What is your name?
My name is Karly Driftwood.
What is your genre of music?
My genre of music can be considered “southern gothic pop” or “dark humor country”.
Give us a little bio about you.
was born and raised in Mechanicsville, VA- outside of Richmond. I’ve been writing poems since I was a kid and started playing guitar in 3rd grade. I went to mortuary school for college. I have a degree in embalming. I wanted to move to Nashville to pursue music but I couldn’t afford it so I became a stripper to save up for it. I moved to Nashville a week after graduating and I’ve been here for 3 years now. Just released my debut album “Too Mean to Die”.
What made you go in to music?
I became interested in music at a young age. I was an only child and was alone a lot, so music felt like a friend I was hanging out with. The two songs that inspired me to be a songwriter were Dream On by Aerosmith and Plush by Stone Temple Pilots. My dad would play them in the car when I was a kid and I fell in love with the music and singing and I knew that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.
Are you a signed?
I am not signed.
What is the meaning behind the album?
The story behind my album title “Too Mean To Die”- I got the idea from a Drive-By Truckers song called Box of Spiders. Some people see the phrase “too mean to die” as the opposite of “the good die young”, meaning assholes somehow stay around longer. I gave too mean to die my own meaning and made it mean I’m too driven and stubborn to take down.
Describe each track in two words.
After Hours- Partied Out
Ain’t Even Close- Feeling Behind
Bake You A Cake- Tasty Murder
Settle For Being Used- Booty Call
Tennessee Trees- Suicidal Stoner
Dodged a Bullet- Breakup Shots
Stripped My Way To Nashville- Paying Dues
Fake Ass Friends- Fake Friends
Jaded To The Bone- Forever Alone
Too Mean To Die- Rock Anthem
What was the writing process like?
I wrote some songs before the idea of recording an album, but most were written as song titles first, and then writing my life experiences around the titles. My songs are diaries. I’ll usually have a hook first, make it a title, and then write the rest of the story around it. My influences are generally songwriters. I’m lyric-driven, so any song I hear with great story-telling always gets me in the mood to write about my own life. If something eventful happens, I usually start writing about it right away. I play guitar, songwriter, and sing.
What was the recording process like?
Most of my album was recorded with my friends Jake Clayton and Rob Daniels in a home studio outside of Nashville. It took over a year to make because it’s always a task being able to schedule studio time when the session player you want is in town. A lot of players tour most of the year so scheduling slowed down the recording process, but it gave me more time to think about what I wanted.
Will we see any music video’s for any of the tracks?
Bake You A Cake video is out now on Youtube
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
In 5 years, I hope to have toured internationally and actually making some money from music. I have not gone on tour yet because my album just came out, but I’m hoping to tour by this fall.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
When I’m not playing music, I’m usually watching horror movies or Forensic Files. I like to sit with a huge plate of food and freak myself out watching something disturbing
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
I’ve gotten a lot of good advice, but I think the best advice I got is never be scared to ask for help. You’d be surprised at some support you can get when you think that person wasn’t interested in you. You have nothing to lose. So just ask.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
The advice I would give to an artist, is to be yourself. Don’t chase what’s cool or trendy, because trends change fast. I think people recognize when someone is authentic. So don’t worry about if you’re “cool” or not. I don’t know if I can live by this quote, but one I’ve always loved is “If you can’t convince them, confuse them.”
Where in your hometown is a must go to visit?
If you like Halloween and metal, then I would suggest going to a bar called Wonderland in downtown Richmond. It has horror movie decor and live metal/punk bands.
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
At a show, then 5 things I can’t forget are picks, capos, tuners, fake eyelashes, and lipstick.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
My social media accounts are Facebook
Instagram
