The journey for Karmin’s Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan has been a wild one to say the least after the duo signed to Epic Records and scored the double-platinum hit “Brokenhearted” off their 2012 EP Hello, and appeared on Saturday Night Live. Not to mention, Amy’s stunning appearance gracing the cover of Rolling Stone. Along the way they have earned esteemed accolades from hip-hop heavy hitters ranging from The Roots’ Questlove, Diplo, Jermaine Dupri, and The Game. The duo has performed more than 600 live shows and has racked up over a billion collective views of their eye-popping videos (fueled by the devotion of millions of loyal fans around the world, who call themselves “Karminites”).
With triumphs too long to list, the duo have not forgotten their roots as two Berklee College of Music graduates that have been on a crazy journey since being pulled from their basement apartment in Boston and set on the tumultuous path to music stardom. They are recipients of the American Music Award and have appeared on SNL, Dancing With the Stars, Good Morning America, and The Ellen Show, just to name a few. “We were kind of in a honeymoon phase for a while, like, ‘Holy shit, that actually happened?’” Amy says of the events of the last few years.
After surviving the hype of a major label deal, the band parted ways with Epic Records in order to pursue a distinct creative vision that is represented on their upcoming album, Leo Rising, due out later this year. Despite the struggles they’ve endured, Karmin have emerged with a stylistically wide-ranging and truly artistic statement-making album that finds them presenting the most authentic version of who they are to date. All this thanks to clear-eyed, honest storytelling, sonic boundary-pushing, and expanded creative control with Amy and Nick serving as executive producers and Nick stepping up as both a lead vocalist and producer.
“We were ready to make a new sound where you’re like, ‘Nothing else sounds like this,’” Amy says. “I think Lorde, Macklemore, and Gotye have proven that artsy, original music can be accepted by the mainstream and millions of people can love you for being unique. We wanted to find out what made us unique without too many people talking in our ear.”
Their first major single, “Along the Road”, from their upcoming release, depicts feelings of birth, renewal and new transitions exquisitely, describing the bittersweet feeling of friends and loved ones traveling in and out of life. It serves as a departure piece for the cutting edge duo. The real-life couple also released a music video filmed at YouTube Space in Los Angeles, CA and can be seen on Karmin’s YouTube channel. Earlier this year, Karmin released a taste of their new sound with songs, “Sugar” and “Yesterday.” Leo Rising will be released later this year, alongside a short film and a traveling art exhibit.
“Our live show is of the utmost importance to us because we feel so confident going out and performing the music,” Amy says. “Live, we’re more of a rock band,” Nick says. “It’s great to have a pop hit, but it immediately puts you in a super pop box and we’re not that at all. It's much deeper than that.” With their newfound freedom and creative control back in their hands, Karminites will be thrilled to know the band will be hitting the road again later this year. “We are so proud of the show,” Amy adds. “It's an emotional and energetic roller coaster, like the album is. It's not choreography and confetti, but raw energy and musicianship.”
With triumphs too long to list, the duo have not forgotten their roots as two Berklee College of Music graduates that have been on a crazy journey since being pulled from their basement apartment in Boston and set on the tumultuous path to music stardom. They are recipients of the American Music Award and have appeared on SNL, Dancing With the Stars, Good Morning America, and The Ellen Show, just to name a few. “We were kind of in a honeymoon phase for a while, like, ‘Holy shit, that actually happened?’” Amy says of the events of the last few years.
After surviving the hype of a major label deal, the band parted ways with Epic Records in order to pursue a distinct creative vision that is represented on their upcoming album, Leo Rising, due out later this year. Despite the struggles they’ve endured, Karmin have emerged with a stylistically wide-ranging and truly artistic statement-making album that finds them presenting the most authentic version of who they are to date. All this thanks to clear-eyed, honest storytelling, sonic boundary-pushing, and expanded creative control with Amy and Nick serving as executive producers and Nick stepping up as both a lead vocalist and producer.
“We were ready to make a new sound where you’re like, ‘Nothing else sounds like this,’” Amy says. “I think Lorde, Macklemore, and Gotye have proven that artsy, original music can be accepted by the mainstream and millions of people can love you for being unique. We wanted to find out what made us unique without too many people talking in our ear.”
Their first major single, “Along the Road”, from their upcoming release, depicts feelings of birth, renewal and new transitions exquisitely, describing the bittersweet feeling of friends and loved ones traveling in and out of life. It serves as a departure piece for the cutting edge duo. The real-life couple also released a music video filmed at YouTube Space in Los Angeles, CA and can be seen on Karmin’s YouTube channel. Earlier this year, Karmin released a taste of their new sound with songs, “Sugar” and “Yesterday.” Leo Rising will be released later this year, alongside a short film and a traveling art exhibit.
“Our live show is of the utmost importance to us because we feel so confident going out and performing the music,” Amy says. “Live, we’re more of a rock band,” Nick says. “It’s great to have a pop hit, but it immediately puts you in a super pop box and we’re not that at all. It's much deeper than that.” With their newfound freedom and creative control back in their hands, Karminites will be thrilled to know the band will be hitting the road again later this year. “We are so proud of the show,” Amy adds. “It's an emotional and energetic roller coaster, like the album is. It's not choreography and confetti, but raw energy and musicianship.”