Q&A: FROM HOME TO THE HEART, LONDON GIRL JAZ KARIS PACKS US IN HER CARRY-ON WITH NEW ALBUM “SAFE FLIGHT”
THE DAY BEFORE SHE’S SET TO FLY HOME TO THE UK — South London’s beloved artist Jaz Karis took the time for a small layover in one of Hollywood’s many pastel-colored cafes. Over two iced chai teas and the sounds of a banging R&B-meets-Afropop mix, reminiscent of some of her most beloved and more recent collaborations, we chat about the release of her first full-length project, titled “SAFE FLIGHT” after the sweet wishes from her loved ones every time Karis sets off for another international venture — which has been increasingly endless as her career skyrockets.
The jet-setting began when Karis was 21-years-old, trading in her former boss’ final straw with her at an IKEA back home to finalize an official publishing deal in LA. At a time where the R&B scene in London was still finding its way, the international commuting was and is a small price to pay for Karis to do the thing she loves most full-time, passport in hand and good intentions in the other.
Though “SAFE FLIGHT” serves as a love letter to her old and new homes — juxtaposed to her last letter-to-self project “Dear Jaz” — the songs themselves tell stories of love, parties, relationships, and all of the complicated growing pains in between that come and go with every newfound journey.
To celebrate the new release and cement her love for the place that sprouted her and the place that continues to water her, Karis will be hosting two shows in the fall: The Peppermint Club in Los Angeles on November 10th and Islington Assembly Hall in London on November 20th.
Read the full conversation below for the inner workings and making of Jaz Karis’ debut album, love for her craft, London versus Los Angeles, and a look at some of her sweet music recommendations!
LUNA: Hi Jaz! Just want to settle in real quick — How are you? What’s been bringing you joy lately?
KARIS: I am good! What has been bringing joy is the sunshine here — cannot complain about that. I'm a heat girl, give me heat over cold any day, honestly.
LUNA: What have you been enjoying outside of work?
KARIS: Traveling, I love to travel. I think a lot of time has been [spent] traveling for work. So I haven't done a lot of traveling for fun or play. I think the world’s too big to stay in one place, so I just love going to different places, experiencing different cultures, etc. I went to Barbados earlier this year. I've been twice. I'm from the Caribbean, so it just feels like home. I've been to New York, I love New York so much. I think I might be back there again soon.
LUNA: Speaking of traveling, your new album “SAFE FLIGHT” is out! Tell us what this project is about and what it means to you.
KARIS: So “SAFE FLIGHT” really is about my life; it’s literally about me being from London, coming to LA making all the music out here, hearing [the words] “safe flight” a thousand times from friends and family. It tells a lot of love stories, but it's really a journey of myself, just figuring things out and growing up a bit, really. Being a London girl in LA is like [experiencing] completely different cultures, completely different life experiences. So adjusting to meeting new people and having different kinds of experiences has been an amazing story to tell through this album.
LUNA: How has the making of this album been different from your past projects?
KARIS: I feel like quality wise, I've just had such a higher bar for the quality of everything. Everything that's on there had to kind of just surpass that check for me. I've learned a lot from my other releases, not even just from a musical side but also from a business side. I'm [also] a visual learner, so how everything looks is really important, and I really try to apply that with this album
LUNA: Are you pretty hands-on throughout the production process?
KARIS: Yeah, I’m a big control freak! Sometimes it's too much for my own good. It's very hard to stop, but I think I've gotten better; I tried to pull back the reins of it, but I know what I want, so if it's not right, I will change it.
LUNA: You have a lot of exciting features on this album — which has been your favorite collaboration, both outcome and process-wise?
KARIS: Oh, that's so difficult to choose. I think I have different favorites for different reasons; Creative process-wise, it would have to be Tone [Stith] because we’ve done two (songs), and working with Tone is just incredible. Such a great guy, such a talented guy, and I think the way he approaches songwriting is really cool. Sound-wise, I'd have to say — oh, they're so they're all so good, it’s really hard — I think it has to be Reekado [Banks], just because I was so excited when I heard his voice on the track [“TEQUILA”]. I was so gassed.
LUNA: There are so many Afrobeat influences in the project! How did you decide you wanted to move in that direction?
KARIS: I think I've tapped into that world a little bit now. I guess it kind of started from working with Juls [featured on “SIMS CASTAWAY”] before “Soweto Blues”. Working with Juls is always a familiar favorite, and he really introduced me to the way my vocal sounds on Afrobeat music. I think the most important thing is that I still sound like me across any genre. “TEQUILA” came about so naturally, and Reekado jumping on it was never the plan, but when he did, I was so, so excited, it just kind of fell into place. It really just happened. [Afrobeats has had] a huge influence recently. For example, Tyla’s “Water’, Burna Boy, I feel like Afrobeats has a worldwide impact.
Collaborators June Freedom & Jaz Karis
LUNA: The closing track to your last project and a love letter to yourself, “Dear Jaz”, is titled “Home”. Do you find that kind of ironic or just pure coincidence that it ended up being a transition into the themes of “SAFE FLIGHT”?
KARIS: I didn't even realize! That was very accidental. I would love to say I did that on purpose, but maybe that's a good thing. I'm trying to stay true to myself, and it's kind of fitting. It really does lead [back] to having to be my own home, with me traveling so much. So it is a weird transition, it literally is the next step.
LUNA: It might not have been on purpose for you, but there must have been some universal intention there!
KARIS: One hundred percent. I think subconsciously, it makes so much sense. Even the journey of what I'm talking about in “Dear Jaz” to it starting here is crazy, from “Home” to [the opening track] “Nostalgia” is crazy.
LUNA: The closing track for this album is called “PRAYER”, where you sing about unconditional love for someone you wish nothing but the best for. I felt that it was cryptic enough so that any listener can relate in different situations, but I wanted to ask if this was specifically about a romantic relationship or more so a child-like unconditional love?
KARIS: I actually wrote this song about a family member dealing with alcohol abuse. I left it so that it's really open to interpretation, because I feel, like you said, it can sound like a love romance. It's generally just a pure act of what love is, wanting the best of someone no matter what that looks like, even during difficult times and difficult periods. I think faith is something that really goes a long way for them, not just for you. That's really where “PRAYER” stems from.
LUNA: I wonder if this closing track could potentially segue into your next project too…
KARIS: Yeah, maybe! That would be sick.
LUNA: What do you want people to take away from “SAFE FLIGHT”?
KARIS: I think the whole thing that I'm finding out whilst making these projects, and this album in particular, is really to resonate with yourself and to make yourself home, make sure that you're good with yourself along the journey and [its] ups and downs, know that when there are lows, there'll be highs. It's okay to just experience stuff. The clearest way I can say it is that life is not always gonna be crystal clear. It's not always gonna be perfect. I think it's just about accepting all that.
LUNA: That’s very much one of those things that you’ll want to try and fight because it’s such a cliché, until you go through it yourself.
KARIS: Literally! It’s the most cliché stuff sometimes; even stuff like accepting therapy — I remember a time where I would have never wanted to do therapy and things like that. But life is really quite simple when you gain perspective and try to make good out of a bad situation. There’s always a silver lining, as blurry as it is to find it, and I felt like “SAFE FLIGHT” was me discovering that.
LUNA: What are your favorite tracks on the album?
KARIS: They change every day. Today, I would have to say it’s “2242”. That one’s a creeper for me, because obviously I’ve done singles [for the album] and a lot of them are my favorites, like “Sunset Boulevard”, but “2242” is just one of my personal, cheeky favorites.
LUNA: You’ve talked about how you feel now is a good time for R&B artists from London, despite there being a lack of space for them there previously, sort of in theme with what brought you the theme of “SAFE FLIGHT” and to LA. What are some key things that have been helping you find your place in the industry and genre?
KARIS: I think it's a very different experience in London and in LA, because there's way more of an R&B scene here. Coming out here has been a lot more fulfilling in a way, which is why I'm here. I feel like people know your stuff, people love your stuff, people give you your flowers here a bit more than they do back home. I love London and I grew up [there], but I do feel like there's a little bit of a glass ceiling situation there. I think there are incredible artists back home. As an artist, it's not very straightforward when you leave school what to do, how to become one. Everyone's journey is different, but I have a real big aim of just trying to help young people get into it after they leave school. Because, like I said, there's no [direct] job you can go out and get to [suddenly] become a singer. Everyone has different ways of doing stuff. For me, it was just a lot of trial and error, and building a good support system and just being dedicated to your fan
base.
LUNA: Speaking of having a good support system, I’m sure your family misses you so much when you’re traveling. Have they always been very supportive throughout this journey, or was there any hesitation when you were starting out?
KARIS: My mom has especially been super, super supportive. She hates me coming out here, she's not happy with me leaving, but she understands why I'm doing it. As long as I call her every day and check in with her, she's good. The rest of my family are always at my shows, always buying and supporting my music. I really couldn't have asked for any more support.
I think it was really from when I applied for [the BRIT School for Performing Arts], my mom basically just said, “If this is what you want to do, I fully support you — but you have to commit,” because it's such a big career. It’s very hard. So many people are doing it, and it's not easy, you know?
LUNA: How do you keep from burning out or losing passion in making music if it's what you do for a living?
KARIS: Oh, such a good question. I always try to separate the making of music from the business of music, because I don't think I could stop making music if I tried. It's literally, like an outpour. For me, it only becomes work when I'm not making it from a genuine place. If it was just churning stuff out all the time, then I'd struggle with not burning out. I think everyone needs a break; you can't always be creatively 10 out of 10, or your absolute best all the time. What I have found is if I need a break, I need to take it. Otherwise, I'm just gonna just produce stuff I don't like. Living a lot and traveling is giving me something to write about, basically.
LUNA: Do you see yourself living in LA for an extended amount of time? Or would you settle down in London?
KARIS: I feel like LA is literally where I work, it's my dream to work here, and that's why I'm here so much. I'm definitely apartment shopping right now, so yes, I will be out here for the foreseeable future. Settling down… I think I'm a London girl at heart. It kind of scares me to feel like I'd stay here and never go back, but, you know, I can't plan what's gonna happen. For the foreseeable future, I might become an LA girly.
LUNA: What was the biggest culture shock to you coming to LA?
KARIS: The food definitely, I'm not gonna lie. LA might hate me for this, but I hate you lot’s food so much. I miss British food.
LUNA: That’s crazy because a lot of people clown on British food, too! How do you feel about that?
KARIS: I think they'll be American. I like new food in New York. I think the food here is not for me. I’ve found my spots that I like, though. Do you know what it is? I think it's the way my body reacts to the food here. I just feel the stuff in your guys' food, I'm not used to, it's like an out-of-body experience every time I'm here. There are places that I love, like Sweetgreen. I can't lie, I love Sweetgreen. Every time I go home, I miss [it]. I've been to Cava as well. My favorite restaurant here so far is Ysabel. Love that place. But even [when], you find a really nice restaurant and it's gonna cost you loads of money— for me, LA is just so expensive, and I'm just not getting what I want in terms of food!
LUNA: Tell us about some of the shows you have coming up in LA and London! Are you excited?
KARIS: Super excited, super excited. I can't wait to perform these songs, as well as my old ones live. [The Peppermint Club will be] my first show in LA as well, so that will be sick. I love the Peppermint Club. To go home to London, it will be my biggest venue yet, so that's really cool. It's called Islington Assembly Hall. I've been to shows there, it's great, so I can't wait for that one.
LUNA: To close out, what’s some music you’ve been listening to lately that you want to put people on?
KARIS: One of my favorite songs right now, it's actually 2024, but it sounds really old. I love old music. Even what we're listening to now has a little vintage or nostalgic feel to it. The song’s called “Where You Are” by Lynda Dawn. I love that song. I got put on to that by Soulection, so big ups, Joe Kay. There's another song I love called “ABOUT TIME” by Fourté and Remi Soul. When I'm in LA, I have a little LA playlist whilst I drive, but that's super West Coast stuff: “Smoothies in 1991”, the Larry June song, I love DOM Kennedy, and my girl, Hamza, just dropped an amazing little EP called “25!” that's really great.
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