Women Making Music

From left to right: Kimberly Bass, Hannah Jane Kile, Sands Hall, and Cherisha Heart

On Thursday, September 21, 2023, four artists performed as part of a local singer/songwriter series sponsored by Wild Eye Pub and KVMR: Cherisha Heart, Kimberly Bass, Hannah Jane Kile, and Sands Hall. Every seat in the Wild Eye Pub was full, and as food and drink were ordered and enjoyed, each of the four artists delighted the crowd with their talents. 

This was the fourth of five events in the series presented by the KVMR Women’s Collective, and served as a benefit for KVMR, which describes the event as “an intimate evening of song and story with original music by local women.” 

All four women shared original songs, some that had been released in previous albums or EPs, and other songs that were yet to be released officially. 

In this photo: Kimberly Bass

After the four women performed and the audience applauded them, the organizers gathered the women on stage to answer questions about their experiences specifically as singer/songwriters and as creatives generally. They were asked about how they create their songs and how to deal with their inner critic, and they were also asked to share words of encouragement to inspire those in the audience who might be considering creating their own music. 

The creative process

First, they were asked about their creative process. “I have to experience something, I have to feel something first,” Cherisha said, adding, “and then write about it.” She spoke about heartbreak, such as her father’s death, moving her to write songs. 

Sands said her creative process was simple: “for me it’s noodling around with a new tuning,” or “it’s a phrase.” 

Hannah Jane mentioned that “routine has made me a more prolific song writer. The more bad songs I write, the more good songs I write. Just sit down [and write].” 

In this photo: Hannah Jane Kile

Kimberly mentioned that she had taken an eight-year hiatus from performing, and tonight was one of her first performances, if not her first performance, in that time. She said her creative process involves “life experiences, sometimes nature,” and said “I’m looking for the muse all the time, and the muse has finally found me again.” 

How do you deal with your inner critic?

The musicians were also asked about how they deal with their “inner critic.” Cherisha mentioned, “some songs are so easy to write that I feel like I’m channeling something. Other songs are work.”

In this photo: Cherisha Heart

Sands replied, “What inner critic? You just plow on through.”

Hannah Jane shared, “once I learned to let go of all of the things I am not and leaned into all of the things I am, all I had to do was tell the truth. And the inner critic can’t argue with that.”

Kimberly answered, “I experience it as I’m aging. One of the most challenging things is to tell myself I’m beautiful. And even though I’m eighty and not in my twenties. I meditate on positive things.” 

Begin your creative journey

Finally, they were asked what words of wisdom they would like to share with those in the audience to inspire them to follow their creative passions. 

Cherisha advised the group, “the time to do it is now. It’s rewarding to do what you love to do. And whatever’s holding you back, if you can get past that, there’s so much beauty and it will feed your soul to do what you love.”

Sands agreed that “it’s the absolute blessing to share what you’re working on,” and said she found success in working with other writers, which kept her accountable. 

In this photo, left to right: Maggie McKaig and Sands Hall

Hannah Jane showed confidence in the audience’s ability to follow their passions, saying, “you know exactly what you need.” She added, “Do your best to walk the line between doing it for the joy and healing and doing it to make a living.” Hannah then explained how success is personal: “Success looks different for everyone. Especially nowadays we get very attached to success and what that looks like and what size it looks like.” She repeated, “You know exactly what you need. I don’t need to tell you anything.” 

Kimberly ended with, “follow your heart.” 

Learn more about the artists

You can find Cherisha Heart on Instagram, SoundCloud, Facebook, and Apple Music. She has a website with several music videos and a way to join her email list. 

Kimberly Bass has music, videos, photos, a blog, and more on her website. 

Hannah Jane Kile’s website features videos and digital downloads of her music. You can find her on Instagram, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Facebook. You can purchase her albums and songs on Apple Music. 

Sands Hall has a website featuring her music.