"Instigator" Kaci Brown Stirs It Up

Petite, 17-year-old singer Kaci Brown has a tiny speaking voice but when she sings, she can really belt a song. Her racy, hot music video for the single "Instigator" portrays a girl who knows she's hot and is workin' it. Texas-born Kaci started out in the kid beauty pageant world winning a Little Miss Texas contest. This got her local singing career launched with state-wide performances. Her family moved to Nashville in 2001 when young Kaci was just writing songs for country artists and had no recording contract of her own.

After being told by record execs that she would be more successful singing pop tunes, the young diva switched gears and toured with The Backstreet Boys. Her more R&B flavored club dance songs have done well on the Hot Dance Club Billboard charts and the friendly little fireball is still writing new songs and kicking up her heels. We chatted by phone with Kaci recently when she called from her home in California to talk about her small-town roots, her music and future concert plans. She bought her place right after Christmas and hasn't had much time to hang out there. Check it out...

TeenMusic: So you're a Californian now. Love that traffic, right?

Kaci: Oh, I've been here long enough to figure out that you have to leave like three hours earlier if you want to be on time.

TeenMusic: So when you started out, did you start out in Country music? Was that because your parents were into it or where you lived?

Kaci: No, I grew up in an extremely small town in Texas where there is absolutely nothing to do, other than play softball, draw on the sidewalk with chalk, and go skating on the weekends. There was a bowling alley, but nobody really went there much. There were a few restaurants but the closest mall was like an hour and a half away. The closest movie theatre was like 45 minutes to an hour. We didn't have any FM pop stations. There are two FM Country radio stations from the town half an hour away and there was a local AM Country station.

TeenMusic: So that's what you heard and that's what you started with?

Kaci: Exactly. When I won Lil' Ms. Texas when I was ten, that opened up doors. I sang in school and church and also various pageants and therefore because of the talent part I ended up winning Lil' Ms Texas Grand Talent and that opened up opportunities to sing with live bands. I got some studio time in Nashville and I met some amazing people that encouraged me to get out there. My mom and I were making so many trips out that it was getting really expensive and my dad suggested we try moving. So we moved out about five years ago, and I signed a publishing deal at 13 and started writing my own material. Then at 15, I decided to experiment and see where it got me. Pretty much the whole theme of the recording was experimental.

TeenMusic: So do you mean you tried to do more pop at that point?

Kaci: Yeah it was a bigger market, especially then. I really wanted to experiment and do things.

TeenMusic: So on your website, you say you are attracted to boys with guitars? I am too regrettably.

Kaci: I don't think there is a girl that isn't. [laughs]

TeenMusic: There are some perils to that though. What are the perils of dating musicians?

Kaci: Well I'm actually in a very good relationship with a musician. I have noticed that some of them are a little out there. Not exactly left field out there, but not grounded. Also a lot of them are into groupies and I'm not.

TeenMusic: Yeah you gotta watch out for that. So you're headlining the summer jam in New York on the 19th?

Kaci: I'm so excited for that, the Rochester show. I had no idea I was headlining it till yesterday. I knew I was doing the radio show, because I have done so many of them, but I had no idea I was headlining. I am so excited about it.

TeenMusic: So you will probably have to think of a few more songs to do, if you are headlining?

Kaci: You know what's funny I don't even know what my set is. I have been preparing to go to Paris. I am leaving tomorrow morning at 6:30. So I will be gone for a week. It sucks cause it's the first time my mom will not be coming with me.

TeenMusic: Gotta do that stuff on your own eventually.

Kaci: Yeah, I graduated early. This will be like me going to find my college and that kinda thing. If I wasn't on tour doing all this I wanted to go to college at Belmont in Nashville, because it's one of the greatest music schools. I love Nashville.

TeenMusic: Will you think about maybe going back to school, later on?

Kaci: If I didn't do the album I wanted to major in music marketing, management or some classical piano but I'm not far enough along in piano to do that. Because I've already had my college in like a hands on experience, I'm probably going to go ahead and start college classes at home, like psychology. I've always loved children so I like child psychology. Being in the business that I am in, it will probably help me with my patience.

TeenMusic: So, as your song says, would you say that you "instigate" trouble?

Kaci: It is definitely not me now. Maybe, at a point in my life but everyone goes through stages. I am still an instigator when it comes to a lot of things, but as far as going out and trying to mess with random guys – that's not it at all.

TeenMusic: That's just the video not you?

Kaci: Yeah. More than anything that was about my friend. When you go out and you are confident and you feel good and you know guys are looking, and you don't give them the time of day. That to me is my instigating. I was focused on my music and making the album. If you think about how much time is put into making an album and doing promotions and press. There is not a lot of time to do the normal instigating.

TeenMusic: So what is your songwriting process? Do you think of the lyrics or music first?

Kaci: It never happens the same. Yesterday I was just looking around the living room and I saw all these random objects and was thinking about how they related to my life an how I could use them in a song as a metaphor. So I just started jotting down words. A lot of times I look at different words and meanings and what I can use and what is poetic. I will then find music, or maybe I already had music.

TeenMusic: Do you collaborate on songs?

Kaci: Yeah. Sometimes when you are writing with other people, it's a lot easier if you have at least one more person in the room because you can feed off each other's ideas. They may word something differently than you, or you would come up with a different chord progression. It is a lot of fun combining energies.

TeenMusic: So considering your love for kids, do you think music should still be taught at public schools? There should be a budget for it?

Kaci: Of course I do. I mean it's been proven that children that are involved in music tend to have better grades, pay attention better and get higher test scores. You have everything else you learn about in school, like math, history, science and your language that prepares students for their careers but what about the artistic people? You have art and physical education for sports, but what about the people whose niche in life is choir or band?

TeenMusic: Your video for "Instigator" is really cool. It tells a fun story about a high school play among other things.

Kaci: Thank you. We shot it in a middle school here in California and it was so great because all the kids got to watch some of it. It was good for me because that inspired a lot of younger people who are really interested in music. They were like 'hey a music video shot at my school'. It wasn't like a normal video. There was an actual artist that played piano, so all the young girls were like 'that's so cool'.

TeenMusic: So how do you feel you and your music have changed in the last year?

Kaci: It's funny because you can't really put your finger on what my music is. It is not really any one style. It's Kaci's style. It is not about fitting into any genre. It's about connecting my emotions with whatever style it happens to be. As a person I constantly change. I'm definitely more mature. I've been through a lot more and am definitely more jaded than I was last year. It's hard what you go through but you grow up and learn. I'm just hoping that the things that I am going through and will go through won't take a negative toll on me.

TeenMusic: You'll stay strong. Experience makes for a better song.

Kaci: Yeah. I am definitely not writing about boys, flirting and going to parties. I'm writing about things that matter to me now. Boys mattered to me then. What matters to me now is life. I've been writing songs about never being satisfied and chocolate pie – oddly enough – the lyrics are a lot like Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz. Those are two of my favorite artists right now. I'm really into Dido productions, so I'm not sure what my second album is gonna be but I'm totally excited for it. I still love my first album and am totally behind "Instigator" because it's so fun.

TeenMusic: What is the weirdest object you've ever written song lyrics on when you don't have any paper?

Kaci: [laughs] My pants!

TeenMusic: And then don't wash the jeans till you've copied them somewhere else.

Kaci: Right [laughs] Those pants were getting too tight anyway.

TeenMusic: When you are on tour, are you the stay-on-the-bus kinda gal or a tour-the-town gal?

Kaci: Lately, I've been a stay-on-the-bus gal. It's so weird because I like seeing new things and taking pictures and meeting people but when you're out on the road, the bus becomes your home, because you get so run down and tired. You don't want to be walking down the street and someone recognizes you and you don't seem enthusiastic to meet them or appreciative because they enjoyed the music. I like to have enough energy to compliment those around me. I don't want my tiredness to have me come across the wrong way.

TeenMusic: Makes sense. When you are on a road trip what would be on your iPod or CD player?

Kaci: I just went out and bought the new Rascal Flats album which is so good. Also, like I said before Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson. I listen to Avril Lavigne but I am also such a huge fan of Natalie Cole.

TeenMusic: So are you one of those musical girls who has a desire to branch out to a little acting?

Kaci: I've gone on a couple of auditions. If the right part came along I would definitely do it. I'm a little picky. With most of the things they've asked me to do there have either been sex scenes or something. They have been like 'oh well we are not shooting till December' and I was like 'oh so you'll wait till I'm a month over 18, so you don't get in trouble?' I wouldn't do sex scenes, but I would like a musical. They are doing Hairspray with Queen Latifah, and I auditioned for that but I don't know if I got the part or not. I'm not even sure if my schedule would allow it.

TeenMusic: Do you have a crush on any movie stars, or anyone you'd like to act with?

Kaci: I was thrilled when I heard John Travolta was gonna be in it(Hairspray). I am a huge Grease fan. I used to think Paul Walker was really hot. So is Vin Diesel.

TeenMusic: Have you thought at all about starting a clothing line?

Kaci: I'm thinking about it. I talked to people that would help me create it but it's gonna be a process. It's gonna be fun. Maybe work with Versace.

TeenMusic: Who was on your wall when you were growing up? Did you have a pin up boy or girl?

Kaci: I never really got into posters. I know that's boring, but I never did. I had like crazy old antique paintings or frames. Lotsa really weird stuff. But my best friends and I would fight over who was going to marry Aaron Carter. I actually met him as I opened up for the Backstreet Boys last summer with him being Nick's little brother. It was so weird because we had nothing to say. What do you say to someone like that, 'I heard your song' or 'I saw you in a magazine'. Of course you did, everyone has.

TeenMusic: Do you have any advice for talented singers who just haven't made it yet?

Kaci: I say don't even look at being famous as your goal. I want them to look at themselves and stay true to themselves and not be discouraged because it is SO hard to break in. Whatever you set your mind to do, do not feel like you are a failure because someone else does not approve. Success is all about achieving a goal and your goal should not be to make everyone know about you, because they are not going to. Your goal should be to love yourself. If you are confident and you know that you have done everything you can possibly do then that's success. If you do something but you don't believe in yourself, then that is more of a failure than someone else not believing in you.

TeenMusic: Good point. Thanks very much.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.