On Full-Time Music, Dream Collaborations And The Suffers: Kam Franklin
As we prepare for The Front Festival 2021, we’re sharing interviews with some of the creatives on our lineup. Today, we’re spotlighting Kam Franklin, vocalist for the gulf coast soul band The Suffers.
You can catch Kam on Day One of the festival during our music showcase at Cheer Up Charlies.
WHO: KAM FRANKLIN
Kam Franklin is a singer-songwriter, activist, writer, motivational speaker, and actress from Houston, TX. She is best known for her work with the gulf coast soul band, The Suffers, but Kam began performing in public at the age of five. A three-time recipient of the Houston Press Music Award for Best Female Vocalist, Kam has performed on five continents and has performed with the Suffers backed by The Houston Symphony in addition to being featured solo.
Both Forbes and Vice have featured Kam for her activism and business ventures that seek to create an inclusive environment in the arts for female artists working in all mediums and from all backgrounds. Kam’s unique style and fashion-sense has also been covered by Buzzfeed, Refinery 29, and Nylon. Fronting The Suffers, Kam has performed nationally on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and Jimmy Kimmel Live in addition to speaking about The Suffers with Ari Shapiro on NPR’s All Things Considered.
At home, Kam remains a very active participant in the Houston music scene, producing events that have featured up-and-coming acts from around the Houston area while leveraging her and The Suffers’ international platform to represent the City of Houston and champion her entrepreneurial approach to finding success in the arts for women.
Here are Kam’s 21 answers:
1. What’s your day-to-day mantra?
Do the work, and create the change you want to see.
2. Kam Franklin in 3 words (or emojis)?
🤠🏄🏿♀️😏
3. What is your vision for your work? Life?
My vision for my work and life is to try and do a better job every day. Be that in how I approach my art or in how I communicate with others, there’s always room for growth and improvement.
4. The thing you most wish for the world is…
I wish we had more empathy and compassion for other humans. I think it would make getting through the tougher stuff life presents us with way easier.
5. What do you want people to feel when they listen to your music?
I want them to feel free to be themselves.
6. What’s your no. 1 muse?
People that are vulnerable enough to share both their losses and wins. I get a lot of inspiration from the real life stories of others, as well as my friends and family.
7. What’s the first thing you think of in the morning?
I remind myself how grateful I am to see another day, and then I wonder where the closest cup of coffee is.
8. Craziest thing on your bucket list?
I’d love to perform at the top of a mountain. Ideally, Mt. Fuji in Japan at sunrise.
9. What have you let go of this year that’s made a positive change in your life?
I’ve stopped questioning my capabilities when I know I’ve put in the work and preparation towards something. Be that in the way I create or in the way I engage with others. I am constantly telling myself, “Girl, you got this!”.
10. You want the future of Texas to look like…
I want the future of Texas, and the many things it has to offer, to be accessible to all people. No matter what they look like, where they are from, who they choose to love, or what their bank account looks like. Everyone should be able to thrive in this state.
11. What song(s) do you sing in the shower?
I seem to switch between the same two songs when I sing in the shower. “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston or “Duo Des Fleurs (Flower Duet).” I only sing the melody of the latter because I’ve never bothered to learn the lyrics.
12. How would you describe your creative process?
It changes depending on what I’m working on. With my music, lyrics and melody ideas come straight to my head often. If that happens, I try to get a voice memo done on my phone or on my laptop if it’s nearby. It goes faster if I have a guitar or keyboard nearby, but I’ve written tons of songs from simply just an a capella vocal idea.
For my visual art, I try to sketch out what I see in my mind, and then I simply escape to my studio so that I can create a real-life version of what I see. Those installations are typically inspired by the release of trauma.
13. Who’s your dream collaborator?
The list is pretty long, but I’d say a short list would be Jimmy Jam, Beyoncé, Imogen Heap, Björk, Jason Isbell, Buika, M.I.A, Dolly Parton, Googoosh, and Yseult.
14. Currently listening to..
The new record from Joy Oladokun. It’s just really fucking great.
15. What does a day-in-the-life of Kam consist of?
I’m usually working on multiple projects at once, but I start my day off with a green smoothie, coffee, stretching, and a joint. There’s usually a batch of meetings, but I try to always leave at least 4 hours (even if it’s spaced out) to work on art. Right now I’m wrapping a few records, a book draft, and a few visual art installations.
So, I am usually bouncing back and forth between the projects so that I don’t get burnt out working on just one thing. I get bored easily, so I get more work done when I pace myself, and give myself creative options. In between that, I try to exercise at least 30 min a day, and I try to sleep as much as I can. It varies depending on the work due, but rest is a form of self-care, and I need it to function!
16. Proudest personal or career milestone?
My band, The Suffers, celebrated 10 years this past June. We’ve been through so much together, but continuing to do this when the odds are constantly stacked against us, is something I cherish. As a solo artist, I sang with Chaka Khan, Brandi Carlile, Allison Russell, Yola, and a bunch of other amazing women a few weeks ago at Newport Folk Festival, and I’m certain that the moment will stay with me the rest of my life.
17. Something new you’re trying?
I’ve been singing more in Spanish, auditioning a lot for acting roles, and learning more instruments.
18. Best advice you’ve been given?
If you’re chasing a dream, trust your gut, and keep trying, even when things get hard. It will pay off in the end.
19. What are you most excited about in life right now?
I am most excited about the road ahead. I feel like I am the strongest and most free to be myself that I have ever been in my life. I just finished my first three records as an executive producer, and I’m about to start my 4th. I’m writing songs for other people, and I’m creating without hesitation. I never thought I’d be able to do and say that, but I’m honestly just excited to be alive and working in the way I want to work.
20. What are your favorite venues to perform in?
The 9:30 club in Washington, D.C., The Blue Note Jazz Club in Tokyo Japan, Paradiso in Amsterdam, Tipitina’s in New Orleans, LA and SF Jazz in San Francisco, CA, and The Continental Club in Houston, TX.
21. What’s one thing you learned about yourself recently?
I learned that I can do anything, but I can’t do everything. Teamwork makes the dream work, and as a leader, delegation is something I am constantly learning how to do a better job of. The relief I receive from letting other people help me, is a lesson I wish I had gotten earlier in life.