Welcome to our new series called ‘Youtube’s next big things’! We recently had the opportunity to speak with New York native Kim Caputo about her Youtube career, New Music and so much more! Check it out!
What inspired you to begin your youtube channel?!
I started my YouTube channel back in 2014, only posting covers in my bathroom on my iPad, never really understanding the power it has or what I could do with it. I picked it back up as a sophomore in college after being an audience member for MTV’s TRL. I was on TV in a segment with Gabby Hanna (TheGabbieShow) and I said to myself, “Why can’t I do this too?” So, I started vlogging my life and after trial and error, I went back to my roots and my passion: music. I realized that people were starting to like my voice and my story and the rest is history.
Have you always wanted to be a musician?
Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be a singer. There was and still is no other option for me. Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato were my idols. My parents claim I was tone deaf so I never truly practiced improving my voice until about high school when I realized I could maybe make it somewhere in the world. Even if I wasn’t singing as a kid I was always writing. In one way or another, I knew that writing and music was my calling, even if the people around me didn’t think so LOL.
How has youtube affected your social life as a college student?!
Surprisingly, it hasn’t affected it in the ways people assume. If anything I’m more stressed and under pressure all the time. I still have the same small group of close friends since Freshman year and that won’t change. I will say though that uploading videos and creating content takes up most of my time, so I have to skip out on a few nights out here and there, but I don’t mind. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.
Tell us about your latest single “Reflection”? What was the Inspiration behind it?
My mother and I have always had a rocky relationship. We are polar opposites, she’s more independent, doesn’t care what others think of her, more rational and more of a tough love kind of person. I’m extremely emotional and sensitive, and I worry too much about how people think of me. Because of this, we never saw eye to eye. Every girl needs their mom growing up to hold them when they cry, to be their best friend and motivator. For me, that was my dad. I felt like I couldn’t come to my mom with problems or heartbreak because she would just tell me to get over it or that it wasn’t a big deal. She never really let me see the sides of her that I really needed to see as a kid. To this day I don’t know who she was a kid or who she was before she was my mom. So this song is just all of the words I wish I could say to her.
Cover art for Kim’s 2019 Valentine’s day single, Reflection
How did the idea for creating your signature youtube videos come about?
I wanted to be different from what I saw on YouTube from singer/songwriters. There was a trend going around where you’d write a song in only 15 minutes, but I wanted to take it to the next level. I kept thinking, “what would I want someone to make?” So, I believe my first video in that series was “Writing a song using only texts from my ex” and then came “writing a song using only Instagram models captions.” People started to love it and then I just kept running with it. I have never been so passionate about videos in my life until I started making those.
How has seeing the feedback from other creators on your tweet covers made you feel?
Getting recognition from the creators is absolutely incredible. I’m still in disbelief that they saw MY video. I still think of myself as a nobody creator writing songs in my bedroom just hoping I’d get 10 views after forcing my parents to share my videos on Facebook. All of this is surreal and it hasn’t sunk in yet, but getting the recognition just confirms that what I’m doing is worth it and encourages me to keep going.
How does your songwriting process typically start?
Concepts for me come at random times. Most of the time it will be in dreams, or walking down the street, or in the middle of doing homework. I’ll catch a little melody in my head or a few lines of lyrics and I’ll immediately whip out my phone and voice record it. Then, later on, I’ll find the chords on the guitar or piano for the concept and I’ll keep building on it from there.
If you could collab with one artist or creator who would it be and why?
If I could collab with one artist it would be Julia Michaels. Since before her breakthrough as a singer, I was the biggest fan of her lyricism. I think she’s the most talented writer of our generation and I would do anything to get our brains together to work on new projects. I actually met her at MTV and I sang her song “Worst In Me” to her and she took the time to really sit me down and encouraged me to keep pursuing my dream. That was a life-changing moment in my career and I’ll never be able to repay her.
There have been many stars that have started on youtube and never returned, do you think when you become a recording artist that you’ll continue making youtube videos?
I really hope to continue doing YouTube. I’ve grown up watching creators like Shane Dawson, Miranda Sings, GloZell, Jenna Marbles and Kingsley and they really sparked an undying love in me for the platform. Even if I’m not creating on YouTube, I’m watching YouTube videos. I think in one way or another YouTube will always be in my lie. But yes, I still hope to do YouTube no matter what else is going on with my career.
What’s next for Kim Caputo?
Right now I’m just trying to figure it all out. My channel and my music are moving so fast and I’m just trying to keep up haha. I’m working on new music to hopefully release an EP or an Album before next winter, while still working on content for YouTube. I’m not sure where any of this will take me but I feel something huge coming for me and I couldn’t be more excited.
My fans and The Kimdom are the most important people in my life and without their love and support, I wouldn’t be here. I just want to make them happy, and I’ll never stop striving to do so.
Subscribe and Connect with Kim Caputo on all her socials: Instagram, Twitter, & Spotify
