New Talent: Kaz Mills
One of the most lovely voices on Youtube lives in London. Six months ago Kaz putted her first video on Youtube. After that things were instopable for the 21 years old singer. And we too acknowledge her talents. Kaz Mills has a wonderful voice with an intense empathy for her song. This girl is one we will here from in the near future. Time for an interview. Kaz tells how her dream came to life and about the next steps she will take to launch her carrière as a professional singer. And yes, she's close to a debute album.
Read on
(Interview by Emile)
Who is Kaz Mills?
Kaz Mills is an idiot (haha). Well, I grew up in the countryside/seaside in the East of England and then moved to London four years ago to start studying. I think the mixture of country and city has done wonders for me: a bumpkin with a cosmopolitan edge! I’m not really sure what kind of person I am. I’d like to think I’m a “good” person. I try to be aware of what’s going on in the world and take small steps to try and change it. In general I’m probably irritatingly happy and bouncy and enjoy frequent bursts of humour (which other people probably don’t find funny).
When did you start singing?
I’ve been singing, just around the house and in the shower, for as long as I can remember. The first proper memory I have of knowing I wanted to be a professional singer was when I was about four sitting on the floor looking through a box of my mum’s cassette tapes. I remember it just hitting me that I wanted to have my own cassette. Which I suppose isn’t unusual. Everyone wants to be a popstar really, don’t they? I had no idea that I was in any way good at singing until I was about ten or eleven. I went on holiday with my friend and her family. We stayed in a typical resort in Tenerife and there was a talent contest which we entered with a fairly horrific Spice Girls dance routine and I also sang a song on my own. I was so nervous because I was on straight after this girl who was much older and she sang a Celine Dion song absolutely perfectly. I followed her and sang a (fairly bad) song by Boyzone and somehow ended up winning the contest. That was when I first thought that perhaps I wasn’t that bad.
What was your reason to put a video of you on Youtube?
I think I was just a bit bored. I’d broken up with someone not long before then and the first song, "Never Again", seemed to encapsulate the mood of the moment. The next day I had a fair few emails saying people had commented and then I just got carried away and never stopped putting them up!
What kind of music do your prefer to sing to?
All sorts really (honestly!). I just like to sing songs that mean something to me. I get so annoyed by some of the excellent singers that are out there warbling away with no thought or care for the words they are singing. So yes: anything. I’m not genre specific (although I’m not sure my vocal style will quite extend to the realms of Rammstein and beyond)
Do you take any singing lessons?
No I don’t and I really should because I’m doing a lot of things wrong…! I took a couple when I was about 16 but the teacher was obviously really hoping that I would turn in to a classical singer and I was always breaking into Christina Aguilera songs instead… So that didn’t work out…
Do you also write your own songs?
I have just started. I find it hard as I can’t play any instruments very well so it takes me ages to figure out which notes will work in which key etc. But I’ve posted one original song called "I Do" which still needs a bit of work but it’s a start. I’m actually trying to put a whole album together but it’s going to take time!
Which instruments can you play yourself? 
I can’t play it well but when I have figured out a tune on the piano I love playing. I’m trying to teach myself at the moment. I love to play songs when I’ve finally got the hang of them!
Do you have experience with singing on stage?
I sang on stage for the first time when I was 11 and did a few competitions while in my early teens. I sang with a band for a while but we all went separate ways as we went to university. My first big (ish) gig was in front of about 300 people and I have never felt such a rush. In every day life I’m normally very shy about my singing. But at this gig, I had the band behind me and I knew I couldn’t let them down so just ignored insecurities for the night and it was an amazing feeling: to completely let go vocally in front of all those people, and have them enjoy it, was a completely unforgettable experience for me.
Gigs are a funny thing for me. Sit me in front of five people who ask me to sing and I’m a complete mess: I get nervous and shaky.
Did you performed for any competition?
I performed in several local singing contests as a young teen which generally went well. I think I ended up winning four or five. But life, up until now, has been very education based. My family thought it was important to get the grades before pursuing any unstable careers so that’s what I did. I wasn’t doing competitions frequently at all. Maybe one every year or two.
What do you hope to achieve?
Right now I’m just hoping to get the support and the funds to make a first album. Like I said, I find song writing hard because I don’t play any instruments. Youtube has been a brilliant way of expressing to people that here I am, a singer hoping to write. And as a result I get emails now and again with songs people have written and want me to hear. Sometimes they work for me, sometimes they don’t. But in the end, it’s good to at least gauge what I’m interested in doing. Ideally, it would be great to get a supportive record deal of some kind and offers are starting to drift in which is very good news!
What can we expect to hear from Kaz Mills on the short and long run?
I’m NOT signed to a label at present but I have been working with some UK producers and am getting interest from some in Germany and the US who shall remain nameless until we’ve finished the tracks!
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what you will hear. I’m influenced by so many different genres that I’d like the first album to sound pretty eclectic. That’s what I’ve done on youtube so far and I’ve really enjoyed the freedom to do so. Also, I may be alone on this one, but I enjoy putting shuffle on my ipod and just listening to all different kinds of music. I really want to try to avoid being pigeonholed in to a specific genre. Eclecticism makes an album more interesting and is hugely important (for me, at least) in live shows too. The genres I’m most influenced by are motown, pop, folk, soul and rock so hopefully you’ll hear elements of all of those in the record.
Which of your own videos on Youtube do you like the best?
Hmmmm, that’s a tough one. There are two. The first is "Important Video" because it’s a charity awareness video and it seems to have made a slight difference. I got emails from two of the charities I put links in the video for, saying that they were grateful and that means a lot to me. The video focuses on issues I care about a lot and was beautifully edited by another youtuber so it’s definitely one of my all-time youtube favourites.
And the second would be "Never Again" which is the first ever singing video I did and before the crazy amount of viewers started viewing! There was no pressure then… THERE IS NOW!!
What would you like to say to your fans?
Many things. I’d like to say thank you so, so, so much for watching the videos. Thank you also for the wonderful comments and messages. All the feedback, good or bad, I’ve got so far has been amazing. I’m really trying to take them on board and hopefully the fans can see that My aim is that they’ll be pleased as any improvement (if any!) is all down to them and their praise and criticism. Thank you thank you thank you basically!! And lots of love!
Klinkt heel aardig! Maar zouden zulke talenten nu ook echt doorbreken, ik bedoel er komen steeds meer filmpjes op youtube met goede zangers/zangeressen.... of ben ik de enige die deze mening heeft??
Geplaatst door: Roel | donderdag 6 september 2007 om 18:11
Ik denk het in har geval wel, Roel. Ze zingt beter dan menig bekende artiest. Je zou haar zo in een popgroep kunnen zetten. Overigens zijn deze twee nummers geen waardige afspiegeling van wat ze kan met haar stem. Want ze kan veel meer.
Overigens valt het met goede zangers/zangeressen op Youtube wel mee. Er zijn er een hoop die veel fans hebben omdat ze een aardige stem hebben, maar waar een platenmaatschappij weinig aan heeft (uiterlijk, leeftijd, inleving in de muziek, geforceerd zingen, klein muzikaal spectrum, geen instrumenten kunnen spelen, geen nummers kunnen schrijven, etc). Kaz heeft dit, heeft een herkenbaar stemgeluid, en creeërt een eigen zangstijl en laat het niet na om nummers op haar eigen manier uit te voeren.
yup, we doen niet zomaar een interview :p
Geplaatst door: Emile | donderdag 6 september 2007 om 18:30