KK 2.0
Don’t get this rock-and-roll temptress mistaken for the Calabasas reality empresses. Kelsy Karter’s unapologetic authenticity is what we need now more than ever.
Kelsy Karter
Photographer: Dirk Mai; Makeup and Hair: Ashley Gwaltney; Stylist: Joseph Covarrubias; Videographer: Paolo Artymiak.
The Archangel? Angelina Jolie’s little sister? No doubt your first thoughts when researching, or scrolling through the Instagram, of no-rules musician Kelsy Karter. Raw simplicity and that unapologetic authenticity is what would make anyone love this woman. From ordering a cup of water to inventively slick back her hair, Karter loves nothing more than to live life comfortably in tailored black trousers, white socks, trusty black Doc Marten oxfords, a $3 white t-shirt purposefully worn inside out, winged liner, rosy cheeks, and rosy lips – both smudged on with her delicate middle finger – like the rebel older sister of your best friend you emulated throughout childhood. Falling head-over-heels for her perfectly pillowy pout and signature winged liner, that possess the unexplainable ability to cut without warning, this young woman is a reincarnation of something majestic and you are in for a wild ride.
Androgynous and minimal with a touch of the 90s to early 2000 influence, Karter’s love for fashion is serious and particular. “I fucking love fashion, especially 60s greaser vibes and 70s British Victorian fashion. They’re mainly where I get my inspiration. I usually stick to black, white or muted warm tones, lace, leather, plaid, and satin frills.” Not one for labels, Karter spreads her money between unique boutiques and thrift stores. “I shop at thrift stores weekly,” she emphasized, “and I style my whole band. I was always a tomboy.” Growing up, Karter describes her styling as doll-like, and garnering the, oftentimes unwanted, male attention, she grew to despise it. Rebelling, Karter embraced her “inner boy.” “When I walk on stage in my leather pants, white tee, socks, and shoes – inspired by Charlie Chaplin – people know it’s Kelsy Karter.” Describing herself as overly feminine looking, when donning a tomboy look, Karter says she still looks and feels like a girl. “I’m proud to say: I don’t have to show my tits and ass to feel or look sexy.” Cutting her eyes, she clarifies, “No shade, just not my style.” Taking in the tailored pieces donned by Rolling Stone’s icon Mick Jagger and Retro rocker Elvis, one woman stands out far more than the men she styles after. “I’ve always felt a connection to, stylistically, French actress, Anna Karina. She’s a romantic rebel, like me.” Taking “romantic rebel” modern, Karter gravitates to mix and match masculine and feminine pieces, and while taking part in press junkets and photoshoots, Karter’s mostly male inspired mood board is very much the bold and beautiful, working to change how women are perceived and sought after in this more glamorized era of “sex sells.”
“I never thought I’d be a singer,” shared the multi-dimensional personality that is Kelsy Karter. “The acting was my passion.” “Was,” as in past tense? Kicking off 2019 Karter’s acting chops came into full play. After a series of unfortunate events, siting the passing of her beloved dog Diva, the singer channeled her emotions in a much creative way. Documenting her grievance process, Karter opted to vlog her actions of getting a Harry Styles to face tattoo. With the carefully thought out marketing scheme, her dire dedication performance broke the internet. With more than 500,000 views on YouTube and garnering attention across social media and news outlets, come to find out it was the Oscar-winning prank to get new and current fans to prepare for the release of her latest single, ironically titled, Harry. Sure, the prank would automatically secure Karter’s slot on the revival of MTV show, Punk’d, but Karter is sticking to what she relates to most: music. Karter’s hand in music has been passed down from generations. Thanks to her dad’s taste in sound and one iconic performer, Karter knew music was her newfound burning passion. “James Brown,” she reminisced with a smile. “He was the reason I wanted to become a singer and one of my earliest memories was my dad introducing me to his music.” Having a leg up on her passion discovery, Karter continues to praise her family’s contributions to what she loves to do today. “I was brought up in a family of musicians, so I began playing instruments, sang, and acted in the theatre.” Self-discovering her natural ear for music, the pastime quickly became what she lived and breathed. “Who knew I had been training all my life for something I didn’t know I wanted,” Karter shared with a confident laugh.
For a traveling artist, the idea of life on the road seems glamorous to those from the outside looking in. But for Karter, “There’s a lot of driving, especially if you’re in America. To be honest, so much of touring is sitting around in the dressing room, van or hotel just talking about and laughing at the most random shit. It’s fun.” Anyone could only imagine what truly goes down. “It doesn’t matter what city we’re in, showtime is always the climax of any day for me, I live for it.” The ringmaster of her little circus. From tour bus horror stories to backstage devilment, nothing compares to Karter’s euphoric rush on stage. For anyone lucky enough to watch, interact, and be in the band’s presence it is remarkably mesmerizing. Though with her boys, Karter paints a picture of pitching up a tent, showing out and putting on a memorable performance for an audience, “that rock-and-roll is alive and doing quite fucking well.” With 2020 quickly approaching, Karter – with much enthusiasm – announced her debut album KK1 is coming. Planning for domination, “[Me] and The Boys with Long Hair will be touring that baby all year, all over the fucking world.” Before we depart talks of the future, entering the new decade, Karter’s best life advice, given to her and now to us: “Have patience, be nice to your mum, drinks lots of water, and take no shit from anyone.”
When she’s not on tour or recording and writing in the studio, Karter’s self-care is much more personal to her, for her. “Going to the movies with someone, by myself, I don’t care.” One surprising source of relaxation and hidden talent for the bad ass rocker: writing scripts. “I love it so much,” she says with such relief. With hopes of writing and directing films in the future, she spends a large amount of time cultivating the craft. When she’s not constructing dialogue or setting scenes, she’s taking weekly bets playing poker. One thing she refuses to shy away from, the thought and talk of romance. “Oh! I love to fall in love. That’s probably my most favorite thing in the whole wide world.” Being the only female sharing a single space with four other males, struggles are sure to ensue, or so we suspect. Karter not only commands the stage, but her mates at hand. “Truthfully, boys are just easier to boss around,” both of us erupting with laughter, mentally agreeing to the hidden truth, she continues, “No, but seriously, I have no complaints. I don’t care what gender they are, they’re my people and we live our dreams together and that’s all that matters.”
Evident, Karter expertly rocks the “cool girl” rebel, unafraid and unapologetically real, with grace and joie de vivre. While growing in the public eye, Karter has found new, definitive ways to stay true to who she is and always has been with the evolving pressures and expectations of the spotlight. “Being anything other than myself is the hard part. I was always very proud of feeling and being different from the crowd and it kind of turned me on to rebel against the norm. It’s romantic to me.” With a sense of personal fortune, Karter looks back on her views of other’s struggles with acceptance. “I feel lucky to have been built this way, as I know many people, especially kids, out there struggle with accepting themselves and not giving an ‘F’ what people think.” With social media presentation and her own “brand,” Karter understands her responsibility of being the best model of being yourself. “I feel like it’s my responsibility to own it and inspire people to try and do the same. But if you want me to get real for a second,” she repositions with a serious note, “I have my moments of an identity crisis, depression, all that.” Not with annoyance or frustration, but the confusion of where the world has ended up, “I can’t fucking stand the term ‘on brand’. I’m a musician, an artist, a person. I’m not Coca-Cola or Dove soap, you know? I’ve been in situations where I’ve felt immense pressure to only show the ‘darker’ side of myself, but you know what, rebels cry too.” With sheer agreeance, the stakes are high, but at what cost? Karter states her case firmly, “I’m only good at what I do because I am a highly sensitive person. And for me, deciding not to show that part of me would be going against everything I stand for.
