Meet Collective Karma

We had the good fortune of connecting with Collective Karma and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Collective, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
As a band, we’ve faced this question time and time again. Trying to balance five strong personalities and differing opinions whilst simultaneously attempting to align five people with full-time jobs, personal lives, and other commitments on the same schedule can be extremely taxing and frustrating at times.

What we always come back to is: “Why are we doing this?” Why did we all join a band in the first place? Why do we invest our own capital and fleeting time into this? For each member, that answer varies – from a passion project, to a fulfilling hobby, to performer’s high, to band camaraderie and more, we all have one or more things that keep us going. Recognizing those things and communicating about them honestly, and allowing each other the space to prioritize other important parts of our individual lives, allows us to make a clearer decision on whether we keep going or give up.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
A few things set us apart: The genuine connection between us all as bandmates, the authenticity in our lyrics, and the energy we bring to the stage. The friendships that we’ve all cultivated with each other allow us to bring more emotion to both our songwriting and to our presence on stage. The connection that people see on stage is in part due to the fact that Connor and Kennedi, the vocalists of the band, have been best friends and collaborators in the industry for over 7 years. Fans consistently comment on the tangibility of our connection when we’re on stage, and we love that they can feel and see that.

We’re most excited about all that’s still to come. Currently we are finishing writing for our debut EP, and preparing our first few singles for release, we’ve got a lot ahead of us and are so grateful for all of the support surrounding us.

We first became a band just over a year ago in June of 2023, all of our individual musical careers and paths leading us to form Collective Karma. We spent about 6 months practicing and writing consistently before playing our first house show in December, opening for Red Eye Orchestra. Since then, we’ve been able to play several shows at places like Bon House, Boggs Social & Supply, Altar at The Masquerade and more with so many other incredibly talented artists. We’ve been so lucky to have such amazing people around us from friends and family, to other creatives (photographers, designers, and more) who have helped us along our journey.

The biggest thing that we want the world to know about us is that we’re just a group of people who love music and want to share our stories and our passion with anyone who will listen.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Kennedi:

“First of all, we’re going to Waffle House at some point – preferably drunk. We’d have to make time to visit The Center for Civil and Human Rights and the High Museum of Art (wild vibe switch). I’d take them to all of my favorite food spots like C&S Oyster Bar, STK Steakhouse, Flying Biscuit, Ms. Ruby’s Peach Cobbler Café and more. We’d have to walk around the beltline, see a movie at the Phipps Plaza AMC, and go to blow off steam at places like Monday Night Brewing, The Painted Duck, and Puttshack. Of course, we’d have to plan a Collective Karma show for them to see and also attend another concert, festival, and/or sporting event. Last but not least, a night at my parents’ house for family game night, karaoke, and gentle bullying.”

Connor:

“I would take them to a Braves game if we’re playing. From there, we’d probably go get drinks at Taps at Pheast or go sing karaoke at Moondogs. If it’s soccer season, we’re hitting the Benz for an Atlanta United game. For food, I’m taking them to my favorite taco spot. Hankook Taqueria is the place to go!”

Trevor:

“I would ask an ai, Reddit, and probably Kennedi what are the best places to hang out around East Atlanta, then make plans for one that has the coolest pictures on Yelp and hope for the best. Shoutout to Microsoft Co-Pilot.”

Lee:

“I like the simple activities like playing Magic: The Gathering with my best friends at Giga-Bites (still trying to convince my bandmates to learn). If we wanna go somewhere fun to eat, we’ll go to Stevi B’s pizza buffet and hit up the arcade.”

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Lee, Lead Guitarist:

“I wanna give a shoutout to my dad for knowing I could succeed in a band even before I knew. Him keeping a guitar in the closet for 10 years in case I ever had interest is the reason I’m a guitarist. I also wanna thank Ian Binion for giving me that final push and self confidence to join this group. I wouldn’t be here without him.”

Connor, Lead Vocalist:

“I’d like to give a shoutout to my friends and wife, thank you Maddi, Kennedi and Logan for their constant support and encouragement to pursue my passion for music. I’d also like to shout out all of my friends that come to shows and show their love. That means more to me than I can put into words!”

Trevor, Drummer:

“I’d like to give a shoutout to my dad Larry Howe for exposing me to drums at a day old and teaching me how to play when I was a kid, as well as my mom Kate Howe for continuing to push me into new opportunities for drumming and music when I was a kid and constantly supporting me through all these years.

Also wanna give a big shoutout to every performer in the drumline wgi/dci/even high school level community in the past 15 years for influencing me and inspiring me to constantly challenge myself and be better at this craft.

Finally, I would like to shoutout the big two pop punk bands that started my love for the underground alternative scene about a decade ago now when I didn’t know what else to listen to besides Metallica and alternative dad rock on Project 96.1: The Wonder Years and The Story So Far.”

Kennedi, Rhythm Guitarist/Background Vocalist:

“I’d like to thank my parents, Gary and Sonya – Dad, thank you for buying me not only my first guitar, but also my favorite guitar years later. Thank you both for always allowing me to play when I needed an escape and for supporting me for all of these years. I’d like to thank my bandmates for encouraging and challenging me, and for being some of the most talented people I know. Thank you to my sister, Careese, and my brother, Gary, for always encouraging me in my passion for music. Also, thank you to myself for never giving up on me.”

Band Shoutout:

“We would be remiss not to thank our original bassist, cowriter, and friend – Madi Butler. Collective Karma would not exist as it does today without you, Madi. Thank you for bringing us all together and for being such an integral part of our first year as a band. We love you and we are so proud of you for pursuing your passions!”

Instagram: www.instagram.com/collectivekarmaatl

Twitter: https://x.com/collectivekatl

Youtube: www.youtube.com/collectivekarmaatl

Other: www.tiktok.com/collectivekarmaatl https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Fj8DOW4kDGVN5iefKv9Jg?si=7W-mtLPESgOI5embPYWO3Q 

Image Credits
Matthew Crenshaw