In this interview spotlight, we speak with members of Yes You Are about the latest project, influences, the digital music world and more.

Full Q&A along with links and streams below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

Kianna: We are based out of Kansas City and what we make could be described as, you know… Time Collapse Pop, Alternative A-pop-calypse, Rapture Rock or maybe Holy Terror music. All joking aside, we do generally refer to our music as “Black Pop”, which is a term we coined in reference to “Black Metal.” Our music is essentially pop, but on closer observation there is something more mysterious lurking in the shadows there too.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?

Jared: When I came to the age where I needed to get serious about what I was going to do with my life I decided it would be a worth while challenge to pick the hardest possible field there is to make a living in – so if by some miracle I did become successful the victory would be that much sweeter – sweeter than it would be if I would have followed a safer path.

Kianna: What motivates me is the absolute faith that we are doing what we are meant to be doing. This path isn’t easy at all, and everyday it would be “easier” to quit and do something more linear but that would go against what I know in my heart to be my purpose on earth. I’ve found when you go against your true purpose, life is actually much harder rather than easier. So you start to look at perseverance as a main component of just total commitment. There’s really no other options, because any “Plan B” we could come up with would be a lie, and living a lie is really more like dying.

How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?

Kianna: This is essentially our first release. I had told Jared that I loved Timbaland’s work and he set out to write a beat and riff that would reflect his interpretation of something he thought Timbaland might do. The song is sort of like, from the perspective of whoever Bob Dylan might have been singing about when he said “How does it feeeeeeel?”

Do you face any challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? On the flip side, how has technology helped you (if it has)?

Kianna: I think the challenges of being an indie musician in a digital age are just in the discipline it takes to learn and understand all the ways it can help you. In my experience, technology has only helped music, in general, to reach more people. I think that is a very good thing. If you can learn how to, you can reach so many people that you need and that may possibly need you.

Where can we follow you online and hear more music?

Anything else before we sign off?​

Thank you so much for the interview!