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Based in the Texas Hill Country, Keith Michael Kallina, was raised in the tradition of small-town Texas life. Music was always present in the home, and healthy dose of classic rock from his father and country from his mother made for a variety of influences onto his musical palette.
Leaving the comfort and security of his hometown at 18, Keith indulged in satisfying a strong sense of wanderlust that pulled him around the country. Coast to coast and all the way up to the northern American border, he explored his freedom, as well as his senses, all in a search for direction that would ultimately come in the form of playing music.
In the years that followed, no audience was too small or too far away. Before long Keith had built a reputation along his circuit as a talented and hardworking songwriter. But as long stretches of time on the road began to take their toll, Keith fell victim to some of the same pitfalls as many of his heroes before him.
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In 2015, Keith stumbled into the realization that the only way to continue to pursue his passions in life would be through sobriety, and to date has not had a drink since. Allowing the struggles of the road and addiction to serve as a catalyst of inspiration, their influence played a major role in shaping the tone of his debut recording project.
In November of 2019, Keith officially broke into the Texas music scene as a recording artist with a collection of stories titled ‘Authentic’. The seven-track project introduces Keith and details the realities of life as a working musician. Through vivid descriptions of love lost and found, battling of personal demons, and well-weathered stories of life on the road, Keith Kallina bares his soul in a way that is relatable yet distinctly his own.
At times upbeat and lighthearted, other times deep and introspective, Keith Michael Kallina's music encompasses a full range of emotions, and provides a glimpse into the psyche of an artist consumed with exploring the truth of his own experience. But that's just Keith - the ability to rip and roar when times are good, and the willingness to dive deep to search his soul when the light goes dim - and through his music, he'll take you along for the ride.
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Alan Mercer: Where did you grow up?
Keith Killian: I grew up in a small town, Nada, Texas, in between Houston and San Antonio. Everybody knew everybody. I always felt a strong sense of community there and that’s important to me. I did just move to San Marcos and plan on being there for the foreseeable future.
AM: What made you decide to move to San Marcos?
KK: I just stumbled it while touring. I play at Riley’s Tavern out there.
AM: How long have you been playing music?
KK: Music was always playing in the house, growing up. We had a piano, and my dad is musical. He plays bass in a church band. Since there was a 20-mile ride into any town, I grew up singing along with all the 90’s Country music on the radio. Those are some of my earliest memories.
AM: How do you classify your music?
KK: I love that question and I hate that question. (Laughter) I have a new project and we are calling the music Americana. That’s a real easy broad term for a whole bunch of styles of music. I’d say it’s somewhere between Country and Rock n Roll. There is a lot of classic rock influence. There is a lot of guitar and a lot of steel guitar too.
AM: Is this a whole new album?
KK: It is, it’s a whole new project and the name of the band is Etta Place. The inspiration behind the band is the real-life Outlaw in the late 1800’s. She was part of the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid gang. They robbed trains and she would use her good looks to distract the guards, while the guys robbed the train. I became totally enamored of this historical figure shrouded in mystery. No one really knew her true identity. I felt like she was the appropriate muse for the band. I actually like all that whole time period.
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AM: Why a band now, instead of a solo act?
KK: I’ve been playing as myself, professionally since 2016. Up until that point, I was playing for fun, and the partying was more of the focus. Then I started wondering, “What am I doing with my life? What’s important for me? What do I want to do?”
AM: Let’s talk about your incredible EP, ‘Authentic.’ Did you have those songs written for a while before you recorded the album, or did you write them for the album?
KK: Those songs were all pretty fresh at the time I recorded the album.
AM: Have you been traveling around playing live shows now?
KK: I hadn’t done much live performing since the pandemic. When that hit, I was full time on the road doing two or three shows a week and in addition to that I was playing bass in another band. My calendar was full, and I was a happy musician living the dream. When the pandemic shut everything down, I took a huge step back and I’m just now starting to reassess how I want to move forward.
AM: How did you cope when the pandemic shut everything down?
KK: I got a job at a Christmas themed amusement park in College Station called Santa’s Wonderland. (Laughter)
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AM: The songs on ‘Authentic’ do indeed seem authentic. Are you writing from your own personal experiences?
KK: All of the songs from that project and a lot of the songs I’ve written in general is based on personal experience. More and more I am venturing into imaginative writing and storytelling.
AM: I love the song you wrote with Cody Joe Hodges called ‘You Can’t Take It With You.’ How did you all hook up?
KK: I lived in the Bryon College Station area and he’s from that area. We ended up on a show together. We both grew up in small towns, so we had that connection. He and his wife, Jamie live in Nashville now so whenever I go to that part of the country, if I need a place to stay, they are the first to offer it.
AM: So, let’s talk about the new project. When do we get to hear some music from it?
KK: The first single is out now. We recorded it last fall at Yellow Dog Studios in Wimberly. David Percefull was the producer, and he was wonderful to work with. We got a sound that was even better that I imagined. I’m really proud of this project.
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AM: Do you have a full band on this record?
KK: I have a band and we are working on getting some bookings, but it’s all studio musicians on the record.
AM: What is your favorite thing about touring?
KK: One of the things I like about playing music is traveling around and meeting people. My favorite is when they tell me how they connect to one of my songs or a specific lyric. They tell me what happened in their life and why they relate to my song. That means the most to me.
AM: Are you releasing singles before the album drop?
KK: The plan is to release 3 singles over the Summer, one single in the Fall and put the album out in the new year. It’s all recorded. I’ve been toting it around in my computer forever. It was supposed to come out last January.
AM: What will make your life complete?
KK: It’s always been to write songs, record albums and do live shows. I wrote a letter to myself in my high school yearbook that said, “Make sure you do something that makes you happy. If nothing else, get on the road with a band and be a roadie.” The goal is to be prosperous and be a light to bring people together with a positive message. I don’t believe I can go wrong if I keep those things as the focus.
