Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaibrienne Richins
Hi Kaibrienne, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m from a super small town in Utah called Henefer. We’ve got no stoplights and more sheep than people, with a population of less than 1000. But for as long as I can remember, I’ve had a love for music. I used to spend hours watching singing videos, listening to music, and trying to imitate the voices that I heard, but it was always in private until one day in 6th grade when I randomly decided I wanted to sing at my school’s talent show. My family was surprised, but supported me in everything I did. I still remember the feeling of being on that stage, singing for people for the first time. It’s something I will never forget – just the feeling of pure love and passion, even though almost my whole body had gone tingly from the nerves. My mom told me that afterward, my principal came up to her and said “she is going places with that voice.” From then on, I knew that my dream was to become a singer… but extreme stage freight & anxiety kept me from doing much with it for a while.
Late summer 2023, I had just gotten home from an entire summer in the south (doing door to door sales for a security company), and I was determined to get back into doing what I was passionate about. I started trying to write, teach myself guitar, and film cover videos again. A video my dad posted of me singing in the car to him went viral, and a casting producer from American Idol saw it and reached out. I took the opportunity to audition, and from there it seems like it’s just been go, go, go. American Idol completely changed my life, and finishing in top 8 was something I never had any idea that I was capable of. I was able to work through so much anxiety through performing on the show and made lifelong connections. I learned more than I could’ve ever imagined, and so many doors have been opened. I now have an amazing fan base and platform to be able to do what I love, and was able to meet so many of those amazing supporters on a 21 city tour I completed with a few of my friends this past fall. I’m constantly honing my sound as an artist and working on putting out new music. So, in other words, I’m really just living my dream & learning to enjoy the journey every step of the way!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My biggest struggle has been extreme performance anxiety and trying to find ways to work through that. I think that writing music is a great way to process struggles/anxieties, and probably provides a better answer to this question than I can give you.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I would consider myself to be a singer and songwriter. I didn’t actually start writing until last February when I wrote my first single “girl i am now,” that I was lucky enough to perform for the first round of live shows on American Idol. That song now has millions of streams and has connected me to fans in such a deep way. This song is about my journey to the person I am now. It’s a love letter to my younger self & a song of hope to any listeners that may relate to the struggle of self love. This song changed my life, and on tour I was able to cry and bond with fans over it, where so many shared their stories with me, even going so far as to say the song had saved their life. That perfectly encapsulates my passion for music, to help people heal and make them feel less alone through music, just as it has for me throughout my life. I think I have a way of emoting exactly what I’m signing, making people genuinely feel every word I sing. I would say I’m most proud of that song – “girl i am now” – just because it was the very first song I really ever wrote, and it came from such a vulnerable place. Although my latest single “Walk Away” shows off a lot more of my raspy vocal tone, which is a big part of what sets me apart as an artist.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I owe everything to my family and God. 2 years ago I was in the darkest place of my life (that I really didn’t think I’d make it out of ) but God had bigger plans for me, and my family has continued to support me every step of the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kaibriennemusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaibrienne?igsh=MXg3MGo4OW8yb2ZqMg==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ABzHkG2Fw/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kaibrienne?si=hXW9UYWlIXQh7NY1
