Kina Grannis

my birthday!

first of all, huge thank you to everyone that emailed/myspaced/facebooked/youtubed/tweeted me wishing me a happy birthday. i’ll have you know it was quite a happy one indeed :) your thoughtfulness means so much to me it’s crazy. i was even sent out on a twitter hunt to find clues that eventually led me to an AMAZING group card that many of you contributed to. that was so awesome, i can’t tell you. thanks!

as i mentioned briefly in the po box video, things are getting BUSY! i guess that’s what happens when you decide to be your own label. i know it’s been forever since i started the album (last november) but i promise it’ll be worth it! the mixing is 85% done and we just produced “valentine” for the album. i can’t waiiiitt to share it with you all. now my focus needs to turn to album art, revamping all the websites, getting all my business stuff organized and streamlined, and coming up with a clever way to have an awesome release minus having billions of major label dollars behind me. but i’m not worried :) for one, i have all of you. for two (can you say that?), i think the challenge is going to be exciting. plus i have a super duper street team to unleash. mwahaha.

oh yeah, but back to the point, being busier unfortunately means that i’m going to have to cut down on videos. :( i’m aiming for two videos a month. it’s amazing how WRONG that feels to me! *sigh* but as much as i LOVE it so much, it’s becoming apparent that i need to re-allocate my time for now so that i can really get things moving with the album.

well, i suppose that’s all for now. thanks for everything.

heart,
kina

oovret: Week 61

Do you prefer Dunkin’ Donuts or Krispy Kreme ?
i’m not sure. krispy kreme donuts are pretty delicious, but there’s something about a big fluffy donut that appeals to me. i’ve only had one dunkin’ donut ever though, so i can’t really judge.

Did you consider any of the Boston area Colleges/Universities?
yes actually! i got into Boston University and visited for a tour. it’s such a cool city, but ultimately, i chose usc (the winters scared me). very glad to have chosen usc though… without the songwriters club, the open mic nights, the acoustically perfect stairwells, the protege program that produced my first cd (sincerely, me), all of my musical friends, and a really helpful and knowledgeable music school faculty… i would be much farther behind as an artist.

Have you attended a tea party?
only the kind where you sip imaginary tea from tiny tea cups and talk with your stuffed animals. i always chose “strawberry tea.” it was actually water. and i don’t think strawberry tea exists.

Do you enjoy listening to the band “Boston”?
haha! very apropos! i’ve heard some of their songs but haven’t really listened to them much

How many pairs of red socks do you own?
haha! very clever. i know of one red sock that i own… i don’t know that it ever had a partner.

Posted in General | 67 Comments »

white winter hymnal

this week was such a roller coaster. i had a boston show, then i didn’t, then i did, then i didn’t, then i did… and then… well i’m sure you can assume how that went. :(

i’m so sorry that i wont be getting to see all you bostonians, and i’m even more sorry that i pumped us all up for this show for months only to let us all down. the good news is, i’m already planning on coming back in the fall, this time for real. unfortunately, i wont have time for a meetup this time around since the primary reason for my being there is to attend a wedding (and other wedding-related festivities.)

this afternoon i met with my mixer brian yaskulka and listened to a few tracks from the album that he’s working on. it’s sounding really good! a lot of you have been asking when the new album will be released… i promise you that the second i have an answer, you will know. this whole album-making process keeps surprising me with new snags and difficulties. it’s challenging… but when it’s done it will be the most gratifying thing ever.

well, i think that’s all for me for now. hope you enjoyed a little grannis sister craziness, i know, it’d been too long :)

as always, thank you all for being here for me–encouraging me, supporting me, helping me, inspiring me.

i am lucky.

kina

oovret: Week 60

Where did you go on your previous all family vacation?
several years ago we went to maui together. i miss hawaii :(
Do you enjoy fishing? If so, what is the biggest fish you have caught?
i haven’t fished many times in my life, but i have some fond memories surf fishing with my dad. i think one time we caught a sand shark (we set him free, of course)
What is your favorite lake activity?
unfortunately, some of my favorite lake activities do not involve being on a boat since i tend to get seasick :( i like walking along shorelines looking for living things though!
Do you enjoy listening to Natalie Cole?
i love natalie cole and have even thought of covering some of her songs (and the songs of her father)
Do you feel lost after being away from the internet for an extended period of time?
it’s great/relaxing in theory to get a break from the internet, except that i know when i get back on, i’ll have lots of emails and music-related business awaiting me which would be not relaxing/stressful to try and catch up on. (confession: i was on my computer every day during my vacation!)
Did you remember that movie character’s name?
….

Posted in General | 44 Comments »

another day *updated with shoutouts*

all newbies– welcome to the bla(h)g! i hope you’re all doing well and meeting the regulars, because they rock :) login to the shoutbox if you get the chance!

wow it’s been a crazy week.

to be expanded upon in the next few days:
- new album progress
wow it’s been crazy! we started at the beginning of november… and we’re still at it. as much as i just want to get this album out into the world, i know that all the work and all the wait is going to be worth it though. we (my producer, manager and myself) finished up all the production at the end of january and are FINALLY making some ground with mixing everything. we’re thinking of producing one more song this month that i think deserves to be on the album…
- family vacation
i’m in lake tahoe! this is the first time my parents and my sisters and i have all had a vacation together in 3 years so we are all very happy about it. we have already done a good about of singing and frolicking outside. but much much more will be done :) our internet access is limited so i probably wont be the twitter-fiend that i usually am this week, but i’ll try to check in from time to time. this also means i probably wont get a video up this week :( my brain probably wouldn’t mind a little break from technology… although i’ll probably go through some withdrawals. i hope to at least record something with my sisters and sometime after vacation i’ll get it up.
- boston
STILL waiting to hear back from venues, but it will be on either the 23rd or 26th of this month. as soon as i know i’ll send out a kina mail about it!
- youtube
umm… what was i going to say here? i don’t remember. shoot.
- photo shoot
i had a photo shoot with my friend, and very talented photographer tom schirmacher last week in malibu creek state park. it was so much fun!! i got a bruised knee, 6 splinters (which i finally got out last night) and accidentally squished two bugs (sadness), but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. anyway, i’m really excited about it because if all goes as planned, this means i finally can dive into album art and updating/redesigning the websites so they’re all ready to go when the album drops (still don’t know when that will be.) but yay!

now i gotta go get a bit of rest before i have to go awkwardly stand in front of a camera all day… eek. wish me luck! hopefully i don’t make too many weird faces.

check back in on friday-ish and hopefully i will have expanded on at least some of the above.

you all make every bit of craziness worth it.

kina

oovret: Week 59

Does your family have any Independence Day traditions? hanging out with my dad’s parents and other assorted grannis family members, usually in dana point. eat, hang out, watch fireworks from the balcony. i love it :)
Speaking of Independence Day, how has the independent music business been treating you?
haha. i love it but it REALLY is difficult! it’s so gratifying and exciting, but if I’m not the one pushing for things to move forward… things aren’t going to happen. not to mention the absence of a major label’s piggy bank. that part can hurt. but at the end of the day, i can be really proud of the music i’m making and putting out, and really happy that i can stay so connected with all the awesome people that support me.
Do you prefer lighting your own fireworks or watching professional shows?
i’ve only lit my own sparklers in japan. i don’t know if it’s that i wouldn’t enjoy it… it’s just illegal and i’ve never cared enough to go out of my way to find some.
Do you enjoy listening to John Philip Sousa?
i should probably explore more of his music… so patriotic :)
If aliens attacked earth, which movie character would you want to protect you?
interesting. probably that one whose name i don’t remember. i’ll get back to you on that. brain… not working.

signing out at 2:16 am.

Posted in General | 58 Comments »

remember the time

a tribute to a music legend.

it’s 2 am, i’m sitting here in bed and i can’t think of much to say, other than thank you.

thanks.

heart,
kina

oovret: Week 58

Which “Transformer” is your favorite?
i’ve never seen any transformer anythings… fail :( i’m sorry!
Did you purchase any paintings from the Art-a -fair?
nope, but i admired many :)
How many times have you watched “Captain EO”?
good question! a good many times when i was young.
Have you choreographed dance steps to any of your songs?
hahaha. no. but when i was little i choreographed dances to everything. a favorite was “black or white.”
Can you moonwalk?
only very poorly :)

Posted in General | 33 Comments »

never say never

sooo…. the show with david archuleta was so fun! keith tutt and reade pryor were amazing to play with, the sound was awesome, the crowd was amazing, and david is the nicest person ever.

father’s day with the family was lovely, as always. i love my family.

Sun, June 28th :: 5:30PM
Pittsford Park Summer Concert Series w/ Papa Doo Run Run
21701 Pittsford Drive
Lake Forest, CA 92630
Cost: free
Notes: All ages. Come early and bring blankets! Meet and greet after show.

all for nowsies.
kina

oovret: Week 57

Does your family have any Father’s Day traditions?
my mom and my sisters and i make him breakfast in bed, which consists of: okonomiyaki (japanese pancake of sorts), a papaya, fresh squeezed juice (this year’s was apple, carrot, celery), and coffee. of course, like with mother’s day, emi is in charge of arranging a mini bouquet of flowers from our backyard. we bring him up his food and the newspaper and then let him relax for a while. then we all come back up and give cards/presents… the rest of the day is doing what he wants to do. this year it was father’s day with the extended family.
What do you appreciate about your father?
everything. he’s one of the most kind, generous, intelligent and respectable people there are. he has been the best dad ever to my sisters and i, he is there for us 100%. he has always supported me in everything i do. and he is a role model, he has dedicated his life to learning and helping others.
How many times have you played a show at a fair?
caruthers fair: twice
san diego fair: once
i think that’s it?
Do you enjoy listening to Joni Mitchell?
yes :) i could drink a case of you.
If you could have played the lead in any movie, which character would you be?
if i actually put more thought into this i’m sure i’d think of some cool role that would allow me to travel a lot/meet cool people/do awesome things. but off the top of my head, sam from garden state.

Posted in General | 47 Comments »

missing you

oooops. i left out the shoutouts! here they are:

yesterday i took a vote for what song i should do for today’s blog. i would say about 90% of responses were “favorite word.” (by the way– i’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much!!) however, i decided to honor what i thought was my one vote from budapest and do “missing you”… but today it was pointed out to me that there was another budapest vote… for “favorite word.” i am a bad person :(

i’m getting excited for the show this saturday! i’ll be playing with my cellist friend, keith, again, and my friend reade will be on the cajon.

quick shoutout to all fans of david and snarkies! thanks for reaching out to me :) i’m excited to meet some of you this weekend!

some upcoming shows for you:
Sat, June 20th :: 7PM
Opening for David Archuleta at the San Diego Fair
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.
Del Mar, CA 92014
Notes: All Ages. Signing by merch after my set.

Sun, June 28th :: 5:30PM
Pittsford Park Summer Concert Series w/ Papa Doo Run Run
21701 Pittsford Drive
Lake Forest, CA 92630
Cost: free
Notes: All ages. Come early and bring blankets! Meet and greet after show.

ciao!
kina

oovret: Week 56

In High School, were you voted “most likely to succeed”, “best hair”, etc.?
:( there were 779 people in my class. only a very specific crowd made it into those categories…
When you were younger did you get sent off to summer camp?
nope.
Does playing guitar make it easier to play Guitar Hero?
harder! i’ve actually only played once and it confused me. i think what it really comes down to is– if i have free time on my hands, i’d rather play a real guitar.
Do you enjoy listening to “The Decemberists”?
mhm
On average, how many hours do you spend packing merch each week?
7 perhaps?

Posted in General | 39 Comments »

new york june 2009

ahh, new york was so much fun!!

things have been going well lately. the album is in the process of getting mixed which i’m very excited about! tom biller has been picked as the man for the job and i think he’s going to make it great :)

another fun tidbit, thanks to french street teamer cedric, there is now a french wiki page for me! check it out.
thanks!!

some upcoming shows for you:
Sat, June 20th :: 7PM
Opening for David Archuleta at the San Diego Fair
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.
Del Mar, CA 92014
Notes: All Ages.

Sun, June 28th :: 5:30PM
Pittsford Park Summer Concert Series w/ Papa Doo Run Run
21701 Pittsford Drive
Lake Forest, CA 92630
Cost: free
Notes: All ages. Come early and bring blankets! Meet and greet after show.

well, all for now :)
kina

oovret: Week 55

How many street teamers were at the LA meetup?
not including grannises, 17.
How many street teamers were at the NY meetup?
not including grannises, 15
What did you do for your High School grad-night?
something in a big huge building with a lot of loud music and a lot of crazy people. it looked really awesome (i believe this was in part thanks to mama g), but flashing lights and blasting music until the wee hours of the morning with nowhere to escape to wasn’t really my scene.
Do you enjoy listening to Bob Dylan?
i appreciate his lyrics :)
When you cover songs for the Bla(h)g, do you memorize all of the lyrics and chords?
yes i do… that’s why it takes me so long. sooo many takes are so close and then i forget the last word.. or last chord. it makes things harder, but i feel like unless i really know a song, i really can’t put in the emotion it deserves.

@Débora Cotis
hope to see you in Brazil someday!
@Claudia
thanks so much! please feel free to put as many of my videos on your blog as you’d like to :)
@ajsea
i was just thinking of you! i’m so glad you’re still around!

Posted in General | 37 Comments »

better together

currently… i am 25,036 feet off the ground somewhere over nebraska.

thanks to virgin america i can feed my internet addiction while flying to new york.

the show last week at third street promenade was sooo fun. and the street team meetup was even better.

speaking of the street team– if you haven’t seen it yet– misa made us a home! check it out here:

http://www.kinagrannis.com/streetteam

thank you for all that came out and endured my sappiness. :)

time for some ginger ale, perhaps.

kina

upcoming shows:

Fri, June 5th :: 7PM
Hiro Ballroom w/ David Choi and Chloe Temtchine
363 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
Cost: $15
Notes: 18+. Meet and greet at venue after show.

Sat, June 20th :: 7PM
Opening for David Archuleta at the San Diego Fair
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.
Del Mar, CA 92014
Notes: All Ages.

Sun, June 28th :: 5:30PM
Pittsford Park Summer Concert Series w/ Papa Doo Run Run
21701 Pittsford Drive
Lake Forest, CA 92630
Cost: free
Notes: All ages. Come early and bring blankets! Meet and greet after show.

oovret: Week 54

When you cover songs, do you look for guitar tabs or figure them out by ear?
a little bit of both. i find that a lot of tabs out there are seriously flawed, but they give me a starting point, and then i work out the rest.
How many street teamers are there, now?
277!
On average, how many marriage proposals do you receive each week?
oh… hm. 2 or 3? but they’re not serious :)
Do you enjoy listening to Herbie Hancock?
yep.
Are you ready for your song marathon?
oh you still remember that? haaaa. ok, we’ll do it. someday. first i have to remember how to play all my old songs.

Posted in General | 51 Comments »

the heart of life

booyah! i totally just got a blog up on a monday!! *rejoice*

i love this song. i think it’s so beautiful.

attention street teamers! check your inboxes :) we’re finally getting started! in the next two weeks we’ll be having meetups on both coasts. details will be in the email!

upcoming shows:
Sat, May 30th :: 2:30PM
Third Street Promenade
1248 3rd Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Cost: free
Notes: All ages! Kina will be performing outside on Third Street Promenade. If all goes as planned, we’ll nab the spot right in front of the Apple store, but check http://www.twitter.com/kinagrannis for last minute updates!

Fri, June 5th :: 7PM
Hiro Ballroom w/ David Choi and Chloe Temtchine
363 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
Cost: $13 presale, $15 at the door
Notes: 18+. Meet and greet at venue after show.

Sat, June 20th :: 7PM
Opening for David Archuleta at the San Diego Fair
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.
Del Mar, CA 92014
Buy tickets here
Notes: All Ages.

Sun, June 28th :: 5:30PM
Pittsford Park Summer Concert Series w/ Papa Doo Run Run
21701 Pittsford Drive
Lake Forest, CA 92630
Cost: free
Notes: All ages. Come early and bring blankets! Meet and greet after show.

wow… the past week has been insanely busy. my brain is a little slow right now… blah. i like you.

kina

oovret: Week 53

What do you typically purchase from Famima?
i used to always get the salmon hand rolls… they were AMAZING… but i think they’ve stopped making them :( so now i get spicy tuna musubi and occasionally salmon sushi.
Do you enjoy any other ballroom dances?
salsa!
What is your favorite Kogi menu item?
i’m not sure yet… haven’t tried enough things. i MIGHT have had an answer for you had the kogi truck not run out of food when I was in line the other night :(
Do you enjoy listening to “Run-DMC”?
can’t say that i’ve listened to a ton of their music.
Do earthquakes scare you?
not so much when they happen, but i used to lose sleep over thinking about when “the big one” was coming.

Posted in General | 47 Comments »

where i stood

oh my. mid thursday!? come on, kina.
thursday is hardly monday ish.

this has been one of my busiest weeks ever! time to get back to the grind.

love you all dearly. thank you times a million :)

kina

oovret: Week 52

Did you go to your senior prom? Where was it?
yes and… i don’t remember.
What is the first movie that comes to mind when you hear the name “Walt Disney”?
the little mermaid. when i was growing up, there was about a year long period when EVERY morning i would wake up and go downstairs and emi would be watching this movie. that is very likely a huge exaggeration… but maybe it’s not. mama g? also, during this time period, misa was very into drawing ariel. she was really good at it.
What charitable organizations do you support?
some of the main ones are The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and Sister to Sister
Do you enjoy listening to the “Glenn Miller Orchestra”?
i am a swing dancer! (yes)
Who has been the best Captain of the USS Enterprise?
i… don’t know. :( *fail*

Posted in General | 34 Comments »