Interview: KTJ & CARLY Discuss Their Debut EP ‘Identity’!

KTJ & CARLY are an upcoming identical twin musical duo who have swiftly been creating a name for themselves within the current music scene through their vibrantly ear-catching musical style that has already acquired over 50,000 streams on Spotify alone.

This talented duo recently released their debut EP ‘Identity’ & have kindly taken the time to speak with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution about their release.

Can you start by telling the readers a little bit about yourselves?

Carly: We are identical twins originally from Texas. We are female producers, composers, artists, and songwriters. Moved to LA little over a year and a half ago, and created this duo after we graduated high school! We write with influence from pop, infused with an R&B, electronic left of center sound mixed together.

When did each of you first discover your passion for music?

KTJ: I discovered my passion for music when I first started learning how to communicate. I was immediately drawn to this artistic expression of emotions. It has always been my refuge and a big part of my heart. After singing lots of gibberish in the first years of life, I started taking piano lessons at 5 years old. That’s what really began my studies and passion for music. There’s one moment I remember when I was in first grade, when I wouldn’t stop singing the song Last Christmas. I’ve never really performed-performed for my family before this, and they asked me to sing for them. They were so supportive and moved by it, it really made me realize what an impact I could make through music. I started taking voice lessons the next year, and the rest is history.

What’s the first song that you can recall performing in front of a live audience?

Carly: I think the very first live performance I can remember of us singing was the one song “Where are You Christmas” from the Grinch. We were in the back of the grapevine mills mall in some antique shop with a literal karaoke machine as a PA. Looking back, that was lowkey sketchy and honestly strange but I was SO nervous. I remember to this day. There is a video of it in our home video bunch and it’s comical. I cried from laughter that last time I saw it. I think I was 7 or 8, white as a ghost, legitimately shaking. Very embarrassing… my voice was so quiet and I looked like I was going to pass out from stage fright. Glad to see things have changed, hopefully haha.

KTJ: This first song I performed for a live audience was All I Want for Christmas Is You in the same place Carly was talking about. It was a terrible performance but I loved it haha.

How did the idea to perform as a duet first come together?

Carly: We always wanted to become a branded duo together. We always sang together growing up and people always said we should but we never did. For a while there, we were going down different musical paths… I wanted to do musical theatre and she wanted to just do music production. We always were going to continue to write together and make music together, but weren’t sure about pursuing as a duet artist. We showed Sera Roadnight, our amazing manager, some of the songs we had been working on and she helped us navigate the music industry and help show the world our vision. It all happened really fast, right before we graduated high school. We decided to say “screw it. we only live once.” and moved to LA to do it full time. So glad we took a chance because this journey has only just barely begun and we have already grown so much together as a duo… as people and artists alike.

Have you always known that music was a career that each of you wanted to pursue?

KTJ: Yes. It’s always been such a driving part of our lives, and I can’t picture one without music.

How would you describe your musical style to someone unfamiliar with your music?

Carly: Our music would be this: Let’s say Pop and R&B had a baby. This baby had a baby with EDM. Then THAT baby had a baby with alternative hip hop music. That would be our music. I feel like it’s still so much more than that though, because we are constantly inspired by so many different kinds of music. I feel like confining music into one genre is confining sometimes. To most ears though, calling it simply just pop makes the most sense, even though the inspiration behind every song and melody is so much more.

You recently released your debut EP ‘Identity’, which sounds so good by the way. How did the idea to create this EP come together?

Carly: After we wrote and released Almost True, we wrote Sell Your Soul. After listening, we realized we had a cohesive message and similar vibe in both songs. We felt like we were starting to get a bit of a theme going with the message. From there decided we would write the rest of the EP centered around the idea of a fragile identity, and journey through finding oneself.

How would you describe the creative process behind creating your EP?

KTJ: We started out with the concept of identity, and wrote a bunch of songs about certain things that keep us from being our true selves.

What are some of your favourite songs to feature on the tracklist for your EP?

Carly: My current favorites on the EP are definitely Someone You Like and Sell Your Soul. The lyrics and production combo were very meaningful for those, plus I actually really just vibe with those songs.

Were there any songs that did not make the final tracklist that we could be seeing released in the future?

Carly: There were about 15 songs in all to be considered. There were a few that were really close but we decided to go with the bunch we had. We chose 7 songs, which is still quite a lot for an EP. I am really happy about the pens we picked. There’s still a few songs that were runner ups that will be released in the future, possibly 2021….

How have your family & friends reacted to your EP?

KTJ: They’re all so proud and happy for us. We are so thankful to have them all in our life. Their love and support makes this journey worth it. Seeing them jam out to our songs makes me laugh and cry at the same time haha, we love them so much. 🥺

What does this EP personally mean to you?

Carly: This EP stands for the idea of the battle of identity with ourselves, the outside world, social media, relationships etc. To me, it’s a reminder of how we are all individually in a constant battle of finding oursleves, discovering our identity. We are constantly changing, therefore constantly at battle. Being that a few of the songs are written from personal experience, it means the world to me that I can listen back on this, and think back to the moment we wrote the song and how far I have come since. It’s very rewarding and this ep is a piece of my heart and the other piece is from KT.

If listeners could take anything away from this release, what would you like it to be?

KTJ: Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. That’s their business. Just focus yourself, your happiness, and channel your divine energy when taking on life.

What advice would you offer someone looking to pursue a career within the music industry?

KTJ: Stay resilient because it’s not easy, but it’s worth it. You will meet so many amazing people along your journey, and to share this drive of telling a story is so much fun. Just always remember the why of what you’re doing. it makes it worth it no matter what. That goes for any career.

Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?

KTJ: Keep your feet on the ground and your head in the clouds. You only live once, so as cliche as it sounds, live everyday like it’s your last.

You can check out the full EP on Spotify below.