Daily Inspiration: Meet Kaylee Kitzman

Hi Kaylee, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I grew up slightly isolated on a hobby farm in Minnesota and I taught myself to play guitar in my room alone (except one Community Ed class). My first guitar became mine by default, or rather, I saved its life after it fell casualty to a series of my dad’s abandoned hobbies.

I was always deeply affected by music. I think I wanted to be heard, in the way I was hearing it. Now I get to say exactly what I want to say and because it’s in a song, some people think it’s poetic or clever or resonant instead of looking at me like I’ve said something out of turn or weird or inappropriate. It’s great.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like a lot of us, I told myself stories about who gets to be a musician and an artist and why that wasn’t me. I did have a few limiting dynamics and relationships surrounding me at the time but it was a largely self-constructed mental cage. During lockdown, I grew increasingly frustrated with the ennui and angst, that kind of soul rot that comes from not doing what you’re supposed to do.

I read a bunch of books like The Artist’s Way and Women Who Run with the Wolves and started posting snippets of songs I’d written on TikTok. I was realizing you have to ask for things and call yourself a musician or no one else would. I stopped being afraid to be seen trying. Like, why not me? Paradoxically, it’s super self-important to be so embarrassed about making things. In retrospect, it’s funny thinking everyone was thinking about me that much.

Breaking out of my mold also gave me a community. In 2021, I posted a video of me playing my song “Medium” and pretty much wrote, “Hey, who can help me record this?” That’s how I started working with Lance Johnson, who has produced and recorded my music thus far. I met Tyler McAninch (Better Devils) at a show and he asked me to play my first gig. I played the Twin Cities Songwriter Rounds (created by local musical hero Taylor James Donskey) and made some great friends who I play shows with frequently.

I’ve recorded a few collaborations with artists like Jonny Darko and D.C. Leonhardt. My experience has been that the artists in the Twin Cities music community provide an almost unbelievable amount of warmth and support to each other. I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s hard to believe that it’s like this other places. Sometimes I still overcomplicate it, but I always come back to the supremacy of imperfect action. All I had to do was show up, share my art, and say hi, I’m here. So you can do that too if you want.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You could listen to my music or come to my shows. I love collaborating with local artists, I want to play with a full band, and I love the idea of writing songs with and for other musicians.