Kaije

Southern California singer-songwriter and guitarist Kaije released his mellow, reflective single “You’ll Never Get Over Me” on November 27, 2020. Driven by powerful guitar leads like Jimi Hendrix and Albert King, Kaije creates music for tastemakers and everyday fans alike. “You’ll Never Get Over Me” is an ode to his past relationships and the memories they hold in his mind. “I always find myself thinking about the stories, usually relationships, and often their eventual ends,” says Kaije. Blending a fresh, beat-driven sound with elements of classic blues guitar, Kaije is a dynamic and refreshing new voice in contemporary pop.

With a calm demeanour and smooth vocals, the single transports the listener into Kaije’s mind when he reflects on his past loves. The guitar is certainly the backbone of the track, guiding catchy melodies through the confidence and honesty Kaije presents in “You’ll Never Get Over Me.” The song was a breeze to write – heavily inspired by John Mayer’s Continuum and his guitar riffs and structure. “All my best songs wrote themselves,” says Kaije. “It’s usually the ones that I’m trying too hard on that don’t make the cut or kind of just sit there collecting dust.”

The single’s deeply relatable lyrics and timeless guitar ensure it will become a classic amongst some of the strongest writers and musicians today. Fans can stream “You’ll Never Get Over Me” everywhere now and stay tuned for Kaije’s upcoming sophomore album slated for September 2021.

Blending a fresh, beat-driven sound with elements of classic blues guitar, Kaije is a dynamic and refreshing new voice in contemporary pop. Born in Tucson, Arizona, and raised in Texas, Kaije’s love of music was clear from an early age. Drawn to the powerful lead guitars of iconic artists like Albert King, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn, he soon picked up his Grandfather’s old acoustic and has been playing ever since. This fuelled an obsession with music and performance, and by focusing on mastering the techniques of his heroes – Kaije quickly became a skilled player. He began playing in bands in High School, whilst writing and producing his own original music.

Kaije’s exciting musical approach has been shaped by a wealth of life experiences, including a defining period serving in the Air Force, with two life-changing tours in Iraq. Traveling the world and forming lifelong friendships inspired his creativity, bringing a new focus to his music. He began experimenting further with his songwriting and production, combining soulful guitar tones with danceable pop melodies and breezy hip-hop influences.

After leaving the Air Force, he settled in Oceanside, CA, and quickly established himself as a staple in the Southern California music scene. Drawing audiences with his mix of loop-laden, dancefloor fillers and stripped back acoustic sets, Kaije has garnered critical praise from the press including comparisons to John Mayer and Drake. His engaging performances and easy blend of styles have earned high-profile spots such as a three-night performance at the San Diego County Fair as well as featured songwriter billing at the world-famous Viper Room in LA.

As an established performer, Kaije has truly made his mark. With airplay on over 50 stations nation-wide including KEXP in Seattle and KSYM in San Antonio, as well as notable achievements including spotlights as a featured artist on San Diego’s 91x Radio Station and Kyle King’s weekly favorite on the Friday Night House Party live show. He has also been showcased on the pages of SDVoyager twice.

Going from strength to strength, Kaije is currently focusing on production for his second full-length album. The tracks capture his command of colorful, guitar-driven pop with a hip-hop flavor. The highly anticipated release is slated for September 2021. - Hype Magazine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaije Tucker.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born in 1986 and I’ve been playing guitar my whole life. I moved around a lot as a kid but after high school, I joined the Air Force, where I learned Chinese and served for 9 years. After separating, I moved to San Diego to further my passion for music.

I write new songs all the time and frequently gig everywhere from San Diego to Hollywood.

Please tell us about your art.
I’m a singer-songwriter and guitarist. I primarily write my own songs but I also do enjoy some covers here and there.

My main set revolves around doing live loops, where I build rhythm sections with beatboxing and guitar riffs and then, I play and sing over top.

What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
There has never been a better time for artists of any sort. With the advent of the internet, anybody can share their work with people in the furthest reaches of the globe. People make cool accessories and sell them on Etsy, put their paintings on their website or write in their personal blog. Musicians like myself can easily get their music into stores for little to no cost, share videos on YouTube for free and create communities to work together across the globe and create great music.

San Diego is a great place for musicians, in that, I can set up on the sidewalk and play my music all day for anybody willing to listen. It’s got to be one of the best cities in the world to be someone who likes to share music.

It’s hard to think how San Diego could possibly help artists any more than it does already but one thing might be to open up Balboa Park freely to all buskers

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
The best place to see my work is by visiting my site – www.kaijemusic.com

There you can find some video and links to my YouTube and Spotify channels, as well as my Instagram @KaijeMusic where I frequently post little clips.

The best way to support my work is to come out to see me! Maybe, take a photo or video and tag me in it and then check out my Spotify, share it with your friends. - SD Voyager

Let me dream a little. Maybe it is not the right place or time to do so, but after I listened to the song submitted by a guy who found this humble blog via Hype Machine, I cannot think in a different way. That guy, Kaije, pronounced as cage, comes from Oceanside, CA and if I may guess he knows where the summer lives.

The submitted song, Barely Knows Me is the first I get from his world and somehow it resembles dreamy music by Ryan Ellis and Boo Riley. It conjures up a nicely twisted, idyllic vision of days spent living on the picturesque coast in a bungalow on stilts. The lovely sounding, magical by acoustic guitar and extraordinarily accented song is taken off his forthcoming album, Sequences. - Cloudberry Mornings

Mix Jack Johnson and Justin Timberlake and you get Kaije.

Great music and thoughtful lyrics.

This is really good! - Little Bit of Sol