Kina Grannis

i believe in you

hey lovely people!

a couple of weeks ago i got together with the amazingly talented tyler hilton and we did a little duet of his song “i believe in you.” such a great song! i also got a super secret copy of his EP coming out this month and it’s awesome. perhaps we can look forward to more collabs with tyler in the future, he’s quite entertaining :)

kinacon video
i’m not sure how many of you knew about this, but some awesome kinerds put together a dvd containing videos from supporters all over the world and gave it to me at kinacon. i finally got a chance to sit down with my parents last night and watch the whole thing through, and i cannot begin to explain how insane it all was to me. it’s still hard for me to wrap my head around everything, but thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone that contributed. it’s so amazing to see all your faces, hear your voices, and hear about what my music means to you. it’s just the best thing ever.

touring
ah, that was a mean subject line to bold. i actually still have no update on when or where i’ll be touring. it’s a slow process… i promise the moment i know something, you all will too! i cannot wait to see everyone.

in other news…
i just fed hubert cumberdale and jeremy fisher (my two beautiful corn snakes) and they are so happy! if i was less lazy at this moment i’d take a picture for you. they are snuggling together under their little log/cave thing. so cute.

…
it’s funny, because i promise you my days are busy and eventful, but at the end of every two weeks when i sit down to write this blog… suddenly i can’t recall anything noteworthy. darn it.

well, in any case, i love you all dearly.

kina

oovret: Week 77

If you’re not going to run a marathon this year, how about that song marathon?
ooh! i DO want to do that. i was thinking of actually making it some sort of benefit, too. ahhh this would be so fun. i gotta make it happen.
What do you do at an ice cream social?
ice cream :) so much ice cream.
Have you ever eaten ostrich egg?
no, but i hear you can make scrambled eggs for something like 10 people with one egg! so crazy.
Do you enjoy listening to Bruce Springsteen?
he’s the boss.
Would you rather own a tree that bears peeps, or a rabbit that lays chocolate eggs?
oh my gosh! as much as i love peeps, something seems incredibly magical about a rabbit that lays chocolate eggs.

Posted in Blog, General, Uncategorized | 33 Comments »

hey, soul sister

happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Stairwells, happy birthday to you!!

Stairwells is one month old! and what a super first month it was :) thanks for making it amazing!

lately…
i’ve been taking a lot of meetings. they’ve been fun, exciting, interesting, intriguing. we’ll see what comes of it all, but in the meantime, this tour thing is becoming a reality! not sure when exactly it’ll go down, but i’ll be sure to keep you all posted. the more demand in an area, the more likely i’ll get there, so spread around some awkward kina love! share some vids, burn some cds, see if anyone else you know wants in on the love fest that will be my tour :)

interview
last week i had the honor of doing an interview with one of our very own kinerds, Jessica Fong, on behalf of Girls By Design, a blog started by Kristin Kreuk and Kendra Voth to encourage girls to realize their potential and express themselves. to hear more about my daily life, music past, what i do to de-stress and a bunch of other random stuff, check out the interview here:
http://girlsbydesign.com/blog/2010/03/18/interview-sweet-songstress-kina-grannis/

ok, i need to make myself some dinner.

<3
kina

oovret: Week 76

What did you do with the animals in your dream?
sat with my dad and stared at them all in amazement for a while. then we realized there were lions and giant pythons and other such craziness, so we went back inside to avoid death.
Do you have enough songs written for another album?
they aren’t all finished… but they exist. i’m really excited about them! i don’t think i’ll be able to really start thinking about them for a while though. gotta focus on stairwells for now :)
Have you recorded anything in your new home studio?
only bits and pieces.
Do you enjoy listening to Enya?
enya makes me feel like i’m in a peaceful, magical, movie.
Did you consider running in the LA Marathon?
yes! this was not the year though. :/ not enough time to train properly. hoping to get at least a half marathon in this year.

Posted in Blog, General | 26 Comments »

maybe

so… holy moly! last week was exciting. Stairwells debuted on the Billboard 200 without the help of a label or publicist!! it is 100% thanks to all of you for supporting me and my music and helping to get the word out– huge thanks to the kg street team, all the kinerds, youtubers, kg gift chain participants, anyone that’s passed my music on to a friend or bought my album! thank you times infinity!

for those that don’t have a copy yet, you can order a physical copy here:
http://store.kinagrannis.com/

and you can download from the following online stores:

iTunes

Amazon

eMusic

hoping to do some touring soon! the more demand in a given city, the better chance i’ll get there, so spread the word in your area :)

also– gigantic shout out and thank you to all the kinerds behind KinaCon 2010. it was a huge success and it was such an honor to meet all of you! you all are amazing people and i cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done and continue to do for me. so awesome.

:)
kina

oovret: Week 75

How much sushi did you eat?
no judging! *ahem*
1 piece of albacore toro
1 piece of albacore
1 piece of snapper
1 spicy scallop
1 normal scallop
2 pieces of salmon
2 pieces of hamachi
1 piece of hirame
1 piece of unagi
1 spicy hamachi handroll
2 spicy tuna handrolls
1 piece of amaebi
and i would’ve had an order of uni but they were out *tear*
Has there been an increase in web traffic since your article in the OC Register?
a little bit!
What are you going to do now that your album is finally out?
spread it as far and wide as possible. and tour :) (eventually…)
Do you enjoy listening to “Vampire Weekend”?
i really do :)
Are you planning on selling “kg” boxers?
apparently people want them! should i do it?

Posted in Blog | 39 Comments »

everyone, meet stairwells. stairwells, meet everyone.

what the? is it actually today?? i cannot believe that after SO long of talking about this album… it’s out! ahhh!

i’ve said it a million times before, but i could not be here if not for you. this album would not exist if not for you. so thank you from the very bottom of my heart for being such a huge part of this! today is your day just as much as it is mine or stairwells’. so give yourself a pat on the back and a big hug from me.

iTunes!
you can now download Stairwells from iTunes! feel free to rate and comment :)

physicals!
for now, physical copies are available only from my website and live shows. you can order your copy here, and with your confirmation email you’ll receive a free bonus track, “Make Me.”

free streaming of Stairwells!
during the first week of the release (until March 1st), Stairwells will be streaming for free from kinagrannis.com! check it out and see what you think, and invite anyone who might be interested to come listen as well :) who doesn’t like free music?

the story behind stairwells
if you want to gain a little insight on the title… check out this article from the Daily Trojan (campus newspaper from my alma mater, USC)

“Valentine” free single and music video

for those that missed it, you can download my single “Valentine” for free from my website, and be sure to check out the official music video here.

Online Release Party
what: celebration!
where: ustream.tv/kinagrannis
when: tonight, february 23rd @ 8PM Pacific Standard Time

come celebrate the release with me! i will likely:

- play some songs
- talk a bit about making the album
- take questions
- thank you all profusely

Real-life Release Party

there will be about 150 spots open to the public, so come early if you want to join the festivities! there will be mingling, hors d’oeuvres, treats, and music, of course.

where: The Dakota Lounge, 1026 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica
when: Saturday, February 27th, 7-9PM, doors open at 6:30PM
info: $15 at the door, 18+

“Valentine” on the radio!
a limited number of radio stations now have “valentine” in their libraries– check out the list and request “valentine” at your local station!
http://www.kinagrannis.com/streetteam/radio/

wow.

today is lovely. thank you for that.

kina

oovret: Week 74

What is the highest stairwell you have climbed?
i’m not sure, but i’d really like to climb up/sing in a stairwell in a tower in a castle! wouldn’t that be cool?
Do you have a favorite stairwell?
i’m fairly attached to the ones i dwelled in during my early years at USC.
Have you ever used a StairMaster?
maybe twice. way to hard to tweet on one of those. (ellipticals all the way!)
What is the best song to listen to in a stairwell?
i’m not sure what the best one to LISTEN to is… but the best songs to SING in a stairwell… well shoot. any song ever. it’s just the best feeling.
Do you stare well?
haha. why yes, i do. actually no, it’d probably make me feel pretty awkward to stare too well.

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | 20 Comments »

Happy “Valentine”… Day?

i am currently excited beyond belief. i can’t believe that after years of planning for this… it’s actually happening. well, almost.

album update

Stairwells is now available for pre-order here.

all pre-orders will be signed by me, and upon placing your order you will receive a free download of my bonus track “Make Me.”

after two years in the making, i am incredibly happy to announce the upcoming release of my first full-length album, Stairwells, on February 23rd, 2010. Stairwells will be available in physical form through my website, and digitally through iTunes (US and internationally), Amazon, and several other digital vendors.

free single!
i am giving away my single “Valentine” for free on my website as well! go download your copy now and spread it far and wide :) just in time for a little Valentine’s day gift, too!
download Valentine here.

“Valentine” Official Music Video

it’s now been 3 super bowls since my last proper music video! i shot this one last week with a very talented director named Ross Ching. it’s amazing what can be done with 760 empty dvd cases and a LOT of patience.

check out Ross’ stuff here:
http://www.rossching.com

Stairwells Release Party!

for those in the LA area, the cd release party will be held on Saturday, February 27th from 7-9pm at the Dakota Lounge in Santa Monica. there are limited spots available to the public so arrive early if you want to be a part of the celebration, we’ll be taking people first come first serve after my RSVPed guests have checked in! there will be mingling, hors d’oeuvres, treats, and music, of course. it’s 18+ and $15 at the door.

<3

much much love to all of you for supporting my music, if even in the teeniest of ways. you all made this possible and i am endlessly grateful for that.

kina

oovret: Week 73

Have you sung “Singin’ in the Rain”, in the rain?
just that line, yes :)
Are you working on another Valentine’s Day song?
not this year. was a little busy working on the same one :)
Since your Superbowl appearance, have you been offered to appear in any other advertisements?
only silly things
Did you enjoy any of this year’s Superbowl commercials?
i spent all yesterday in front of my computer! i’ll definitely watch the ads sometime this week.
Do you feel obligated to eat Doritos during every Superbowl?
how about any time i walk by them in a store?? ;)

Posted in Blog, General, Uncategorized | 39 Comments »

music is transparent too

this is a video i shot with my lovely sisters misa (left) and emi (…behind?) this summer when we stayed in lake tahoe for a week. always so fun to sing with them :) and i love this song by k’s choice.

i had another video in the works for today but it’s not quite ready. it’ll definitely be up sometime soon. it’s an exciting one!

album update
after MUCH back and forth with the manufacturer, i think we are finally going to press!! for a moment there i was worried they weren’t going to be printed in time. but it’s all good to go now :)

i’m kicking into gear now as there is LESS than a month before Stairwells is released! i need to do what i can to get the word out far and wide. possibly some exciting things coming up…

well, i don’t want to give away too much for now. i’ll be posting again soon. i think i might start posting more vlog-like videos so i can really keep you all in the loop!

all for now!
<3
kina

oovret: Week 72

What do you feel was your greatest accomplishment of 2009, not related to music or your career?
oh boy, we’re getting deep here. there are a lot of things… i can’t say there was one greatest accomplishment though.
Were you able to keep your resolutions from the past year?
i think i made a resolution to play guitar everyday… *fail* :(
Do you know any New Year songs?
i don’t think so!
Did you enjoy watching The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien?
yes, the last one made me cry!
Do you ever think about what the world would be like if you didn’t exist?
i haven’t… how about what i’d be like without the world!?

Posted in Blog, General, Uncategorized | 17 Comments »

the Troubadour SOLD OUT!!

what an awesome night. here’s a bit of me gushing about it :) 500+ people… jeez.

Posted in Blog, General, News | 27 Comments »

crawl

hello everyone!

it’s been awhile! i hope you all had magical holiday time and an awesome start to 2010. it’s going to be a good year, i can feel it :)

album update:
things have been busy over here, planning logistics for the release, the single… the single’s MUSIC VIDEO! you know, fun things like that ;) tomorrow i should be approving the final proof of the album art and hopefully by wednesday we’ll be sending it off to the manufacturer! woo! things are getting done… slowly but surely.

the troubadour… online!
now EVERYONE can watch the show! we’ll be streaming live it on ustream.tv/kinagrannis so come hang out. tune in around 9PM to be safe, but realistically it could start closer to 9:30. it’ll be nice to know that you’re all there with me… kind of. we will also be recording the show in case you happen to be busy!

limited run, signed and numbered silkscreened posters
DKNG studios (the awesome guys that did my album art and website) have made up some beautiful posters for the troubadour show. we’ll be selling them at the show and i’ll be signing afterwards at the meet and greet. i will sign all the left-overs, too, and put them on the webstore after the show!

Troubadour
January 13, 2010 (doors at 8PM)
9081 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Cost: $10 at the door
Notes: All ages! Meet and greet after the show. If ordering tickets presale fom the link below, note the “buy tickets via fax” option. It’s much more affordable! The service fee is $2/ticket instead of a billion.
For presale tickets click here

RSVP on facebook here!

new website!
and finally, welcome to the new website. what a lovely home it is :) big props to DKNG studios for being awesome and making this thing!

much much love to you all,
kina

Posted in Blog, General | 33 Comments »

happy new website launch!

well, here it is, the website we’ve all been waiting for! explore! new pics, new bio, song lyrics, song clips, videos galore, the works. sign into the community section and update your profile info too, because now we have a little directory– the “who is kination” link on the community page. also… get ready for this… a new chatroom for everyone! no more hungry shout box monster eating up your precious words, and it pops out of the page so you can make it as big as you want! make sure you login to the site above the chatroom before attempting to chat. you do not need to create a chatroll account if you are logged in to kg.com.

let’s give a big hand to the folks over at DKNGStudios.com for making this thing!

welcome home everyone. let’s get comfy :)

much love,
kina

Posted in Blog, News | 37 Comments »

white christmas

i’ve actually never had a white christmas! maybe someday…

family time in the grannis household is a warm and happy time. as you can see, it is also a strange and bizarre time. but it is a good time.

let me also point out that it’s currently 4am, and i’ve been going to bed around 1am lately, so my brain is a little crazy and doesn’t remember how to function. if whatever i’m writing sounds awkward, it’s because i’m only half awake.

album update

the album art is ALMOST finished. the website is ALMOST finished. things are about to get crazy!!

upcoming show!

Troubadour
January 13, 2010 (doors at 8PM)
9081 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Cost: $10
Notes: All ages! If ordering tickets presale fom the link below, note the “buy tickets via fax” option. It’s much more affordable! The service fee is $2/ticket instead of a billion.
For presale tickets click here
RSVP on facebook here!

happy happy holidays and here’s to a fantastic 2010 <3
kina

oovret: Week 71

Have you roasted chestnuts on an open fire?
no! but i do love me some roasted chestnuts.
What would you do with a partridge in a pear tree?
teach it tricks. cuddle. set it free.
What was the last gift you received from Santa Claus?
i believe he gifted the family DDR a few years back…
What Christmas songs do you enjoy singing?
many :)
Have your parents sold your bed?
no, but they have reverted it back to a rickety bunk bed which makes me feel either slightly claustrophobic if i’m on the bottom, or slightly like i might die in my sleep if i’m on top. they’ve also put two exercise machines in my room… pretty intense. but i’d rather them exercise and be healthy than my room feel cozy.

Posted in General | 30 Comments »