KTJ & CARLY
KTJ & CARLY…. I have so many words and thoughts going through my mind. They are some of these few artists that I’ve kept following and supporting throughout the years. From their very first single, to the mini documentary we made about them, to their first EP and to this debut album today. Every artist evolves and grows but their growth has been nothing but inspiring to me. Their songs got bigger, BETTER, greater. To me, their production has reached another level of pure greatness and it’s their production that keeps catching my attention. But not only that, they are complete artists.
They’ve never been afraid to experiment different sounds and today we have one hell of an album - unique, fun, honest and just brilliant. If I had to pick my favorite songs, I’ll have to say “Carbon Copy” and “Icarus”. But man, all these songs are huge and well polished.
KTJ & CARLY are currently on tour, make sure to go support them ! Click here for more details.
Forever Young is out now !!
Photo credit: Joseph Lee
Hi girls, how are you? It's been a little while since our last interview. What have you been up to?
Thank you for having us! We’ve been doing great—just busy prepping for the album and the tour. We’re so pumped that the time has finally come to share it all with the worlddd! - C
You're getting ready to release your debut album Forever Young - how does it feel like to release this first project?
It feels great! We worked really hard on this album and we just hope it resonates with people the same way it does with us. - KTJ
When did you start working on this album? When did you realize it was time for you to release a full-length project?
Some of these songs we wrote a couple of years ago, others more recently. We knew we wanted to make an album as soon as we knew the concept. There's just too much to be said about growing up. -KTJ
Could you describe the songwriting/production process behind this project? Who helped you create it?
Katie and I wrote everything acoustically on guitar and piano for *Forever Young*, and we had the privilege of collaborating with some incredible people. We wrote "Bitter" with Sarah Underwood and Ella Collier, "Carbon Copy" with Chloe Duecet, "Forever Young" with Elise Howard, "Anne Glover" with Ella Collier again, and "Mister Bare Minimum" with LeyeT. "Not Complaining" was written with Maggie Szabo, "Old Dogs New Tricks" with Sarah Underwood, and "Carousel" with Fran Litterski. Katie and I wrote "Icarus" on our own. After initially writing the demos with these talented folks, Katie and I spent three months hunkered down, producing the songs ourselves. The whole process felt very collaborative, and after starting acoustically, we really dove in to shape the tracks into what you hear now. - C
What different topics are you talking about on this project? What's the story behind each song?
Forever Young covers a lot of the ups and downs of being in your 20s. "Bitter" is about the frustration of everyday responsibilities, while "Carbon Copy" explores losing yourself in relationships. "Anne Glover" tackles the pressure on women to meet impossible standards, and "Mister Bare Minimum" is about walking away from a relationship where you're not valued. The title track, "Forever Young," celebrates staying young at heart. "Not Complaining" is about finding strength in being alone, and "Old Dogs New Tricks" encourages embracing growth through life’s challenges. "Icarus" reflects on watching a loved one self-destruct, and "Carousel" captures the monotony of feeling stuck in a cycle. Each song tells a story of self-discovery, resilience, and finding meaning in the chaos. - C
What did you feel when recording "Carbon Copy"?
This is my favorite song on the album. I used to get choked up almost every time I sang it. There's something incredibly emotionally cathartic about performing it—it felt like a weight lifted every time I got the words out. - C
What's your favorite lyric on "Icarus"?
This is my second favorite song on the album! My favorite lyric is probably “How many times did I throw out a lifeboat, how many times did you sink when you said float?” It’s hard to choose though, because I also really like the hook lyrics… lil on the nose but I enjoy them. - C
Any favorite memories from the making of this album? And any challenges?
One of my favorite memories from making this album was writing it with my sister and all the amazing people who worked with us. We laughed non-stop, especially when we were coming up with jokes to make ourselves laugh so we could record it for the "haha" ad-libs in Anne Glover. It was such a fun process. But we definitely had some challenges too—we had to re-record the entire album twice because our microphone broke, which was a bit of a nightmare, but we pushed through! - C
What do you want people to feel when listening to this record? What message do you want to deliver?
I want people to feel empowered. I want them to feel heard, and I want them to feel less alone. I want them to feel happy, sad, bad ass; I want people to feel whatever they need to feel in order to grow and heal. - KTJ
What made you want to name your record Forever Young?
A lot of the album was dedicated to our inner child, to growing up. Nobody wants to grow up. We want to be Young Forever. And not young as in beauty and no wrinkles, I mean young as in seeing the world for the first time, and learning about the world. KTJ
What can you tell us about the artwork?
The original concept for the artwork was to have us looking into a mirror with our younger selves staring back. We even tried using AI to create that effect, but it didn’t turn out the way we wanted. In the end, we actually loved the photo without the younger versions, so we decided to keep it as is, without the visual effects. It still captures the essence we were going for. :) - C
What's your goal for this project?
Our goal was to make a no skips album. But more importantly, was to create a story and reflection of what its like getting older and seeing the world through the lens of an adult versus as a kid. - KTJ
What biggest lessons have you learned since the release of your debut single?
I think from a career standpoint, the biggest lesson I’ve learned since releasing our debut single is to never create music just to please others or chase streams. It’s so easy to get caught up in that, and while it’s important for an artist’s career, that’s not why any of us started making music. If it were, no one would stick with it because that mindset is the quickest path to burnout and disappointment. Celebrate the small victories. - C
Could you list a few records that influenced the music you are making today?
I’m really loving Takes One to Know One by The Beaches, So Cold by Ballu Brigada, and any Fred Again song.- KTJ
What's next for KTJ & CARLY?
You’ll have to stick around to find out! Lot of cool stuff is on the way. Music videos, new music (some of my favorite stuff we have ever written), and a whole lot of fun. - KTJ
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