Meet Karis Lee | Music Artists
Why did you pursue a creative career?
I’m creative by nature, by spirit. I’m also in my last month of law school at the University of Pennsylvania. My career is a legal one, but I refuse to lose the side of myself that loves to create for the love of creating.
I’m a professional singer and songwriter. I’m a soon-to-be lawyer. I am both. My hope is to find solace and joy in the intersectionality, to meld my two worlds into one melody. I decided to keep making music because doing the alternative would be to sacrifice my authenticity.
What should our readers know about you and your art?
My art is my mirror. It’s an extension of me. Everything I make, whether that’s a song or a poem, or a painting, contains a small piece of me within it.
I am the descendant of two very creative people. My mother is a visual artist, my father is an avid appreciator of art. I grew up in a household filled to the brim with music and paintings and had whole days dedicated to the act of art-making.
I’ve always felt that art was literally in my DNA and was always taught that creative expression can be an endless source of happiness. Today, I am certain both are true.
What was your thought process behind creating music?
I go about writing lyrics in one of two ways: I start with a word or I start with a feeling. The notes app on my phone is overflowing with words I feel would make cool song concepts–I’ll begin with that word and build an entire song around it. When I start with a feeling, it’s usually because I’m in my feelings. In those moments, I write to channel my emotions in a place that feels productive. For me, music is catharsis.
What’s your definition of success?
I feel most successful when I do something or make something that makes me feel genuinely happy and proud. My main metric for success is not follower count or streaming numbers, it’s that intangible warm and fuzzy feeling upon completing something I believe is beautiful.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition for your success? People who supported you. Who would you like to shout out?
Shoutout to my best friend, Shiv Nadkarni (@shivnadkarni) who is an amazing actor, dancer, singer, and model doing really cool work. Shoutout to Andrew Azorsky (@andrewazo), my writing partner, producer, and guitarist! Shoutout to Anthony Page (@antpagephoto), who is an incredible Philly-based photographer and collaborator. Shoutout to @boundsin.music, a Philly-based DJ/producer–we’re making music together and will release some tracks soon!
Instagram: @karisleemusic
Stream my music on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5nfZtkM4J5WYswD02mBDMG?si=jO1tFLwZQTGNpKjiTpSaPQ