Music Interview: Kama Tala & Kevin Kahne
- Bryon Harris
- Aug 20
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 23
Interview with Kama Tala & Kevin Kahne
Kama Tala is an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer. His name is derived from Sanskrit, and his sound draws from influences across neo-soul, rock, surf, and contemporary-pop music. Since his debut album Before the Wind in 2021, Kama Tala has released a steady stream of singles, amassing over 2 million streams on Spotify. His genre-blending style and heartfelt delivery have earned him multiple W.A.M. Awards, including Best Love Song in 2023 for Inside and Out (Everything in Between) and both Best Lyrics and Best Rock Song in 2024. Voted the Grand Prize winner that same year, Kama Tala continues to expand his artistry through collaborations, monthly single releases, and new creative projects that highlight his versatility and passion for the universal language of music. His next release Steropsis (feat. Kevin Kahne) will be released on all platforms on August 28, 2025. We caught up with Kama Tala and Kevin Kahne below!
Was there something or someone who was the "catalyst" for you to go into music?
Kama Tala: I didn't start with anything music related until I was in high school. I was lucky because at some point someone thought I could sing so I got to meet and join a large group of musicians who were all much more talented than I was to learn from who just so happened not to be singers. I never wanted to sing, but that was my ticket in, so I took it. Years later, several of those folks have contributed to Kama Tala recordings and on collaborations.
Kevin Kahne: I always loved music growing up--my uncles played in bands so I got to watch them perform, but they never spent the time to teach me. I asked for a bass to start a band in 5th grade with 2 other guys then they quickly didn’t continue with music and I realized I couldn’t really write songs with just a bass so I just practiced cover songs. I got to high school and met a guy who had started a band but didn’t have a bassist and got asked to join. Over time by just by watching the guitarist--I asked him to teach me the basics. I had my lyric notebook full of stuff that we used in some songs but never stopped writing and keeping notes. I went to guitar center bought an acoustic, started writing songs and just kept doing singer songwriter stuff since then.
Let's get this out of the way. What is the craziest thing that has ever happened in your music career? Kevin Kahne: The craziest thing that happen to me was when I was in a cover band called “Katy and the F**king Perrys,” playing a Halloween show and someone was upstairs of the bar making it rain-- there was just money flying down as we were playing.
Kama Tala: Winning the W.A.M. Awards in 2024 was the most shocking and humbling. The first song that got a nod night was "The Wayside" (best lyrics) which was the first song I had ever recorded with producer Zilchman and a song that is deeply meaningful to me personally. I became a Hawthorne scholar prepping for that and toiled for hours just pouring my heart into those lyrics. Zilchman absolutely blew my away with his production and we've gone on to work on dozens of songs together since. The second song 'Monterey (Reprise)', won both best Rock/Indie Rock/Alternative/Metal song & won the Grand Prize. After recording music with others doing all the production and mixing and me just focusing on writing and recording, I found myself stuck like everyone else during covid-19, uneasy and isolated. I decided to use my stimulus check to buy recording equipment that I still use today. The first song I recorded and produced on my own was 'Monterey' which then became 'Monterey (Reprise)'. The vibe of that song is the antithesis of what I was feeling most of that time, but I did that deliberately. I was blindly trying to write a summer anthem for another day. Those two songs will always be sacred to me and the fact that they were recognized together in one night was wildly special and incredibly humbling.
What has been the highlight of your music path? Kama Tala: Getting to collaborate and create with other musicians.
Kevin Kahne: The highlight of my music path has been always being able to create something whether good or bad. It’s the creative process that always makes me feel like I can accomplish something or get something off my chest in a different way.
How do you approach songwriting or what is your creative process like?
Kevin Kahne I approach a song differently each time. I may have lyrics I like or a melody then build off that. I might have a guitar part I like that I build off and play it over and over then words just come to me--whatever mood I might be feeling. A lot of the time, the song makes itself with words or problems that are buried deep down.
Kama Tala: Mine is very similar--in that it is never the same..
Do you have a new release?
Kama Tala: 'Stereopsis' is the newest tune which will be released on August 28th, 2025. It was a creative blast to work on.
Kevin Kahne: The new release is a banger--excited and honored to be asked to work on it with Kama Tala and hope we can make more in the future.
If you could share the stage or a song session with an artist, who would it be?
Kama Tala: Too many to name. I am always interested in collaboration because you never know what is possible. When Zilchman gets back from Kairos in late September I'm looking forward to working with him on a few new projects.
For fans who have never heard your music, how would you describe your sound?
Kevin Kahne: heartfelt, storyteller
Kama Tala: eclectic, soulful
What is your favorite part about being an artist? Is it songwriting, performing, producing...something else? Kevin Kahne: Favorite part is doing it for myself and no one else. If someone likes it great, but not bothered if someone doesn’t like what I wrote.
Kama Tala: Kevin's answer is great--I approach it the same way. That makes the whole process a blast.
When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing?
Kevin Kahne When I'm not doing music--mostly honking horns and driving around neighborhoods so people can’t record music and taming lions.
Kama Tala: Same answer.
What is coming up in the future for you?
Kevin Kahne: I'll be writing.
Kama Tala: More music to be released. A live project in the works. I've been kicking around the idea of writing a musical.
Please add any additional information you would like fans to know.
Kevin Kahne has been a semi-professional lion tamer since 2023 and brings at least one tamed lion to every live performance.
Kama Tala has over 1000 'Pogs' in his collection and once publicly stated, "This trend will ever end!"
Connect with Kama Tala
#KamaTala #Kevin Kahne #Stereopsis
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