Meet Kimi Tortuga | Singer-songwriter

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

Hi Kimi, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?

Without a doubt the most crucial element has been believing in myself, even when no one else did. I had to acknowledge the following:

The talent that had already existed within me; that I had gained knowledge, skill, and experience forged from many years of musical training; and most importantly, that any self-doubt I experienced originated from others projecting their fears and expectations onto me. They were invasive thoughts all along, who knew?

I also stopped drinking alcohol.  April 3, 2023 marks one year!  It was only logical to place the wager that I was capable of success once I was able to clear my mind.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

My art is evolving, but I think it has finally developed some definition. Indie-pop and soul-rock describe it pretty accurately. As a multi-instrumentalist, I’ve been recording my own music for a few years now. It’s been a process; in addition to being able to perform in the studio, you also have to know how to record yourself, how to edit, mix, master, bounce, and distribute. I took my experience with running sound live to the studio. Not exactly a seamless translation, but it certainly helped guide me in the right direction.

It can feel overwhelming sometimes when you’re in the production process, especially when you’re new to it. As such, I’ve resolved to just relax and not worry so much about perfection or being the best. Once again, that was other people’s expectation of me. And since artists (and women) are groomed by society to be people pleasers so they don’t lose their livelihood, I took that and other expectations onto my shoulders when I probably shouldn’t have.  I just need to be me!

I never wanted to be famous due to the unnatural amount of attention celebrities get, not to mention their frequent and untimely demises as a result (i.e., Houston, Presley, Jackson, Winehouse, Hendrix, Cobain, etc.). I had to wonder why I was putting all this pressure on myself to be more palatable, more likeable, nicer, and everything else that made it easy for people to get whatever they wanted out of me.

A lot of these behaviors I exhibited admittedly stem from childhood trauma where I had to constantly fawn to gain acceptance and love, causing me to constantly be concerned about someone else’s feelings instead of mine. Avoiding confrontation, over-explaining, and de-escalation at any cost were all survival methods. I’ve recently come to terms with the fact that I had brought those traits over into my professional life.

I hope that people can come to understand that I am my brand and what I want the most is freedom. Freedom from the expectations of others, freedom from undignified working conditions, and freedom to stand up for myself when the situation calls for it, and without reprisal. These days, if I’m not happy, it’s not happening. I’ve got boundaries now and they have been a most powerful asset to my peace of mind.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Actually, I would have to explore Atlanta with them! I’ve been only once, but I remember having shrimp and grits at Rosie’s Cafe! I remember because it was really close to the Mercedes-Benz stadium and because they were absolutely delicious. So, we’d definitely have to stop in there for lunch and then pop over to downtown! I also hear that Buckhead is really pretty, so I’d want to go shopping or sight-seeing out there. Finally, we’d totally have to do a nature walk somewhere. Georgia is beautiful, so the natural landscape options are limitless.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I’d like to give a shoutout to my photographer, James Zambon. He’s been a very reliable partner in business and he’s also just a wonderful human being that saves lives all over the world when he’s not shooting. He’s an international medical transport ninja, how cool is that?

My goal has been to show the world how I want to be seen – to narrate my own story instead of letting other people do it. I wanted to demonstrate by example that I am worth investing in, and that I strive to do work that is both economically and spiritually gratifying. James nails the assignment every time. He actually commented on our last shoot how our photography has achieved these objectives, which merely proves that manifestation is a real thing.

Website: www.kimitortuga.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kimitortuga

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kimitortugamusic

Youtube: www.youtube.com/kimitortuga

Image Credits
James Zambon