Hello it's Kina Grannis! Ask me anything :)

I guess it's not really a question but a thank you.

Around five years ago, you were playing a show in the Seattle, WA area that I desperately wanted to go to but couldn't. That night, while I was sitting at home being sad I got a phone call from a friend who had gone to your concert. I picked it up to your voice on the phone saying you were sorry I couldn't come to your concert. I just want you to know how amazing that was and how much it meant to me. Stairwells helped me through some really tough times in my life and it stunned me to actually hear the voice behind those songs say my name. Thank you for being so lovely and down to earth!

thank you so much for sharing this :) i am so glad that stairwells helped you through some rough times. that's really all i could ever hope to do with my music. thank you for supporting and listening! <3

Hi Kina. First, I want to say how inspiring you are. You've really matured as an artist, and I think Elements really showcases that, but at the same time you haven't lost that magic that made us all fall in love with you when you first posted "A Message From Your Heart." Thank you for making beautiful music. :o) Now time for questions!

1. Do you have a song that you are particularly proud of?
2. If you could collaborate with anyone (living or deceased), who would it be?

thank you so much! that really makes me so happy that you feel that way :)

1. i'm generally pretty awful at answering questions that require me to pick any sort of favorites... but i'm going to try here. i think i am really proud of every song on this album, but if we're calling it strictly from a songwriting perspective, i think i'd have to go with "winter".

2. imogen heap, bon iver or sigur ros.

thank you all so much for joining me on my first ever AMA! as much as i'd like to sit here all day and answer every single question, i just realized i actually need to head to sound check for the release show tonight in a couple hours--time to get moving! thank you all for your support and enthusiasm. i am truly so honored that there are humans like yourselves in this world that support what i'm doing and enjoy my music.

i hope you enjoy elements. i put everything i had into this album and i couldn't be more proud. i hope you become dear dear friends.

http://smarturl.it/kinaelements

BTW ALL YOU KINERDS SHOULD SUB TO /r/kinagrannis WE NEED TO GET THAT SUB MORE ACTIVE

hear hear!

I LOVE your collaborations with Boyce Avenue. The cover of "Fast Car" is just fantastic. Do you plan to work with them more in the future?

definitely hope to!

How many takes did it take to do the Cups video without any screw ups. That had to be quite a challenge.

many hours of takes. at first it was funny when someone would mess up. then, not so much.

Hi Kina, my name's Jim and you may remember me from such things as when you helped me propose to my wife at your concert in St. Louis back in 2009! I just wanted to say that you're amazing, Elements is a fantastic album, and I can't wait to see you live in Boston in a couple weeks. Can I ask for an inside scoop on what your set list might be?

PS A photo from 2009, just for fun: (http://i.imgur.com/uKhSOiY.jpg)

i remember your proposal so vividly! lovely to be reconnected with you after all these years and look forward to seeing you and the wife in boston!

the setlist is comprised of almost every song on elements and a handful of stairwells songs thrown in there as well.

Any chance of a collaboration with Clara C?

yes! we've talked about it. just need to make it happen!

What do you do when you have writer's block?

i never force it. any time i've tried to force it it just results in horrible songwriting.

here's one of my many songwriting metaphors. songwriting is like gold mining. your job is to show up every day and mine. most of the time you're not going to find anything and that doesn't mean you're doing a bad job. you need to be ok with just showing up and trying, because if you're not, there's literally no way in the world you'll ever find a thing.

Since you're coming to Toronto in a few weeks, whats your favourite thing to do while in canada? :3

meet cool people. eat poutine.

Just out of curiosity, where do you like dine when you're in Toronto? Do you have a specific poutinieri when you're here?

the bummer part about touring is you're kind of just in and out of every city and your meals end up being whatever is open and nearby. so i probably have not had the very best toronto has to offer. BUT--help me out, where should i go?

What was the most awkward fan interaction you've ever had? I plan to top that, haha.

hahaha. oh, you'd have to try very hard to top it. i actually feel bad recounting it though. the good thing is 1. i love awkwardness and 2. i find it very endearing. (except for sometimes.)

Guacamole or salsa?

guacamole. always. and forever.

Hi Kina! If you weren't making and working with music, what would you be doing? Would you be doing something related with social sciences?

Thanks!

i've often wondered that same thing and it's so hard to say. probably something dealing with people? maybe something in health/nutrition/counseling. but who knows. or maybe i would have followed my 6 year old self's dream of becoming an entomologist (studies insects) or herpetologist (studies reptiles).

Hello Kina, I've been a fan ever since your "Gotta Digg" song waaay back when before your superbowl stardom. My questions: It seems like a majority of your songs are about relationships, and the man in your relationship, your wants and needs, love, etc.. Do you aim for a certain audience? Do plan to branch out more with your song topics?

Congratulations on your success, keep it up!

wow the olden days! thanks for sticking around :)

no, i don't aim for a certain audience when i write. i write what is real to me at that moment. on this album, that happened to be relationships, family, nostalgia, growth, change, impermanence. forcing myself to write outside of that would feel disingenuous to me.

What are your biggest musical influences?

james taylor, k's choice, imogen heap, sigur ros, bon iver

Hey kina, what's your favorite guilty pleasure song?

justin timberlake's "not a bad thing". but totally don't feel guilty about it.

well hi there Kina. How does it feel? I mean to see the album out in the wild?

it feels incredible. this album has been such a long time coming and it's really surreal to me that it's finally out there. i've kind of been lost in front of a computer being a crazy person for the last 2 weeks in preparation for the release, and yesterday i finally paused for the first time and took it all in. so exciting :)

Kina, super stoked to get your new record as soon as I leave work today. I have a couple questions for you.

1. When do you anticipate us being able to hear about new and expanded tour dates (crossing my fingers for Utah).

2. What's a random hobby or interest that you find yourself nerding out over in your free time (past or present)?

-Shannon H

yay thanks!

1. we haven't started booking them yet, but the plan is to do the full US tour sometime in the fall, and as soon as we've nailed them down i'll be announcing!

2. knitting!

Hi Kina! Big fan of yours(: Just want to show you what I received in the mail yesterday!

http://i.imgur.com/D1kp3fZ.jpg

Your signature were smudged :( but I'm sure that happened during shipping! Anyways, you're awesome and pretty as they come!

oh no :( i'm sorry! it gives it character?

May we know your middle name? If you have one!

you may! it's kasuya. it's japanese. as a child i was embarrassed by it because it reminded me of zucchini. makes absolutely no sense.

what about your sisters's?

misa sugano grannis emi harriman grannis

Will you be doing more duets with your husband? You two sound amazing together!

i'm sure the future holds many more duets :)

Hi kina, I was one of the 2 guys in the girl rising video. Will we ever be seeing another SCP in the future?

haha hello! i'd like to say that you were very brave for sending one of those in/i'm sorry if you felt awkward being in that video.

Haha I don't regret it at all and the other guy was my friend. I convinced him to do it too.

that's adorable. high five to the both of you.

You've done so many amazing collaborations with other YouTube artists like Peter Hollens, Marie Digby, Alex G, Sam Tsui, Kurt Schneider, etc. Out of all them, who was your favorite? Do you have any other collaborations planned in the near future?

another impossible question! i can honestly say that i have truly loved every youtuber i've ever worked with. they're all the most down to earth, humble, talented, kind people ever.

First off I love your music and think you're incredibly talented.

What made you first get into music and what continues to drive you?

i've been drawn to music since i was little and singing has always been one of the best feelings in the world to me. as for instruments, i started tinkering around on the piano in 1st grade and wrote my first compositions then. in 4th grade i started violin and played that until halfway through high school, at which point i started teaching myself guitar and became completely obsessed. i started learning because it felt like a excuse to be singing all the time. it never occurred to me that i might try to write a song someday, but within a month of learning guitar it just kind of happened, and that's when it all started making sense to me. i was fairly shy and basically incapable of expressing myself, but with songwriting i was able to express myself for the first time. creating makes me feel alive, it makes me reflect on things and try to be a better person, and it connects me with humans all around the world, which is one of the best feelings ever. those are the things that keep me going.

Hi Kina, can you speak fluent Japanese? Just curious :P And when will your album be available in iTunes Store in other parts of the world? :) thanks!

unfortunately not! i studied for 3 years in college and got nearly conversational at one point, and then very rapidly forgot all of it after graduating. so sad :/

i believe elements will be coming out in asia in june!

Its my first time being on time for an AMA!

Kina, I'm a huge fan, and I really like the new songs I've heard (Dear River especially!). I can't wait to buy Elements later today!

Questions: •What is your creative process like?Are lyrics and ideas constantly coming to you?

•The music video for In Your Arms was pretty amazing but when I watch it I can't help but think of how much of a pain it was to make. Did you realize from the beginning how tedious it would be?

•So...your snakes are named Jeremy Fisher and Hubert Cumberdale? Are you a big fan of rusty spoons?

(Sorry if I'm repeating questions. I'm currently in class pretending to pay attention)

Keep being awesome!

hello! congrats for being on time! here are some answers for you:

• my creative process. unfortunately, no, ideas and lyrics are not constantly flowing to me. and if i try to make them come to me, they definitely won't come. for me i have to allow the time and space for creativity to happen, and then just sit. literally just sit with my guitar in hand, pluck around a little bit, and not try to force it. when it comes, it usually comes all at once. the words, melody, and chords just start flowing out of me and usually it's a finished song within an hour. it's a very mysterious process to me. i can't really control it, so when it happens it's a very special feeling.

• yes... 22 months was a long time to be making a music video. i knew it was an insane endeavor when i started, but at the time i thought it was only going to take 3 months. then 3 months came and went. then 6 months... etc etc until nearly 2 years went by. i'm actually really grateful we had no idea just how much we were getting ourselves into at the beginning because i'm not sure we would have done it.

• yes i am :)

Approximately how many of the 288,000 jelly beans did you end up eating?

none of the actual 288,000 we used, but so many of the extras. i held off for a year and didn't eat any. then i caved and ate them all day forever.

1. What was the most difficult aspect of creating the new album?
2. What will you do with the songs that didn't make it?
3. What's your favorite song from the new album? (This question might be the hardest)
4. What are you favorite folk bands?

Thanks for the AMA and good luck with your album! I should get my signed vinyl today

Thanks for doing this!

1. finding all the songs. i really wanted all the songs on the album to be the best work i felt i could create at the time, that they all felt connected and were all really meaningful to me. i spent about a year just allowing myself to write, and finally i whittled it down from about 60 candidates to the final 12 that made the album.

2. great question. got any ideas?

3. they're all my babies. too hard!

4. i'm worried my answers wouldn't be TRUE folk bands. and i don't want to offend true folk people. so... skip!

(for #2) Maybe demo recordings for patreon supporters?

that's a great idea :)

Have you ever heard about Poland and if yes, do you consider this country in your future tours ^{^} ??

of course!! i have been wanting to get over to poland for a long time to play a show. hopefully someday i can make that a reality.

What are some of your hobbies besides music?

running, hiking, yoga (though i'm horrible), cooking (though i rarely do it), knitting (when i remember how), reading, watching shows/movies, playing with small animals, sitting around with friends, wishing i was a hip hop dancer.

Where are you eating when you come to NY for dinner. RAMEN>?!?!?!?

i think there is a very high likelihood that i will eat ramen whilst in NY.

Hey Kina! Elements is pure gold. On the US tour dates from May 6-20 are you going to have a band or will the shows be acoustic?

thank you! the US tour dates with be with my band. first show is tonight. AHH.

[deleted]

thank you so much and thanks for sticking around all these years!

Hi Kina!

I'm a great fan of you and have followed you for quite a while now. No questions, just saw your facebook status and came by to say that I love your music! Hope that you'd make a lot more. :)

thanks for saying hello!

if you could make or star in a short film, what would be the subject?

also Marshmallows or Blueberry Muffins? - which one goes best with a cup of tea?

finally, did someone else sneak in first and grab Kinagrannis reddit username :(

short film: probably something sad

blueberry muffin! although i really like marshmallows. especially when toasted.

yes. :(

Hello Kina! How many songs have you written for your new album? How did you choose which ones to keep and which ones to cut off of it? What's the process like? :) best wishes!

at one point there were about 60 songs in the running. it was definitely a hard task to slowly whittle those away to 12, but after spending a lot of time with each of the songs, it felt pretty clear. i wanted to pick the songs that felt the most real and relevant to me at the end, the songs i was most proud of, and the songs that i felt sonically all made sense together.

Do you have a tour schedule line up this year? If yes, is philippines a destination? <3

it hasn't been booked yet, but YES, i will definitely be coming back to the philippines!

hey kina! so is there going to be an actual CD that i can pick up from my local walmart/target/anywhere? cause i gotta add this to my collection! its too good not to have a physical form. haha

barnes and noble!

Hi Kina! I love the sound of your new album: your collabo with Matt Hales made some beeyootiful music. :) How did you two connect? Love.

thank you so much!

matt hales is an utter genius and i'm so honored i got the chance to work on this album with him. early on, we sent out a handful of songs to several producers to see which ones were excited about the project and understood what i was going for. we then met with all the producers who were interested to see how we connected as people. i believe matt's first words to me upon meeting him were "congratulations, your songs aren't shit!" :)

we did a trial song together and it immediately felt right. it was exciting and fun and easy and he understood the sound i was hoping to create perfectly.

what do you enjoy doing during your free time?

mostly being in nature or being with people i love.

What are the inspirations for your album, Elements? It's a beautiful album!

thank you so much!

elements is about life as i've experienced it thus far. beginnings, endings, love, heartache, past, future, impermanence, growth, family...