SPOTLIGHT: KILLINGINTHEKITCHEN

Meet killinginthekitchen and tune into their newest single “all grown up”

You grew up making music with family, childhood bands with cousins and learning guitar from your grandfather. How do those roots still echo in the way you write and play today? 

My family is my biggest fan, so I think of them in all the music I make, always wondering what they’ll think of each song. I know that whatever I do, they’ll be excited for me and proud of me. I’m so grateful to have such a positive support system when it comes to my music career. My grandfather, especially, is supportive of my music, as he’s a music lover himself. On every family vacation, he and I bring our guitars and play together. I wouldn’t have the courage to pursue my dream without the support of my family.

Songwriting was a quiet passion for years before you fully pursued it after college. What was the turning point that convinced you to step into music as a career?

I originally majored in Musical Theater in college after doing it all through high school. I had always written music, but it was more of a side passion. Halfway through college, I realized that as much as I loved theater, what I really wanted was to tell my own story through my music rather than someone else’s story from a script.

Your latest single, all grown up, captures the bittersweet reality of aging. What sparked that reflection for you, and how did the song take shape?

I’ve always been a very nostalgic person, but ever since moving to Orlando, I’ve found myself constantly missing my family and reflecting on childhood memories I cherished as a kid, wishing I could go back in time. That feeling is where my song All Grown Up came from. I wrote it to acknowledge those emotions and as a love letter to both my family and my younger self.

That theme of growing older runs through your upcoming debut album. Do you see it more as a diary of where you are now, or as a wider reflection on the universal experience of change?

A bit of both! This album is all about reflecting on my childhood, navigating my 20s, realizing I’m not too far from becoming the person I’m meant to be, and feeling grateful for those who helped me get to where I am today. I can’t share too much about it just yet, but I’ve been working hard in the studio with my producer, Mason Krüg, and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it and hopefully find a piece of themselves in the music.

You cite artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, and Fleetwood Mac as influences. What is it about their music that resonates most with you, and where do you hear those threads in your own songs? 

I’ve always been inspired by artists who tell a story through their music. Although my musical style may be different, I see bits of those artists’ writing styles in the lyrics I write, and I see myself in much of their music. Specifically, Taylor Swift; I’ve been listening to her music since I was about seven years old, and she is one of the artists who inspired me to want to become a musician.

Your music is often described as intimate and nostalgic. Do you find it easier to write from memory, or from the emotions you’re living through in the present?

I think I do a bit of both. Songwriting is the way I process emotions or feelings I don’t fully understand. Sometimes, I’ll sit with an uneasy feeling and let the song pour out until I’m no longer experiencing that emotion. Other times, I’ll look back on a memory or situation and write about it to process it, even if it’s now in the past.

The name killinginthekitchen is striking. What’s the story behind choosing it, and how does it connect to your identity as an artist?

My artist name is an inside joke between my family and me. Long story short, during my freshman year of high school, my little sister and I were pretending to make our own TV show called “Killing in the Kitchen,” which resulted in me injuring myself while dancing with a knife (don’t play with knives…). The name kind of stuck, and I kept it as my stage name even though it doesn’t necessarily reflect my music style. It’s unique, different, and a part of me. As a non-binary artist, I also wanted a name that is gender-neutral, so it doesn’t give people the room to assume. It’s memorable, you’ll never meet another killinginthekitchen

As you craft your debut album, how are you balancing vulnerability with storytelling? Do you ever feel a need to hold back, or is full honesty the goal?
When it comes to songwriting, vulnerability and storytelling are always my goals. I want each song to come from the heart and feel as authentically me as possible — I don’t want to hold back. One of my main focuses while writing and recording my upcoming album, as I’m still discovering my sound, is to make sure the music truly represents me.

Coming from South Florida and now based in Orlando, how has the Florida music scene influenced your sound and your path so far?

Before moving to Orlando, I had no idea it was truly possible to pursue my dream in music. I would write songs and record on GarageBand, but I had never recorded with a producer before. Putting myself out there as a musician is new territory for me. I started by attending open mics and going to other live music gigs to get familiar with the local music scene before I began booking my own shows, recording with a local producer, and releasing my music. Since joining the Orlando music scene, I’ve met so many amazing musicians who have helped me navigate my own career, and I’m incredibly grateful for their support.

If someone were hearing killinginthekitchen for the very first time, is all grown up the song you’d want them to start with, or is there another track that feels like the clearest window into who you are?

I only have a few singles out right now, but All Grown Up is the song that provides the clearest window into who I am, both sound-wise and lyrically. That said, I’m still proud of the singles that came before it, they remain an important part of my music journey, and I recommend checking them out after listening to All Grown Up.

Listen to “all grown up” here.