Kieran Strange

Kieran Strange, UK electro pop-rock artist premieres her Taylor Swift music video cover for “Safe And Sound” off The Hunger Games soundtrack. Over the summer, several nerds with a video camera gathered around Central Park in Burnaby, BC to shoot and star in Kieran Strange’s cover video. Dressed in their black-and-silver Tribute jackets, Kieran and friends lost themselves acting out several scenes from The Hunger Games movie as well as adding in a few of their own. Some familiar faces you may recognize in this video are Adamm Mountstevens of Fighting For Ithaca, who sang background vocals on the tune, as well as Vancouver-based cosplay idol Kitty the SheGeek.

This fall, the video will also be used in conjunction with Reaping: The Benefit, an online roleplaying marathon to benefit Child’s Play charity foundation in which role players from all over the world take part as one of twenty-four Tributes in Panem’s Hunger Games fifty years before the movie takes place. Kieran heavily supports R:TB, competing last year and helping raise over $500 to bring video games and such to sick children in hospitals worldwide – this year, the team hopes to double that number! So help promote this video not only to promote Kieran’s cover, but to promote the next R:TB this November and help raise more money for Child’s Play!

Get to know Kieran by reading her short interview below.

How do you want your fans to see you as an artist?

Mostly? As someone who’s approachable. I’d hate the idea of a fan being too worried or nervous to come up and say hi to me if they saw me out somewhere. I love to say hi! And sometimes I really hope they love me half as much as I love them! (Laughs)

What was your biggest accomplishment to date?

Oh gosh, I’ve done so many things I didn’t think I would ever be able to. Playing shows in America and England, writing songs people like to listen to… I think being placed in the Top 24 Artists on Twitter last year alongside Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Paramore, and a bunch more really huge acts was pretty intense. I have my Strangers to thank for that.

I think some of my biggest accomplishments though are things I hear the Strangers saying. After I was featured in the 24 Hours newspaper in Vancouver, a lady contacted me via Facebook to tell me that she had cut my article out to show to her daughter, who was being violently bullied and was finding it hard to make friends in her new school, because she knew it would give her some hope to know other girls out there knew how she felt. I met another Stranger who contacted me to tell me that he’d listened to one of my songs to help get him through his father’s cancer treatments. I cry easily, so some of the things I’ve heard from people have brought me to epic amounts of tears. I still find it hard to believe that I’ve had an effect like that on people’s lives, but it just proves that if an awkward little girl from smalltown England can make at least a tiny difference in this world, so can you.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I suppose I find most of my inspiration in my relationships with other people, as well as my relationship with myself. The things I’ve had to overcome in life, as well as the things that have made me smile, made me laugh… I think any artist gets inspiration for their work by how they view the world around them, and how it affects them and the people they care about. I’ve written songs to help me deal with pain and loss, songs to help me express my anger at people… I’ve also written songs to help capture other people’s emotions at a particular time, whether it’s happiness, sadness, or rage. Emotions have always been a very strange thing for me, they fascinate me. Explaining exactly how I feel out loud has always been so difficult for me. I’d rather just play someone a song to express myself.

Anything you’d like to add?

DON’T CHANGE – STAY STRANGE! - Front Row Live Entertainment

British born, Vancouver based electro pop rock artist Kieran Strange introduces her A Stranger in Alberta tour beginning June 15th, with guitar accompaniment by Fighting For Ithaca’s Adam Mountstevens (604 Records) at all shows.

Having showcased in Toronto at The Orbit Room last March, Cashbox Canada also had Kieran as a special guest performer at the Canadian Music Week booth during that annual music festival. The pink haired rock singer, who was raised above her grandmother’s pub in West Sussex, England, took the audience by surprise, performing three original songs from her debut EP Adamantine Heart at both locations. The dynamic singer has clever lyrics, projected with an energy comparable to that of Joan Jett in her early days. “Rock and Roll Play Baby” written by Strange, has a definite rawness similar to early nineties British punk.

No stranger to sharing a stage, Kieran will do so with Whitecourt-based country artist Erin Haley (June 15th), and Calgary based artists including jazz chanteuse Jenvavive (June 16th ) and Seventh Rain (June 16th). Strange selected each act based on fan engagement, song writing and musical talent as well as relationships she’s built in the last year of headlining shows in Vancouver, B.C.

A stranger no more to Alberta when these dates are complete, Strange will journey back to the UK for the remainder of June to share her songs and stories and garner more fans.
This talented, sassy singer/songwriter is becoming a more familiar figure in Canada, and could catch her big break at any gig now. Which is why, should Kieran show up in your town, you need to get out and get you some Strange. - Cashbox Canada Magazine

British pop-rock artist Kieran Strange attended an anime convention wearing the Crazyheads Black Cat Hoodie with Eyes ($64.99) from Punch Brand. - Steal Her Style

Fortunately, the crowd’s energy did not die for the nerdy pop artist, Kieran Strange. Interestingly, the British pop singer love for the stage seemed strengthened from her recent tour. Not only was she happy to be playing once again in her hometown, but her parents were here with her for the first time. Eager, Kieran played the best show we have ever seen her play – period... she was wonderfully melodic throughout her set, most notably during her Taylor Swift cover of “Safe and Sound”. Despite having a horrible day, having to “deal with people who shouldn’t have been dealt with,” Kieran seemed to be having the time of her life. - Overmined

Interview with Kieran Strange by Cynthia Lam. - Stitched Sound

Interview with Kieran Strange by Cynthia Lam. - Stitched Sound

If you're from the Western Canada area, chances are you've heard of Kieran Strange. This extremely talented British-Canadian singer has been active for a couple of years now, spreading her talented voice and music all across the globe. Her latest release is a short EP titled Adamantine Heart. With an electronic feel, Kieran brings us through a three song journey and also shows us what she's all about. The song “Rock N Roleplay Baby” starts off with a lower tone before bursting into a straight up pop and catchy tune. It's very nice to find an artist like Kieran, who holds an electronica song but doesn't abuse or overuse it, keeping a real yet galactic sound.

Adamantine Heart is set to drop on April 1st, 2012 and is sure to catch the attention of many music fans worldwide. Be sure to check out the EP when it is released! - Stitched Sound

AS a teenager she'd always wanted to be in a band. So when it came time to decide on a career Kieran Strange elected to pursue music and she chose to do it more than 7,000 kilometres away from her Selsey, England home.

"I packed up everything and left home and moved to Vancouver and started a band," Strange says.

Long before Strange moved to Canada to pursue a career in music, she had always aspired to be a singer. When she was a little girl Strange and her best friend would often perform shows in their parent's backyard.

"Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be a musician," Strange says. "I was in a band with a friend of mine. We had an old drum set . . . it was just drums and vocals."

Even though Strange was academically successful throughout school, she had always considered a career in music. However, she decided to pursue another path.

"I visited Vancouver and I went to some shows. I saw my favourite band play, which is My Chemical Romance, and I started to think about my life again."

Eventually she moved to British Columbia to pursue her dreams.

"I told my mom when I came back from Canada when I was 17 that I wanted to move to Canada," Strange says.

She made good on her word and packed up her belongings and moved to British Columbia.

"I had a lot of friends in Vancouver and Edmonton who put me up while I was working on my visa," she adds.

On Mar. 31, the Vancouver resident released a three-song EP titled Adamantine Heart.

According to Strange the hardest part was convincing people to call the album Adamantine Heart.

"I sat down with my co-writer and she said if you can fit the word adamantine into a song and have it sound good then we will call the song Adamantine," Strange says. "So I took the challenge. I sat down and I managed to fit it in and everyone really liked the sound of it."

"Adamantine means to have a really hard, solid, unbreakable, substance. So the idea of having a heart made out of that is taking everything you stand for and not allowing people to take that away from you and being strong in what you believe in," she adds.

Strange says she enjoys bands such as The Used, AC/DC, and Muse. She also admires female musicians such as Joan Jett, Pink and No Doubt.

"I really love strong female musicians who don't have to take all their clothes off to sell CDs," she says.

Strange mostly writes songs about her experiences in her life.

"Mostly I draw inspirations from things that happen to me and it doesn't have to be an entire story, it can be just an idea," she says. "When I have an overwhelming emotion the only way to get it out is to write a song about it."

Strange says that she doesn't like to write about some of the more common topics that some female singers sing about today.

"I think the hardest part is being a female musician and being taken seriously as a female musician who doesn't' want to write songs about having sex with all the guys," Strange says. "I think that's the hardest part, is just being taken seriously as a female musician who doesn't want to sing those kinds of songs."

As a musician, Strange believes it is extremely important to put on an excellent performance for her audience.

"That is what I focus on. I am very energetic when I am on stage. I try and involve the crowd and I try to give them a great show," she says. "People don't go to a show to hear music they go to a show to see music."

Strange is extremely active on the social media front. She currently has more than 12,000 followers on Twitter and over 4,000 likes on Facebook. Aside from the 50,000+ tweets she has made, Strange is into video blogging on YouTube.

"I started my video blogs back up again," Strange says. "I actually did one about the Amanda Todd situation. It is just my thoughts about the situation and paying my respects to her."

Earlier this month Strange wrote an anti-bullying song. She says bullying is something that shouldn't be taken lightly in any situation.

As victim of frequently bullying herself, Strange can relate to the story of Amanda Todd.

"I was bullied horrendously throughout school. It was a horrible part of my life. I know what it is like to fake sick because you don't want to go to school and show your face," Strange says. "It really upset me that this poor girl put a video up on YouTube saying she needed help and she didn't get that help. I am not saying that people should be blamed for it but it is sad that she genuinely felt like she had nobody there for her."

For more information on Kieran Strange visit kieranstrange.com or follow her on Twitter @KieranStrange. - North Shore News

Houston Texas is an important outlet for independent artists from all over the country to expose their music. It is no surprise that Kieran Strange would be eager to visit Houston to do just that. Kieran Strange is a British singer-song writer, currently residing in Canada, whose tunes will make you drop everything you are doing and start rocking along. Kieran recently had the opportunity to showcase her music at Oni-Con, an anime convention based in Houston Texas. It is usually hard for any artist to have fans sing their songs, but during her concert at this convention it was a bit odd to see so many Texas natives sing along to the tunes of a foreign indie artist. It turns out Kieran Strange already had a following in Houston thanks to the web and several social networks. The Internet plays a major role in her career, so much, that she was recently nominated for a Shorty Award in Best Music. The Shorty Awards are given to those who have impacted the world of Twitter in a positive way. What makes Kieran Strange’s story so special is the fact she is not just competing against mainstream giants, but also beating many of them. Paramore, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Jared Leto from 30 Seconds to Mars and American Idol’s Kris Allen and David Archuleta are among the few artists Kieran Strange is currently beating. Kieran recently released Good Intentions through her website, a hard rocking song that will make you want more out of her the second the track ends. In Good Intentions, Kieran takes you through a journey, in the music style of Paramore or My Chemical Romance, about a girl who is disappointed by her guy’s constant lack of support, delivered in such an angry way it is quite refreshing. Good things are sure to come for Kieran Strange and Houstonians who are eager to find more about her should head over to her website and download this track which is sure to inundate Houston airwaves in no time. - Examiner.Com

British pop-punk singer Kieran Strange is filled with amazing talent and she loves to interact with her followers. Through her Twitter page, she is constantly talking to her fans, friends and anyone who talks to her! It is so wonderful to see an artist who just loves connecting with her fans so much. - Youthink Magazine

Kieran Strange is pretty freakin’ rad. There is no denying that. She is totally loyal and personable to her fans and an all around friendly person. All of these things make a good person, but do they make a good artist? Allow me to prove that it is possible to have — and be — it all. - Taking Over The Universe Blog

Kieran Strange is a very unique individual. From her pink and black hair and Hunger Games pin, to her awesome British accent and Punk-Pop style; she's a force to be reckoned with in the Vancouver pop scene. She commands the stage and catches peoples attention with interesting lyrics, a dynamic voice and strong musical backing by a crew of musically gifted personalities. She's friendly, outgoing, strong minded and over all reminds me of a manga character! She is blowing up all over north America and is quite often traveling abroad to spread her music. Her new EP "Adamantine Heart" was just released that night, and it has a fantastic sound. - Hammer Records

U.K. Electro-Rocker, Kieran Strange… rocked the house with her Suzie Quatro style stage antics, and powerhouse vocal chops. The energy coming off this bright red-haired beauty took the room by storm. This little dynamo is a hit star waiting to happen. - Cashbox Canada

Kieran Strange, the British-born punk rock singer raised above her grandmother’s pub in West Sussex, England, had the stage to herself after that. A resident in Canada for a number of years, she was a definite wild card in the show. Pink-haired and dressed like a proverbial punk princess Strange looks young, a green artist in her genre. As she began her performance, however, energy akin to Joan Jet [SIC] took over. Strange stays true to a girly punk sound but her lyrics are sombre and clever. The only punk rock act of the night and likely the youngest as well, she projected confidence and ease in front of a packed audience. Her last act “Rock and Roll Play Baby” had a definite rawness similar to early nineties British punk. The old school sound was perfect for her sassy, strong voice. - Lithium Magazine

She’s only about a year into her musical career, but Kieran Strange is already ranked among pop heavyweights such as Lady Gaga and Britney Spears.

So it’s not the Billboard charts, it’s on what’s been called the “Twitter Oscars”.

The 21-year-old local singer-songwriter is among the top musicians nominated for the third annual Shorty Awards, a New York ceremony honouring the best personalities on social media sites.

“I try and be active. I try and talk to a lot of people,” the pink-haired pop rocker told QMI Tuesday. “I always try and follow people back because I’m just as interested in them as they are in me.”

Strange (her real name) says her more personal touch – talking to her Tweeps one on one – has put her ahead of international superstars like Gaga, whose followers number in the millions.

“It’s definitely not all about me,” she said. “Music is about the fans.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, she ranked No. 17 out of 1,700 artists – trailing Paramore and Marianas Trench.

Strange was born in southern England and came to Vancouver two years ago to put together an EP.

“A lot of people say my music is like My Chemical Romance and The Used, and they both got it on with Paramore,” she said.

She’s put out two singles, Good Intentions and Merry Undead Christmas, which can be found with many other songs on her YouTube channel.

Her demo album, to be released next month, covers her journey of self-acceptance.

“I was bullied through high school. It’s the traditional, sad, bullied-kid story,” Strange laughed. “I spent my break times picking chewing gum out of my hair.”

She decided to no longer be ashamed of her quirks, and turned them into tunes.

“I have a song called Too Lazy to Know. It’s about being really ambitious and really smart and just being lazy and not finding the go-ahead to just go for it,” she said. “It explains how I felt when I wanted to do the musician thing, but I just couldn’t find my grip.”

Strange suspects the PR machines of the more famous artists will knock her out by the time the Shorty winners are announced in the coming weeks (Justin Bieber already has a stranglehold on first place).

But she thanks her friends and supporters nonetheless.

“Just being pushed to the top 12 was incredible,” she said. “Twitter is a force to be reckoned with.”

To vote for Strange, go to shortyawards.com/Kieranstrange. - 24Hours