Meet Kaije: Singer-songwriter & guitarist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kaije and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kaije, how do you think about risk?
Risk taking is mandatory to achieve success. Everything I’ve done in my music career so far has been a risk of some level or another, from the first time I played on stage to the first dollar I invested in recording to the first promotional campaign I ran. Every time you step on stage, you never know what will happen. Every time you promote yourself, every dollar you put into your career all comes with a risk, and these are risks you can’t afford to be afraid to take. You have to take every risk, and take it confidently if you want to succeed. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Oceanside, CA. I’ve been playing guitar since I was about 10 years old, and I’ve been singing and writing music for 10 years. It wasn’t easy getting to where I am in my career right now. My first gig alone was difficult to find, it was at an empty coffee shop and I was only paid $20. I saved up money from gigs and busking so I could afford to record an acoustic EP with a friend, and started selling those at gigs to make a little more money. I played and played and practiced and practiced, searching online for bars and restaurants, cold calling everybody asking to play. Eventually I was playing 2-3 gigs a week and selling a small amount of merch at my shows. I saved up my money and now I’m able to promote my music online. I’ve gone from essentially 0 listeners across Spotify, Apple and YouTube to now over 5,000 listeners per month and almost 15,000 monthly streams. Through hard work and planning I’m hoping to grow into a touring act and travel the country this year.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Best daytime hangs include Belmont, Balboa, Embarcadero, but most importantly any beach really. My favorite beach is actually San Onofre, so it’d be worth it to take a drive up. But really my favorite place of all is probably the desert, so I’d make sure to take a drive out to Anza Borrego, maybe even bring some campfire supplies and some drinks. The best nighttime activities always involve live music. My favorite place is usually the Pour House in Oceanside, where on Saturday nights they have great live bands all night long. Another favorite is Aztec Brewery in Vista, especially for their Thursday night Open Mic & Tacos. To switch it up I’d also probably head to the Haunted Head in Oceanside for some Foosball and cheap beer haha. And in Downtown, we’d have to make sure to hit Gaslamp and stop by Patrick’s. To eat, my favorite place in all of San Diego is probably Crack Shack – I’d go by the one in Little Italy and get a Firebird or Mexican Poutine. Another absolute must would be Moon Age Tacos, they have a truck in Encinitas and I’d stop there at least a couple times for sure

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife Sarah deserves a lot of credit for my success. She’s the one that pushed me to take my music seriously, to go to Berklee, to get into the recording studio, to get on stage, to promote myself. If it weren’t for her I’d probably be sitting in a cubicle somewhere.

Website: www.kaijemusic.com
Instagram: @kaijemusic
Twitter: @kaijemusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaijemusic
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0msgnRfbQ4sl5dapoG_cOw