Musician and songwriter John Kairis celebrates the release of “Come on now, that’s not how you do it” off his latest album, Magic Flag. The Indie folk single features J. Meddow (Javonte Meddow) as a vocalist and creative partner.
John Kairis’ musical foundation combines a knack for instruments with higher level composition studies. Raised in Delaware, his first foray into instruments began as a young child learning the piano. “I learned the basics - scales, chords, harmony. I didn’t pick up the piano as a major instrument again until college. At that time, I was into midi synths using the keyboard as my apparatus. It wasn’t until my 20s that I learned a more technical approach,” shares Kairis. As a teenager, John Kairis picked up the guitar and joined the Wilmington School of Rock. Around that time, he started a punk band with friends called “Static Yaks,” which later morphed into a solo electronic alias when the band dissolved.
Since then, John Kairis has added the banjo and ukulele to his instrumental repertoire and mastered the art of singing in harmony with other vocalists. “I credit the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia for teaching me what it means to sing with others,” he adds. “It has affected the way I write melodies and is critical in my growth as a musician.” He also appreciates the unwavering support of his songwriting circle (led by Laura Gibson, “Gen Jr”) which has enabled him to keep excelling at his craft.
When John Kairis began writing music, he would begin with words and a melody, adding synths and building up the tune from there on Ableton. Now, his creative sessions begin with improvisation. “My music writing is more like digging or sudden discovery. I play a progression of chords or licks that I like. I’ll mumble talk or words appear as a gift. Music is a gift from the universe. I do my best to execute it for the sake of God and the universe,” explains Kairis. “Creating is an act of discovery.”
Magic Flag can best be described as an Indie pop/folk album with jazz and meditative Zen influences. The sixth track of his album, “Come on now, that’s not how you do it” stands out from the other tracks on the album in that it is not a solo act. “My roommate’s voice brings new depth to the music that I cannot bring. Everyone has a unique voice and talents. There’s a certain amount of grit that exists in the story of this song. It’s a struggle against difficult circumstances. The voice of the singer is a disciplinarian deity, a god (or inner voice) that is harsh with the person it is talking to. Javonte adds a similar character that approaches the tune with a sense of earnestness and maybe a bit of desperation in a way. Both voices are there and strong together. It’s a climactic moment of brotherhood.”
He looks back at his catalogue of 12 albums over the past several years as proof of his evolution as an artist. “This album isn’t a departure but another piece of my musicality. Right now, I hear in my songs a voice that is confident and self-assured, sending a clear message. The production is as sparse as it has ever been, but there is a powerful voice, both the human voice and the voice of the instruments.
With the surge of AI making music, John Kairis turns to the humanity of playing. “The physicality of playing instruments keeps me in body and connected in world. I’m always writing songs. It’s what I do.”
“Come on now, that’s not how you do it” is available on all streaming platforms, with promotional support from Starlight PR.
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