Born and raised in Mission Viejo, CA, Kina Grannis started playing shows at the age of 4 in front of stuffed animals. Now she plays in front of people. For those who knew Kina as the shy and self-proclaimed-awkward songstress who escaped into her collegiate stairwells to practice and play in privacy, the idea of playing in front of inanimate objects might actually seem fitting. But between those who travel across state and country lines to her sold out live shows and those navigating through her extensive library of YouTube videos, it's quite clear that Kina is hardly playing for no one.
In 2007, after four years at USC (where she recorded and self-released three EPs) and a brief move to Austin, TX, Kina joined YouTube, made a music video and entered herself into Doritos' Crash The Super Bowl contest. In the months that followed, Kina began to accrue followers, lots of them, making herself right at home in front of her computer. Her Two Weeks For Kina site traded daily videos in exchange for votes, and while her votes piled up her following grew exponentially. A few months later, her video for "Message From Your Heart" aired during the Super Bowl and its 97-million viewers and Kina had a YouTube following, a Twitter following, a #1 video on Digg.com, a street team and, for a short time, a record deal.
Exchanging creative control for independence, Kina forfeited her record label, determined to record and release the songs she'd been writing for years. In true DIY form, Kina self-funded and independently-released Stairwells in early 2010. The album debuted on Billboard's Top 200 and #5 on iTunes Pop Chart, and The New York Times and WNYC Soundcheck recognized Kina as one of the top Asian-Americans making an impact in the pop music world (she's half-Japanese). She released a music video for her single "Valentine," which has been featured on Yahoo! Music and has accrued more than 10-million views on YouTube. The track would later propel Kina to win Sirius Radio's Coffee House Singer/Songwriter Discovery of 2010.
On April 5th, 2011 Kina released a remixed and remastered version of Stairwells, this time in stores and internationally, thanks to an independent label partner in One Haven Music. This new version of Stairwells includes fan-favorites "Valentine" and "Message From Your Heart" in addition to four brand new tracks. Kina also released a deluxe version of the album, which includes all 14 songs from the original release as well as a rerecorded selection of Kina's covers, original live performance videos, and her "Valentine" music video.
Kina has continued supporting Stairwells throughout 2011 – both on tour and online, in North America and around the world – and doing what she does best: talking to friends and followers, supporters and strangers, and writing and performing her sweet, melancholy, hope-filled songs. And, as always, saving drowning honeybees from pools whenever she gets the chance.
While attending college at USC, Kina often retreated to the secluded stairwells around campus where she could write and sing without being heard. Protected by their quiet confines, she found a safe haven and a creative outlet for her music. Armed with a guitar and a cup of tea, Kina wrote in every stairwell she came across. And it was within these stairwells that she developed her confidence as a songwriter and her poise as a performer.
In 2007, Kina joined YouTube, made a music video and entered herself into a contest. A few months later, her video for "Message From Your Heart" aired during the Superbowl and its 97 million viewers (or 194 million eyeballs, depending on how you're keeping track) and she walked away with a record deal. Since then, Kina has regularly posted her songs on YouTube, amassing many millions of views, and toured throughout North America. Her songs have been heard on television shows such as ABC's General Hospital and MTV's College Life.
Kina independently released her first full-length album, Stairwells, on February 23, 2010. Her music is both sweet and melancholy, but always filled with hope. She'd want you to know that she saves drowning honeybees from pools whenever she gets the chance.
The Donkeys, Tomorrow night. Tickets: http://t.co/zHfYhssv - Don't Know Who We Are - http://t.co/2CZZ8E5T
FPSF2012 W/ @SnoopDogg @willienelson @diplo @primus @waynecoyne @best_coast @PrettyLights @fatbellybella 2 weeks away! http://t.co/QuVivMqO