City on Fire: Kree Unveiled

Welcome back to the Midnight Hour, where we introduce a new series on the blog: City on Fire. This series is dedicated to interviews of alternative artists and their lives, inspiration, and (in this case) music!

Our first interview is Kree (they/them), a Staten Island native who moved to Seattle a little over six months ago. Kree is also a member of the All Eternals collective and makes alternative music that I would describe as moody, bold, and experimental in sound. I asked Kree if growing up in Staten Island had any impact on their sound and they said, “it definitely had an impact. I grew up listening to Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Faith Evans, Biggie, and Wu Tang definitely. It was just that sonic sound, that raw shit, the raw emotion. Pure emotion. I get that from my city, from my home.” Kree’s music elicits a wide range of emotions that always tell a story. When asked who they make music for, they said “The people that don’t have a voice. The people that struggle to be heard, the people that are left behind. The people that feel alone.” If you listen to Kree’s discography, you’ll find community within lost souls.

They released an EP recently called “Deadboy Status” featuring OmniiThaBazedGawd which has aggressive, electrifying beats and energetic lyrics, and single “Marceline” featuring Insignia that is mellow and captivating. The difference in sound between the two projects really showcases Kree’s ability to flow between genres. “I want [my listeners] to appreciate the range. I’m alternative definitely, but I want them to appreciate the range. Not label me or box me into one [genre]. Definitely not as a rapper, I’m an artist, I just want to create.”

When asked what inspired them to start making music, Kree said “There was no music [or beats] for how I really felt. There were some that came close but none that really described it. I wanted to make shit that I wanted to listen to.”  For example, the single “Voices” is Kree’s most streamed song and illustrates loneliness in a reflective, somber way. I asked them about the inspiration for that song. “I freestyled that song, I made it in like five minutes. I didn’t want to put it out, it was really like a warm up to a tape that I actually scrapped but I ended up putting it out solo because I was going through something at the time. I was losing my first apartment, and I was just feeling down. I’m happy it resonates with people.”

Kree has the ability to command their audience’s attention on stage as well. “I love the energy. I love the crowd and just being up there. To see them feel what I feel and to see them so invested and immersed into what I bring creatively to them is another level.”

A dynamic artist, Kree and the All Eternals collective are bringing community and art to Seattle for everyone to enjoy. I look forward to seeing them progress and grow as a musician. The All Eternals collective is presenting a show in March where Kree will perform, and you won’t want to miss it! Follow Kree on Instagram @eternal.kree for updates and more information as we get closer.