was in a group with my brother and the group was called “Kohn” (Weird , I know) . But we had a song called “La La La” and Andrea Russett was the star of the video. We went from being literal nobodies to being on the upcoming Pop radar literally overnight.

What was your favorite song to record?

I have a song called “Me Without U” and that was likely my favorite so far. Because when I have a song idea I usually bounce it off my family and music friends. This was the one song that no one was thrilled about while it was demo mode. But I had a clear vision for how I would bring it to life. This ended up being all of their favorite song of mine.  

Any memorable moments while creating your new singles?

There are two memories that stick out to me when it comes to creating these songs. The first is all of the days I spent on my piano writing them and remembering different times that I came up with different parts. The other is all of the laughs and fun times that I had in the studio while making these songs. I typically like to have a couple friends or my brother or sister come up to the studio when I am working on a song. We’ve had some really fun nights at the studio.

Whats your favorite song to perform live?

My song “Storm” (still unreleased) . When I wrote it I spent endless hours on the piano every day developing the song and I just kind of fell in love with the intimacy of performing it.

Whats the feeling you get when on stage and your fans are singing your songs back to you?

To be honest it’s not something that I’ve had happen a bunch of times but the times that I have experienced that have been some of the most memorable nights of my entire life.

Does your fanbase have a name?

I’ve heard of some girls calling themselves “Kohners” .

How do you want your relationship to be with your fans?

I want my fans to feel like they know me. Like they can relate to me, and that I can relate to them.

What was the craziest fan encounter you have had?

I once saw a girl at a gas station at 1 a.m and she asked me to sign her receipt for the food she just bought. For better or worse, that memory has always stuck with me.

What social media platform do you use most to stay connected to your fans?

Probably Instagram because I can always provide a visual as to what my day is looking like.

Whats something you have that you can’t live without?

I hate that this is my answer .. but .. CHAPSTICK. I need my Chapstick with me at all times.

What’s an average day for you look like?

Wake up, coffee, hop on the piano, practice my singing, write a little, practice guitar, go play basketball, maybe watch a movie and then go to sleep and do it all over again.

If your life was a movie, what would be the title?

Fast and Loose: A Kohner Rice Story about a loose cannon cop on the edge

Who would you want to play you?

Samuel L Jackson

What goals have you set out for yourself in your career and in your personal life?

My overall goal as an artist is to play at the Superbowl ! When I’m writing a song for myself, I try to imagine that I’m at the Superbowl and I have people of all ages looking at me and if what I’m writing isn’t something that is going to blow their minds.. I’ll just drop the song. From a personal standpoint.. I’d like to be surrounded by my family as much as possible and I’d like to start a family of my own one day.

Whats the best thing thats come out of this career so far?

I think the best thing that’s come out my career is the relationships and memories I’ve forged over the time that I’ve been making music.

What’s your biggest struggle in this career so far?

It’s been one big struggle. Learning to sing, learning to play piano, learning to play guitar, learning how to write a great (not good) song. It’s a struggle everyday but this is the struggle that I love.

What impact do you want to leave on the world?

I want to make people happy. I’d like to believe that my music makes people happy. But it’s beyond the music. Musicians have a platform to be able to affect people’s lives. I want my legacy to be about the way that I treat people. Hopefully if I treat everyone with kindness and respect, my fans will do the same.

Do you have any advice for aspiring music artists?

Spend a relentless amount of hours working on your craft. The more hours you put into your music, the more quickly you’ll see the results you are looking for.

Last thing, Do you have anything you want to tell your fans?

I love you guys! I can’t even express how thankful I am to have people who support me and enjoy my music.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with me.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be apart of your publication!:)

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