By Sean Maldjian, Contributor

Meet Kami Maltz

A self-portrait by, Kami Maltz

Would you rather…

have everything you wear always be four sizes too big or two sizes too small?

four sizes big, I like wearing baggy clothes anyway!

Some questions with Kami Maltz

First of all, hello. It’s been a little bit. How have you been doing?

Ups and down since 2020, but now I can start saying things are falling back into place.

Who is your biggest supporter throughout your musical career?

It's a tough question. There's the family and friends part, people who keep encouraging me through the hard times, telling me they love what I'm doing and they want me to persist and succeed. but there are also some very loyal fans, that have been supporting me on Patreon since I started it in 2018. Some of them whom I've never met, or some that I got to meet this year while touring in Germany.

Thanks for sending over your single from January. Can you tell us a little more about that?

The song itself was written in 2019. I was at a breaking point where I wasn't sure how to proceed with my life in NYC. I couldn't tell if people were just nice to me because they liked me, or because they were just trying to achieve something through our relationship, use me to get to someone or book a gig through my connections, etc... I hated this feeling. I also felt many people didn't show up when I needed them. they were just saying they're my pals, but didn't live up to it.

What was the creative drive behind the single? There is a playful push and pull with the upbeat cheerful track paired with the less than optimistic lyrics what brought on this choice?

I knew I really wanted Josh Turner to produce it, he understands me and my musical associations so well. I knew like some of my past songs, this one has rather sad lyrics but a happy groove-melody. it's this sweet spot where you shake your head or stomp your feet but realize it's a song about disspoitment. I wanted Josh to bring his guitar texture to it, and he also nailed the bass part. I sent him voice memos of me singing my ideas, and he aced it. I think it's my best creation so far!

Are you good at spelling?

I think I'm ok, Engish not being my first language.

You mentioned that you have a show coming up on August 18th. Have you been playing a lot since the pandemic?

Actually not so much. I had one show in 2021, and then the tour in Germany this last May. I hope to gradually go back to it, I just got really comfortable playing in my own room in front of the camera, making videos for Patreon and YouTube. Now things are starting to line up again, which is great. I sometimes forget how satisfying it is to play for actual people, in an actual room. The show on the 18th is taking place at the Museum of Jewish heritage, but you can also register for the live stream! The folks at the museum were looking to bring more live, modern music to their space, and I'm really excited to play this show with my new band, featuring Rosemary Minkler, Adi Meyerson, and Jay Sawyer!

What do you notice about performances taking place after the shutdown?

That people really crave live music, art, the real in-person connection. people were just longing to be dancing or singing with others. Society should really start supporting the arts waaay more than it does now because without it we are empty. less money for startups and tech, more funds for the arts, please!

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

If you can buy a coffee for $6 every now and then, then you can get one less coffee a month and support an artist you like. go get a CD or join someone's Patreon. or make a single-time donation on Paypal. you get the point.