Kina Grannis

Born and raised in Mission Viejo, CA, Kina Grannis started playing shows at the age of 4 in front of stuffed animals. Now she plays in front of people. For those who knew Kina as the shy and self-proclaimed-awkward songstress who escaped into her collegiate stairwells to practice and play in privacy, the idea of playing in front of inanimate objects might actually seem fitting. But between those who travel across state and country lines to her sold out live shows and those navigating through her extensive library of YouTube videos, it’s quite clear that Kina is hardly playing for no one.

In 2007, after four years at University Of Southern California (where she recorded and self-released three EPs) and a brief move to Austin, TX, Kina joined YouTube, made a music video and entered herself into Doritos’ Crash The Super Bowl contest. In the months that followed, Kina began to accrue followers, making herself right at home in front of her computer. A few months later, her video for “Message From Your Heart” aired during the Super Bowl to its 97-million viewers.

In true DIY form, Kina self-funded and independently-released Stairwells. The album debuted on Billboard’s Top 200 and #5 on iTunes Pop Chart. It also peaked at #2 on Billboard's New Artist/Heatseekers chart. Stairwells includes fan-favourites such as "In Your Arms", "Valentine", "The One You Say Goodnight To" and "Message From Your Heart".

On November 3, Kina released her video for "In Your Arms". A whopping 22 months in the making, the video is a staggering product of creativity, patience and execution. The Greg Jardin-directed stop-motion clip features 288 000 Jelly Belly jelly beans and 1 Kina Grannis captured with 1 still camera over 2 460 frames. To call the video a success would be an understatement. "In Your Arms" has arguably become Grannis's most polarizing achievement; a lofty claim for someone whose first music video found airtime during Super Bowl XLII. In 3 short months, the video has amassed more than 5 million views, with 3.5 million of those coming in just 3 weeks prompting Ellen Degeneres to invite the young artist onto her talk show.

Between shows Kina maintains her famously direct relationship with her supporters, The Kinerds and Kination; from her social networks to her YouTube channel, which is frequently updated with both original and cover songs. Her YouTube channel has roughly 450,000 subscribers and her videos have been viewed 75-million times.

“I feel so fortunate to have been born at a time when there are so many different tools available to artists. It’s not that they allow you to make it on your own, it’s that they allow you to find the people who believe in you and support you, and together, really do something special,” says Grannis.

Kina has continued supporting Stairwells throughout 2011 and 2012, both on tour and online, in North America and around the world, including Australia, where she be touring Australia from March 24 - March 30. She continues to do what she does best; talking to friends and followers, supporters and strangers, and writing and performing her sweet, melancholic, hope-filled songs. And, as always, saving drowning honeybees from pools whenever she gets the chance.

• $19^.95

  Stairwells

Music Videos

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  In Your Arms
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  In Your Arms