ANY QUESTION ANSWERED K.FLAY

K.FLAY WALKS US THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT GOT HER, AND HER ART ALL THE WAY TO 2022.

- MADDY HOWELL

Let's rewind back to Illinois, where things all began for you... Growing up in Chicago, what was life like for you and what support system did you have around you at a young age?

"I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, just north of the city in a very suburban Midwestern environment. It's not that unconventional in the modern age, but my parents split up when I was young, and my mom remarried. They got together when I was six, and my other dad later adopted me. It was really cool because my soon-to-be brother and sister were already my best friends because they were my neighbours. I was in playgroup with my brother when I was a year old, so when they told us they were getting married I remember us playing Michael Jackson on a boombox and dancing around the living room screaming with joy. That was a very fortuitous thing because a lot of people struggle with the blended part of their family. When my parents split up, that blended scenario was actually a huge part of making my life a richer, safer and better place. I lucked out in a very substantial way and I'm really grateful. My dad has also had quite a large impact on my life despite the fact that he wasn't always super present, but he had very serious substance abuse issues and died because of that when I was 14. He had that typical downward spiraling after my parents split, and he got much deeper into his addiction. He was very isolated and struggled with losing his job and money problems. Growing up was interesting because I had a really stable home with my mom, my other dad, and my brother and sister, and then I had a fairly chaotic home with my other parent. I think that informed many aspects of my personality, looking back."

Am I right in saying that your biological dad was a very musical guy? How much of an impact did he have on you in that regard?