Meet Krista Williamson: musician

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

Hi Krista, do you have a budget? how do you think about personal finances?
I generally try to make sure I spend $20 or less a day, or I just kinda keep an eye on my checking account and try to keep it over $1,000. Once I meet a certain goal in my checking, I’ll take any money I make over that goal and add it to my savings. With my savings I generally try to pretend like it’s not there and I refrain from withdrawing money from there that way it pushes me to make more money in my checking account! If a couple days go by where I spend less than my budget I take that money and I’ll purchase 1 thing I’ve been wanting and that’ll be my reward for saving money. I’d consider myself pretty good at saving money and I definitely wouldn’t consider myself a materialistic person at all. I have a couple nice things that I’ve bought for myself, but all the expensive stuff I own is stuff I’d consider an investment, such as my speakers and recording equipment. I do have a couple nice pieces of clothing, but most of them are things people have given to me. I’ve only ever bought a couple expensive pieces, and I feel so much buyers guilt even from that. I will say, however, that I spend the most money on healthy food. The nutrients I put into my body and the products I choose to use are no joke to me, so I’m willing to spend more money on a healthy, organic meal rather than fast food or junk food. With me, I try to spend money on things that I believe will benefit me and my life the most. I take saving very seriously because I grew up extremely poor and had to watch my family struggle with debt and finances. I promised myself that I’d transcend poverty and never have to live like that again as an adult, and I see no shame whatsoever in working a day job. One day, hopefully, the work I’m putting in now will pay off and I’ll be able to solely make money doing music.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think my music stands out from other people because I create in so many different ways. I play drums for one punk band, I play drums in a shoegaze band, I sing and play guitar in a jazz/trap fusion band, I make folk music as a solo project, and then I also have my main project Lil Heart Eyes, which is like bubblegum trap. I definitely think people resonate with my music because a lot of my songs lyrically are kinda… TMI. I’m definitely not afraid to talk about weird situations I’ve gotten into and use a lot of details. I think I have an interesting way of writing my lyrics and I think people like it because it’s situations that most of my listeners, especially women and LGBTQIA+ listeners, can relate to. I got to where I am today with the help of a lot of my friends. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet a lot of compassionate people on my journey that have shown me how to be self-sufficient and record everything on my own. I am so grateful for the friends I have who have taken the time out of their lives to teach me all they know. I want the world to know that the things I talk about in my music are results of my struggle, and that things do get better. My music is essentially like my diary and I use it to talk about the weird things in my life, and I hope people are able to resonate with that.

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.
So my main hangout spot in Atlanta is Lil 5 Vintage. My friends own that store and I go there to talk to everyone and look at the clothes. Going there always puts me in a good mood and it’s a nice place to go to when I need to socialize. As for food, my favorite spot in the city is this place called Soul Vegetarian No. 2. They have the best vegan BBQ in Atlanta in my opinion, and I’ve been a loyal customer for years. Drinking wise, I usually go bar hopping in Edgewood or I go to the rooftop of the Clermont lounge.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wanna shoutout Wave$ for recommending y’all to reach out to me. I wanna also shoutout my mom for working hard to raise 3 children alone. She is one of the strongest people I’ve ever known and I’m grateful to be her kid. Lastly, I’d like to shoutout my friend Jerry because he is always there for me and encourages my music and progression more than anyone else!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asscowboy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/assscowboy
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIDnscaWhNbLH2SQZPx7W7w

Image Credits
Images taken by Casey Doran, Brandon McClain, and Kadi Adams