Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Dupuy.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started playing the piano when i was 5 years old and I’ve wanted to be a musician since then. I took lessons all through childhood and got a degree in Music and Technology with a focus in Piano Performance from the University of Michigan. When I was a teenager I had started playing keyboard and singing in bands and really loved it so after I finished college I went on tour with the band Boys Night Out. I am so appreciative of that experience and I got to do so many amazing things with them. But I eventually decided to go back to school and stop touring full time. I was busy with my family and my career for the next several years but I didn’t feel like I was getting enough opportunity to play music, and I missed writing, so I was really happy when I got to the point where I felt I had the capacity to start a new project. I’ve always loved synthesizers and electronic music and knew I wanted to start a synth pop band. I met Eric Kramlinger about 7 years ago and had played with him before in my husband’s band so I knew he was a great drummer so I asked if he wanted to be a part of the project. He introduced me to our now producer, John Synhavsky, who is an amazing producer and has experience in the genre with his previous band, Step Rockets, and it was a great fit and the rest is history! I wrote 10 songs over the course of about a year and John did an amazing job working on the songs with me and producing the record, which is called I Thought I Was Better (released April 2025). Eric helped with the studio work as well and some of the live drums on the album. And then the live show is just Eric and I right now. Eric brings an amazing energy to the stage and we’ve been having the best time playing around Rochester and the Twin Cities.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Eric and I started with a goal of getting out in the music scene and playing fun shows, meeting other musicians, writing songs that we enjoy playing live, and just connecting with other musicians and artists in general. And in that sense, things have gone smoothly. We’ve just met so many supportive people in our community who have helped us get involved. Tommy from Toilet Rats has been particularly instrumental in helping us get involved in the local music scene. We’ve played a lot of shows together, he’s given us great advice, been so fun to hang out with, and has gone out of his way to introduce us to people, and hook us up with shows. I also want to mention Vy, Nate, and Maggie at Treedome records here in Rochester. Vy gave us our first show and we’ve played at the store many times since then. Devon Hugdahl makes all of our artwork and has done a great job capturing our “brand” and making us many awesome show posters and our album artwork (John Molseed lended his photography skills). Krista Wax from KFAI has given us love on the local show, playing many of our songs. John Sievers has written some very kind articles about us in the Post Bulletin. And then of course we’re so appreciative of the support from all of our friends, significant others, and all the other musicians we’ve met and played with. I guess what I’m trying to say is that we are part of a very supportive community and this has made it much easier to get started with this project. In that sense, things have been smooth. But that’s not to say that we’ve already accomplished all that we want to. There are many more things that we want to do and so I think in a way, the hard part is starting right now as we try and take this project to the next level. We want to mature our sound with this next album, deepen our connection with the local scene, and start branching out playing shows in other areas. So we’ll see what the next few years bring!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My first passion in music is probably playing the piano. I started taking piano lessons when I was 5-years-old and I still love playing classical music. I always need to be working on classical pieces in the background of whatever else I’m involved in. It’s my foundation. I started singing as a young child as well, but I am not a classically trained singer. I did a lot of singing in choir and musicals and then started singing in bands when I was about 16. That was about the time when I started officially writing music and showing it to other people. And then I got an undergraduate degree in music at the University of Michigan, which allowed me to spend more time developing a variety of music-related skills. That’s where I learned to work in a recording studio and use all of the computer programs necessary to make the kind of music I write. In addition to playing piano and singing, I’ve always felt the need to be creating and so writing is an essential part of my life as a musician as well. I’m not sure what I’m known for at this point, but I think the thing that I’m most proud of is my history as a classical musician, just because I’ve invested so much time in developing that skill. That’s something people might not know about me actually. And I think that sets me apart from some other musicians as well. It’s nice to have that formal training because I’m not limited by my technical skills and having experience with music theory and composition can give you some unique writing ideas. In fact, I’m currently arranging some of my songs for piano, violin, and cello for an acoustic performance and I’m really happy to have experience composing for other instruments. So I think that having a lot of formal training from the classical world and from music school has allowed me to be more versatile.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I do think you have to take risks to get the most out of life and I think that one of the biggest risks, or something that can feel like a big risk, is being yourself. Sometimes it’s hard to be the most authentic version of yourself because it makes you vulnerable. And it’s a risk to let other people see this raw, unfiltered version of yourself because there can be a sense that if people don’t like what you are presenting then they don’t like you as a person or that you don’t have value. And it can open you up to criticism and rejection. I get up on stage and I wear clothes that other people might not wear, and I sing personal lyrics and play music that I have written and I feel very exposed doing that. But I think most artists have this need to express themselves and like many other artists, if I’m not writing and performing, I’m not completely happy. So, I take this risk of being the most authentic version of myself and it’s the only way I want to live even if other people don’t understand because otherwise, I just don’t feel right.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.enemyinthesky.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/enemyintheskymusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Enemy-In-The-Sky/61553680607843/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0McMv-9BHBV2LPGGmQKeRg
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/enemyintheskymusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4ESUg85vPysfd68AuD8vDu?si=iri_P0ftSoKO5OYykC7fdA
