Exclusive Interview: KTJ & Carly Talk Nuketown EP, Their Short Film, and Female Inclusivity in Music

Pop singer-songwriters KTJ & Carly are back with their latest release, Nuketown. Best known for their melodic sensibilities and unique sonic landscapes, the pair are pushing their artistry even further, stepping outside of their comfort zone to create one of their most impressive bodies of work to date. Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with KTJ & Carly about Nuketown, the short film they created in support of EP, and the importance of female inclusivity in music.

PC: PC: Nuketown is such an introspective body of work and is inspired by the idea of facing one’s self. What did you learn about your own artistry putting this EP together?
KTJ & Carly: We learned that we can still surprise ourselves when it comes to making music. We really tried to step outside of our comfort zone when we were producing and writing. We took risks and tried different and weird things. The reason why people don’t get experimental with their songs is because they’re probably afraid that they’re going to fail or it’s not going to sound good. We wrote so many songs for the EP and five ended up on it. It’s okay to try crazy things and scrap it if it isn’t working. It was really fun and interesting to delve into a new side of our songwriting and producing because we stepped outside of our comfort zone. Writing songs is therapeutic for us and helps us understand what we are feeling.

PC: There’s so much growth that you can hear when you’re listening to the EP. What has played the biggest role in that development?
KTJ & Carly: Time and repetition—and surrounding ourselves with other like-minded artistic individuals. LA is really nice because we’re constantly surrounded by people who inspire us. Also, the support of our friends and family. Nothing would be possible without their support. It constantly pushes us to grow. The listeners also help us keep going and give us something to look forward to every day.

PC: The EP was written and produced entirely by women. Why was that so important to you both? How did this team of songwriters inspire you and help bring that vision to life?
KTJ & Carly: It happened by accident. We didn’t purposely mean to do that. It just happened that way. It was special because all the girls that we wrote with are so talented. It just happened to be that every song that we wrote with them was the best out of the bunch that we wrote. They are so talented, and it didn’t matter that they were females. They were just so good and great to work with. But female inclusivity in music is so important. It’s important that we all fight for that, especially with producing because it’s a male-dominated part of the music industry.

PC: With this being such a personal release and the topics that you cover on this EP, did that bring a different weight to this project? What has it been like to see the response on social media?
KTJ & Carly: It’s been great. Even if you’re not releasing songs based on your personal life, listeners will find a way to connect with them. But there’s something about releasing a song that’s personally about your life that’s a bit scarier. It’s like you’re releasing a bit of your diary. It’s very vulnerable to share these thoughts with the world because it is different whenever you’re releasing a song that’s not about you. They don’t know that, but you do, and now it’s out in the world. But the response has been great. Everyone has been so supportive.

PC: If you had to select a song off of the EP that best encompasses who you both are as artists, which would it be and why?
Carly: I feel like there are certain parts of each song that resonated with me. But I would have to say “Body” or “Backfire.” The groove of each is something that resonates with me. But then some days, to reflect and be sad I’ll listen to “Sh*tty People.” But it depends on the day for me.

KTJ: It’s probably “Nosedive” for me because it’s more experimental. The whole song is about getting out of a box and not boxing yourself in. It’s about being more than just a member of society and being a free person.

PC: We have to talk about the short film that you put together for Nuketown. Did you go into this project knowing that you wanted to add this visual component? How rewarding has it been creatively for you both to explore a different form of storytelling?
KTJ & Carly: Oh my gosh. We totally knew we wanted to do this. We didn’t really know what the storyline was going to be, but we knew that we wanted to call the EP Nuketown. We knew that we wanted to make some weird, creepy visuals that represented Nuketown. It’s the hardest video that we had to edit.

Whenever we plan things out, we don’t like to think of any limitations. We just write what we want. We don’t care if it might cost a million dollars. We can cut things out based on that. We were like, “We can do this ourselves.” We already edit all of our music videos. For the visual effects in this, we were sure that we could figure it out. But it was very difficult. We didn’t realize how tedious it would be to go frame by frame. We spent many all-nighters working on this. When it was finished and released into the wild, it was very, very rewarding. It was a weight lifted off our shoulders.

PC: You’re also hopping back on the road in August to support the EP with some West Coast dates. Are there any plans for a larger tour this year?
KTJ & Carly: We’re totally planning that too. We want to tour as much as possible. We’re trying to get an opening spot on someone else’s tour. We’re planning on hitting the East Coast at some point. We always wanted to go. We’ve been wanting to do a Southern tour too because our families are there. But I think the East Coast is next.

To keep up with KTJ & Carly, follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Photo Credit: Joseph Lee